Official Luthiers Forum!

Do any of you know where I can get a bridge pin reamer? Man they want a lot of gold for them at the luthier stores. I have spent the better part of the day and am tired so figured I would post for some help. Just finishing my first guitar and can't string it up. I need a 3 degree reamer for bridge pins.
Thanks guys.







Time is not wasted if your only wasting time.

Wendell: If you are going to continue building,just bite the bullet. On the other hand for the most part Martin dosen't waste time reaming bridge pin holes.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Spend the money on the proper tool. Cheaper reamers will waste both your time and your money.

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Aaron Craig

You might want to put 'reamer' in the subject line. I always used to use a hardware store $12 reamer and it seemed to work fine. I don't know what taper they are. I'm sure a taper matching the pins is more ideal.

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Pat

A cheapie way to ream pin holes is to find a file with proper sized tang,
then grind edge to it. Works more like a scraper than cutting edge,
but works reasonably well anyway. I used it for a couple of my firsts,
but finally I realized bridge is not a place to leave anything up to a chance,
so I bought a proper reamer.

Industrial supply stores will be a better source than Stew Mac

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Until you get a decent reamer you can get it part-way with a cheap hardware store repairman's reamer or somesuch, then wrap sandpaper around a bridge pin and get it the rest of the way. This cheapo solution can result in the holes getting widened off-center, etc. etc., so watch what's happening carefully. Also it takes too long and is a general PIA, so I'm not saying anyone should do it, but it is an option.

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Tim Allen
"Never hurry, never rest."

I have a reamer I bought to do tuing pegs and end pin on a violin kit I was building, but I get confused over the taper angle. Will it work on bridge pins? How big a deal is the taper angle, and does anyone have a preference?

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Phil

http://www.oleninstruments.com

"Those who tilt at windmills are only considered insane by those who can't see the dragon."

You're welcome to have my Grizzly reamer if you want it. It's just going to waste sitting in my tool box since I upgraded. You'll definitely want to get a good one like StewMac or LMI sells eventually, but the cheap one does work. Just takes a lot more pressure and rotations to get there.

Reamer Quest.
Thanks to all for your kind response and help. DennesK, if your Grissley reamer is a 3 degree
I would be happy to take it off your hands for a price, not freeby.
Thanks All
W.

John,
I've looked through industrial supply catalogs (MSC, McMaster, Grainger) but I've never been able to find reamers listed by angle - they're usually listed by taper pin size or Morse Taper number.

Do you know which size corresponds to 3 degree and 5 degree? Or is there a different supplier I should check with?

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Yep, it's this one http://www.grizzly.com/products/3-Bridge-Pin-Reamer/H5808, although I think it was $15 when I bought it. I certainly wouldn't turn down 5 or 10 bucks if you wish to pay, but I don't mind passing it along for free either. Want me to mail it, or shall I swing by for a visit sometime? Always fun to meet other local builders

Another source perhaps.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#taper-reamers/=j0pf2n

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

I own a couple of nice ones but if I didn't want to spend a lot of money I would go with the grizzly if I needed one. $20

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Another day, another dollar.

I first drill the holes with a tapered drill bit then ream with the sharpened tang of a file. I use a counter sink and stop collar on the drill bit to recess the ball end of the bridge pin a little. Trevor Robinson describes making tapered reamers for boring woodwinds in his book "the Amateur Wind Instrument Maker". If home made reamers work for woodwinds I think they are plenty fine for bridge pins.

I got mine on eBay and it wasn't
pricey.

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