Official Luthiers Forum!

I need to install a bone end pin from LMI. It looks like it has a 3 degree taper. My Stewmac reamer is undersized by about 0.040" Dia. Any recommendations for something that will do the job?

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Steve: If you have a friend who is a machinist ask about a tapered pin reamer. They come in increasing sizes, and one will be big enough, but I can't recall the taper. I'm quite sure it will be close if not right on. Try in scrap first of course.
Tom

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

You could enlarge the hole, or, if acceptable, reduce the end pin diameter by 0.040"

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I was thinking, I suppose, that there was yet another, larger, 3 degree reamer out there that I would need. Perhaps Colin's idea is the best. I can just work it down with a file and sandpaper till it fits.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

As an alternative suggestion, you might work the reamer slightly further in, then taper/enlarge the outer, parallel part of the hole to fit the end pin, say with needle files/cone of abrasive on the pin itself??.
You could try that on a scrap block to see how it goes?
Alternatively, LMI say

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

You could grind a flat reamer from a file. If it is good enough for making woodwinds it should be good enough for end pin holes.
Google "Trevor Robinson reamers" then look for the entry "The amateur wind instrument maker" page 15.
The rest of the book is also very good for those who are interested in woodwinds.

Before I had bridge pin reamers, this was what I used. Some folks try to use the tang of the file but that is too soft. Small 6" or so, grind taper and sharpen one edge and round the other. I had long forgotten about it.
Tom

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

If it is a 5 degree taper I was going to recommend the Stewmac endpin jack reamer... it has a 5 degree taper all the way to the endpin jack diameter.

I really wish there's a flat on the reamer shank so I can mount a handle on it. There's time when I don't really want to use it in a power drill.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Tai Fu: If you have a good grinder it's not hard to put two opposite flats so that you could put on a handle or use a small spanner.
Tom

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

I don't have a grinder, but I have the stone I use for the wagner safe T planer... I tried drilling it, the material is so hard that the drill bit couldn't even scratch it...

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

_________________
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

Try a violin peg reamer. I bought one of the boxwood end pins from LMI to test with it a while back, and it fit nicely. Never actually installed it in a guitar, but good to have around and ready incase I ever sell one to someone who wants and end pin.

Reamers are pretty pricey though, so if that's all you need it for, see if you can find anyone else in the area who has one (if not an individual, try a violin shop) and will let you use it for a couple minutes. Bring a pre-drilled scrap to test first, of course.

Stuart,
My trig is not what it once was. Any clue as to which would be a 3 and 5 degree?

_________________
Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Joe...I guess the only one on that page with a three degree taper is 3018A5 (bottom / right corner of the page). All the rest are a 1/2 degree to 1-1/2 degrees. There are no five degree tapers.

_________________
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

Thank you Stuart

_________________
Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thanks Stuart, that one is not too expensive.

And thanks everyone for the good ideas!!

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

FWIW All of the end pins I have seen are a 5 degree included angle. Been making them for over 10 years for new and after market guitars, for guys who build 10 a year and for guys who build over 600 a year. Martins included. Buy a StewMac reamer and it will last a lifetime, or you can use it for 5 years and resell for what you paid after inflation kicks in. You want your end pin to either fit very snug or with epoxy filler . Cost of a reamer for the proper fit is way cheaper than fixing a guitar that cracks its lower bout because the end pin released, plus you can buy a new end pin anywhere rather than having them custom made.

Tim

I checked this one it was 3 degrees. I just ran the SM reamer in a bit deeper and then used the reamer like a rotary scraper on the flat that was left near the opening. Worked great. Thanks again everybody for the suggestions! This one is finished so I'll post a few photos later.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Steve: I no longer use end pins. I install a pickup jack incase someone want a pickup and less chance of damage from an accident. Just my choice of course.
Tom

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

Usually what I do too; normally a K&K Pure Mini. In this case it's a parlor type guitar and not likely to need a pickup. I just like the look of the bone end pin, I suppose.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"