Obtain your preferred diameter plano or drill stock wire, 3/32" to 3/16" (0.0938 - 0.1875). This will come in 3 ft lengths at your local hardware store.

BE SURE TO USE EYE PROTECTION WHEN WORKING WITH POWER TOOLS AND MAKING REAMERS.

Cut the 3/32" stock to 3-1/2" lengths and cut the 3/16" stock to 5" lengths for the number of reamers to be made. (If you get carried away you can make 10 reamers from the 3/32" stock and 7 reamers from the 3/16" stock.
Grind off any rough edges on the pieces of rod. Chuck the rod in an electric drill. With the drill running, hold the rod against the face of a rotating abrasive disc. The right side of a rotating disc or wheel will give better results. Hold the electric drill at about a 5 angle to the grinding surface.
This will give the rod about a 2" to 2-1/2" taper. The rod should be quenched frequently as the pointed end will heat rapidly. After grinding the taper to the needle-like shape, you may want to polish the rod to a smooth finish while it is still chucked in the drill. If so, use a fine grit emery cloth to accomplish this.

A WORD OF CAUTION; BE VERY CAREFUL OF GETTING CARELESS AND JABBING YOURSELF WITH THE POINTED END.
I am speaking from experience. I learned the hard way.

Unplug the drill. Insert a 6" length of rod into any one of the 3 holes in the chuck. This should be a snug fit (in the chuck keyholes). You are now ready to grind the flat on the tapered rod with the abrasive grinding disc or wheel turned on, and the taper rod still in the chuck.
The purpose of the rod in the chuck keyhole and at right angles to the flat on the tapered rod you are grinding will be to hold the chuck in a vertical position and parallel to the rotating disc or wheel as possible. I have found this helped me in grinding the flat with frequent grindings and returning to further grinding the disc without changing the angle of the flat. This flat surface will be your cutting surface of the reamer.
Grind the flat on the tapered rod to just above where the taper ends. (This is so you will be able to ream a hole to the full diameter of the rod.)
After the grinding is completed, it will be desirable to retemper your reamer or reamers by heating them to a cherry red and quenching them in light oil. (Use as small amount of oil as possible to lessen the chances of creating a fire hazard.)
Wooden Handles - If the reamers were made by the production method then the author would recommend making the handles the same way. I used a length or 3/8" dowel, cutting them off in 2-1/2" lengths. Drill the hole in the dowel for a press fit to about 3/4" depth. This can be done in a lathe or with a setup on a drill press.
Hollow grinding the taper will give a sharper cutting edge. This requires another jig and operation, but you will find that without the hollow grind the reamer will work quite satisfactorily in most reaming operations. Under reasonable conditions they will outlast the reamers you purchase. I have been using some that I made 30 years ago!

TO TIPS & TRICKS PAGE