Which reamers will I need [RV-8A]?

I'm currently working on the first wing of my -8A. I'm about to send an order off to Cleaveland. Anyone want to give me a heads up on which size reamers I will need for critical holes on the project? Freight costs are so high to NZ that I try to include as much as possible in each order. Thanks.

AntiGravity said:

.......I'm about to send an order off to Cleaveland. Anyone want to give me a heads up on which size reamers I will need for critical holes on the project?.....

Click to expand...

At a minimum, I would suggest the following three reamers be used on any aircraft project: .1875, .2495, (or.2497 or .2500) and a .3120 reamer. These three reamers should produce high quality holes for all your AN3, AN4, and AN5 bolts. Normally, the predrilled size would be to prepare the holes by first drilling up to 11/64 (or #13 or #14), 15/64, and 19/64 respectively prior to the final pass with a reamer.
I believe Cleveland sells such reamers as RSF-316, RSF-140, and RSF-516.

OK, here's the dumbest newb question ever...

How do you use a reamer? My only excuse I can come up with as to why I'm ignorant of this is I had my head too far buried in books to take shop in HS.

Also, not much call for it on submarines. If we needed structural work it was the shipyard doing it and not ship's force.

Cheers

Thanks Guys. Oh, and as with Paul, hints on usage would be handy. Do you still just thrown them in your drill? My preference, where possible, is the drill press to make sure everything goes through straight, but of course this isn't possible for 'in place' jobs.

Basic Reaming

parashak said:

How do you use a reamer?

Click to expand...

....and as with Paul, hints on usage would be handy.

Click to expand...

Short version: A standard twist drill bit with its spiraling flutes is geometrically incapable of producing a high quality precision hole. Using a reamer is easy but there are a couple of things to anticipate. First off, I recommend you become familiar with a typical drill chart.....keep one stapled on the wall in your shop for quick reference. Cleaveland has a version in their catalog. You couldn't walk 30' in the shop I came from without running into one of these prominently posted at eyeball level.
You do not have to memorize the decimal equivalent of every drill size made but it is essential to know what the true diameter of a given drill is before you simply reach for a bit and start drilling away! Always predrill the hole to be reamed as high as practical with a drill bit first. This can be done with as many drill sizes and passes as desired. Refer to a chart. Just stay well under the final ream size.

Rule of thumb before reaming. Lubricate the reamer with Boelube or paraffin wax, votive candle wax, cutting oil, 3 in 1 oil, motor oil, or in a pinch.....any other oil you happen to have on hand. Using a relatively low RPM and moderate feed rate, make the pass. Do not force the reamer through the hole. Use some finesse and use a drill press when you can for producing the optimum in hole quality.

Many people find using a piloted reamer a more convenient choice because it tends to self straighten in the hole, is easier to maintain perpendicularity and the hole does not have to first be predrilled to a diameter quite as high but those are subtle points beyond the scope of a brief explanation.

Cordless drill

Rick6a said:

Short version:
......
Using a relatively low RPM and moderate feed rate, make the pass. Do not force the reamer through the hole. Use some finesse and use a drill press when you can for producing the optimum in hole quality.
.......

Click to expand...

Great short description Rick....

If you can't use a drill press, then a cordless drill is ideal, since it keeps the rpm low.
This is one case were you don't want to use your air drill....

gil in Tucson

Stupid Question, since I'm not building! What does the reamer do after you have drilled the hole?

Paul, are you on boomers or fast attack?