I recently needed to make a 1-9/16-in.-dia. hole to fit a wooden shaft from some antique machinery. Neither my Forstner bits nor my collection of router bits and bushings could get me a hole that size.

So I took a barrel bung reamer and placed painter’s tape where the reamer is 1-9/16 in. dia. After drilling a hole just under 1-9/16 in., I reamed it down to the tape, which made the very top of the hole the right size. Then I put a top-bearing pattern bit in my router and set it to ride the top edge of the hole, which squared the entire depth to 1-9/16 in. Since my reamer goes up to 2-1/2 in. dia., I can quickly and accurately bore odd-size holes up to that diameter.

Good news for those who can’t find a decent barrel bung reamer: I’ve used the same technique with a large taper reamer from Lee Valley, which retails for $28 and goes up to 1-3/16 in. dia. Any time you need an odd-size hole, or just need to widen holes slightly, such as dog holes in a benchtop, this technique works wonders.

—RYAN ERISMAN, Sun Prairie, Wis.

Illustrations by Dan Thornton
From Fine Woodworking issue #283

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Festool Rotex FEQ-Plus Random Orbital Sander

The Festool Rotex is a top-of-the-line choice. On its coarse setting, it removed stock nearly twice as quickly as the second-fastest model. But that speed doesn’t mean you’ll have to wrestle with it. It’s no huge task to control it with two hands, and its long body gives you plenty of room to find a sweet spot while holding it.

Buy at Amazon

Fein Turbo II HEPA Wet/Dry Dust Extractor

Among the most powerful HEPA-rated shop vacs on the market, Fein’s Turbo II is quieter, more compact, and nimbler than the rest.

Buy at Amazon

Incra Miter 1000HD

One of many extremely accurate Incra miter gauges, this model offers 180-degree adjustment to 1/10 of a degree, and a long, straight fence with a telescoping stop system.

Buy at Amazon