If you’ve ever spent time in a metalworking shop, woodworking garage, or fabrication studio, you know that drilling a hole is only half the battle. A rough, uneven drilled hole might work for a basic fastener, but if you need a hole that’s perfectly sized, smooth-walled, and precise enough to hold pins, bushings, or mating parts, reaming is the step that makes the difference. As a drill press supplier with over 15 years of talking to machinists, hobbyists, and shop owners, I’ve seen way too many folks skip proper reaming steps because they think it’s just “fine drilling” — and that’s where mistakes happen. Reaming isn’t about cutting a new hole; it’s about refining an existing one, and when done right with a quality drill press, it can turn a so-so hole into one that’s tight, accurate, and durable. Today, I’m breaking down exactly how to use a drill press for reaming, the common pitfalls to avoid, and how to get consistent results every time. Drill Presses
First, let’s get clear on what reaming actually is, because that’s where a lot of beginners go wrong. Drilling removes material by creating a hole that’s generally 0.001 to 0.005 inches larger than the bit’s diameter, and the walls are rough, off-center, and often have burrs or small ridges. Reaming uses a multi-point cutting tool (called a reamer) to shave a tiny amount of material — usually 0.001 to 0.003 inches — from the hole’s walls to bring it to an exact, final diameter, with a smooth, uniform surface finish. Unlike a drill bit, which has sharp, angled cutting edges that dig into material, a reamer has straight or helical cutting edges along its body, designed to shear material evenly without wandering. That’s why a drill press is such a critical tool here: it provides the controlled, consistent speed and alignment that reamers need to work correctly. If you try reaming with a hand drill, you’ll almost certainly get a hole that’s off-center or uneven, no matter how steady your hand is.
Now, before you even plug in the drill press and grab a reamer, there are three non-negotiable prep steps that will make or break your reaming job. The first is choosing the right reamer and drill bit for your base hole. Start with the size of final hole you need — that’s the reamer’s nominal size. For example, if you need a 0.500-inch reamed hole, you’ll need to drill a pilot hole that’s 0.002 to 0.005 inches smaller than the reamer’s diameter. How do you find that pilot size? Check your drill bit reference chart, or better yet, test on a scrap piece of the same material you’re working with. If the pilot hole is too small, the reamer will bind, break, or leave a hole that’s too tight; if it’s too big, the reamer will have to remove too much material, leading to an uneven surface or over-sized hole. I always tell first-timers to start with a scrap piece of mild steel or pine (depending on what you’re working with) to practice — it’s way cheaper than ruining a project.
Second, prep your workholding and the drill press itself. Reaming requires the hole to be perfectly aligned with the drill press’s spindle, otherwise you’ll get a tapered or oval hole. Use a vise, drill press vise, or a custom jig to clamp your workpiece securely — never hold it by hand, and make sure there’s no play in the clamp. If you’re reaming a thin material, add a backer board of the same thickness to prevent the material from bending or tearing as the reamer goes through. Next, check your drill press’s alignment. Most modern drill presses have a quill that should move straight up and down, but older models can have slight side-to-side play. You can test this by running the drill press (without a bit) and touching the quill to a dial indicator against a stationary object — if there’s more than 0.001 inches of runout, it’s worth adjusting, or at least being extra careful during reaming. Also, make sure your drill press’s speed is set correctly for reaming: for most metals, reaming speed should be about half the speed you’d use for drilling that same material. For wood, you can run it a bit faster, but never as fast as drilling — high speeds will cause the reamer to overheat and gum up the material.
Third, pick the right cutting fluid, even if you’re working with wood. For metals, cutting fluid (or a lightweight oil for aluminum) reduces friction, keeps the reamer cool, and flushes away metal shavings that can scratch the hole walls. For wood, a light water-based lubricant works well to prevent burning and keep the wood from splintering. I’ve seen hobbyists try reaming dry with a cheap reamer, and 9 times out of 10, they end up with a rough, scratched hole or a broken reamer. It’s a small step that makes a huge difference.
Now, the actual reaming process — this is where patience pays off. Here’s the step-by-step I teach every new customer of our drill presses:
Step 1: Set up your drill press. Mount your drill bit for the pilot hole, set the speed, and drill your pilot hole. Once the pilot hole is drilled, don’t release the workpiece from the clamp — leave it clamped right where it is. That keeps the hole perfectly aligned for reaming. Remove the drill bit from the drill press spindle, and install the reamer. Make sure the reamer is seated firmly in the chuck — a loose reamer will wobble and create an uneven hole.
Step 2: Align the reamer with the pilot hole. Lower the drill press quill by hand (don’t let the drill press feed it automatically at first) until the tip of the reamer is sitting squarely in the pilot hole. Gently twist the quill by hand if needed to get the reamer aligned straight — forcing it will cause it to bend or break. At this point, double-check that your vise is still tight and the workpiece isn’t shifting.
