Reamer Sets

Reamer Set Selection — Quick Reference

Reamers FINISH a drilled hole to PRECISION DIAMETER + accuracy + surface finish — taking hole drilled SLIGHTLY UNDER-SIZE up to its exact final dimension. Toolroom + engineering + production essential.

Critical: Drill PILOT HOLE UNDERSIZE — typically 0.1-0.4mm less than reamed diameter. NEVER reverse reamer in hole — damages cutting edges. Cutting fluid + slow speed (60-100 RPM hand; 100-300 RPM machine). Brands: Sutton Tools, Bordo. Companion: reamers, chucking reamers, adjustable hand reamers.

Reamer Sets

Reamers finish a drilled hole to precision diameter, accuracy, and surface finish — taking a hole drilled to slightly under-size up to its final dimension with the kind of accuracy that bearing fits and dowel pins require. AIMS Industrial stocks reamer sets and singles in metric and imperial sizes for toolmaking, engineering, and precision workshop applications.

The reamer types we stock

• Hand reamers — long taper lead, designed to be turned by hand using a tap wrench or holder
• Machine reamers — short taper lead, designed for use in drill presses, lathes, and milling machines
• Chucking reamers — reamers with a Morse taper or straight shank for direct mounting in machine tool chucks
• Adjustable reamers — for cutting non-standard diameters by adjusting the cutting blades
• Bridge reamers (taper) — for bringing misaligned holes into alignment in fabrication work
• Morse taper reamers — for finishing Morse taper sockets and shanks

Set configurations

• Metric H7 reamer sets — covering common bearing-fit sizes (typical sets cover 6mm to 25mm in 1mm increments)
• Imperial reamer sets — covering common imperial sizes for US-spec equipment
• Hand reamer sets — matched taper-and-bottoming sets for hand reaming through holes and blind holes
• Machine reamer sets — covering the production reaming sizes for shop use

Where reamers earn their place

• Bearing fits — reamed holes provide the precision diameter and surface finish bearings require
• Dowel pin holes — accurate diameter and concentricity for press-fit dowel pins
• Bushing fits — for bushings that need precise mounting in housings
• Morse taper restoration — cleaning damaged Morse tapers in spindles back to specification
• Aligning misaligned holes — bridge reamers correct slight misalignment between mating components

Drilling-and-reaming practice

The drill size for reaming is critical — typically the drill is 0.2mm to 0.4mm (or 1/64 inch to 1/32 inch) under the final reamer diameter. Drilling closer than that overloads the reamer; drilling further under leaves too much material to remove cleanly. Manufacturer drill charts specify the recommended undersize for each reamer size. Use cutting fluid (Tap Magic, Molycut), run the reamer at slow speed (typically 1/2 to 2/3 of drilling speed), and let the reamer cut without forcing. Hand reaming requires steady, even rotation; machine reaming benefits from rigid setup and constant feed.

Brands stocked at AIMS

Sutton Tools, Bordo, and Champion cover the reamer range in HSS. HSS-E (cobalt) versions are available for tougher materials. Coatings (TiN, TiCN) extend life in production work. For specialty reamers (carbide, custom diameters), contact our team for sourcing.

Care and resharpening

Reamers are precision tools that hold their value through years of use if treated properly. Store in their cases or rolls, never throw into a toolbox where the cutting edges meet other tools. Wipe cutting fluid off and apply a light protective oil before storage. Worn reamers can be resharpened by a competent tool grinder — for reamers above about 6mm diameter, resharpening is usually economical; smaller reamers are typically replaced. Don't try to resharpen reamers in a hand grinder — the symmetry and tolerance are too tight for hand grinding.

Need help with reamer selection, set configuration, or drill size charts? contact our team — we'll work through the application.

People Also Ask — Reamer Sets

Q: Why buy a reamer set instead of individual reamers?

A set covers a full range in one purchase — metric H7 sets typically run 6mm to 25mm in 1mm increments, hand reamer sets pair matched taper-and-bottoming reamers for through and blind holes, and machine reamer sets cover the production reaming sizes a workshop actually uses — cheaper and simpler than sourcing each diameter separately as you need it.

Q: How should I store and maintain reamers to keep them precise?

Store reamers in their cases or rolls — never loose in a toolbox, where the cutting edges will meet other tools and dull. Wipe off cutting fluid and apply a light protective oil before storage. Reamers above about 6mm diameter are usually worth resharpening by a competent tool grinder when they dull; smaller reamers are typically just replaced. Don't attempt to resharpen a reamer on a hand grinder — the symmetry and tolerance needed are too tight for hand grinding.

Q: Which brands does AIMS stock for reamer sets, and when do I need cobalt?

Sutton Tools, Bordo and Champion cover the reamer range in HSS. HSS-E (cobalt) versions step up to tougher materials where standard HSS wears too fast, and coatings like TiN and TiCN extend tool life further in production work.

Q: Why does a dowel pin need a reamed hole rather than just a drilled one?

A reamed hole gives the precision diameter, accuracy and concentricity a press-fit dowel pin actually requires — a drilled hole alone isn't consistent or round enough for a reliable press fit. The same logic applies to bearing fits and bushing fits, where reaming is what delivers the surface finish and diameter tolerance those press fits need.

Q: Can a reamer fix a damaged Morse taper?

Yes — Morse taper reamers are specifically for cleaning up damaged Morse taper sockets and shanks, restoring them back to specification rather than replacing the whole spindle or tool holder.