Step 3: Start the drill press and ream at a steady feed. Turn on the drill press, and then lower the quill slowly, applying consistent, light pressure. This is not like drilling, where you can push hard to speed things up — reamers are designed to be fed gently, and too much pressure will cause them to chatter, leading to a rough hole or a broken tool. Let the reamer do the work. If you hear a high-pitched squeal or feel resistance, stop immediately, pull the reamer back partway, and add a bit more cutting fluid, then proceed slower. For through-holes (holes that go all the way through the workpiece), keep feeding until the reamer’s flutes are ¾ of the way through the material — don’t push it all the way through in one go, as that can leave a burr on the bottom. For blind holes (holes that only go partway into the material), stop when the reamer’s shoulder is 0.010 inches above the surface of the material, to prevent the reamer from bottoming out in the hole.
Step 4: Pull the reamer out carefully. Once you’ve fed the reamer to the correct depth, stop the drill press while the reamer is still in the hole. Do NOT reverse the drill press spindle to pull the reamer out — that will cause the reamer’s cutting edges to dig into the hole walls, scratch the surface, or even break. Instead, keep the quill steady and twist the reamer gently in the direction it was cutting (same as the spindle rotation) while pulling it straight up out of the hole. This is a key mistake a lot of beginners make, and it’s the main reason people complain that reaming leaves rough holes.
Step 5: Deburr and check the hole. Once the reamer is out, you’ll usually have a small burr on the edge of the hole from the reaming process. You can remove this with a deburring tool or a small piece of sandpaper wrapped around a dowel, being careful not to remove too much material. Then, check the hole’s diameter with a micrometer or a hole gauge to make sure it’s the correct size. If it’s too small, you can ream it again very lightly, removing only a tiny amount of material. If it’s too big, you’ll have to go back to the pilot hole step and correct it — but that’s why practicing on scrap is so important.
Now, let’s talk about common mistakes I see people make with drill presses and reaming, because even if you follow all the steps, a small error can ruin your job. The first is using a dull reamer. Reamers get blunt over time, and using a dull one is like trying to cut paper with a butter knife — it will push material instead of cutting it, leading to uneven walls and chattering. We recommend having a dedicated set of reamers for reaming only, so you don’t dull them on drilling jobs. Another big mistake is rushing the process. I’ve had customers tell me they reamed a hole in 10 seconds flat, and sure, maybe they got it done fast, but the hole was rough enough that it couldn’t hold a tight pin or bushing. Reaming should take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on the material and hole size — it’s a precision step, not a quick task.
Also, don’t forget to match your reamer to your drill press. A high-quality drill press with a smooth, low-runout spindle will make reaming way easier than a cheap, wobbly model. When I sell drill presses, I always tell customers that the best drill press for reaming is one with a precision-ground quill and adjustable depth stop — those features take the guesswork out of feeding the reamer to the exact depth every time. For example, our mid-sized drill presses for small to medium workshops have a quill travel of 3 inches and a depth stop that’s accurate to 0.001 inches, which is perfect for consistent reaming. Hobbyist models don’t need to be industrial-grade, but they should have a chuck that holds tools tight and a speed range that’s adjustable, no matter what material you’re working with.
Let’s also cover reaming for different materials, because metalworking and woodworking reaming have a few small differences. For wood, reaming is often used for dowel holes or pin holes, where you need a hole that’s perfectly sized to fit a dowel with no play. The pilot hole for wood should be 0.003 to 0.005 inches smaller than the final size, and you can use a spiral flute reamer (instead of straight flute) to clear wood chips faster. For soft metals like aluminum, use a high-speed steel reamer and a light cutting oil, and keep the speed a bit higher than you would for steel (around 100 RPM for a ½-inch hole). For hard metals like stainless steel, use a carbide-tipped reamer and a heavy-duty cutting fluid, and slow the speed down to 50 RPM or less — stainless is tough, so you need to take it easy.
I know a lot of people get nervous about reaming, especially if they’ve never used a reamer before. The good news is that once you get the hang of it, it’s a skill that will make your projects look way more professional. Last year, I worked with a custom furniture maker who was struggling with dowel joints that kept wobbling — he was drilling holes with a hand drill, and they were never straight. Once he started using our drill press and the reaming steps we talked through, his dowel joints went from 50% fitting perfectly to 95% on the first try. That’s the difference reaming makes: it’s not just about a hole size, it’s about the quality of your work.
Before we wrap up, let’s go over a quick recap to keep this simple: 1. Choose a reamer that matches your final hole size, and drill a pilot hole 0.001-0.005 inches smaller. 2. Secure your workpiece tightly, use a backer if needed, and set your drill press speed to half of your drilling speed. 3. Install your reamer, align it with the pilot hole, and feed it gently with consistent pressure. 4. Never reverse the drill press to remove the reamer — twist it in the cutting direction while pulling straight up. 5. Deburr and check your hole. If you stick to these steps, and invest in a quality drill press that holds alignment well, you’ll get consistent, precise holes every time.
If you’re ready to upgrade your drill press to make reaming (and all your precision projects) easier, or you have questions about which model works best for your shop, we’re here to help. Our team has years of experience working with machinists, hobbyists, and fabricators, and we can walk you through the best drill press for your specific needs, whether you’re working with wood, metal, or a mix. Just reach out to our team to discuss your requirements — we’d be happy to help you get set up for success.
Metal Lathe References
Machinery’s Handbook (31st Edition), Industrial Press Inc.
Guide to Reaming Practices, American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association
Metalworking and Woodworking Reaming Techniques, Society of Manufacturing Engineers
YS Machine Tools Co., Ltd.
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