The frames of large machines are frequently composed of parts that are bolted together after having the holes for shafts, &c. bored, and to insure the alignment of these holes after the frames are put together a hand reaming bar, such as in [Fig. 2267], is employed, a and b being two shell reamers fastened to the bar by a pin.

Fig. 2268.

Reamers are sometimes employed to enlarge holes or bring them fair one with another, without reference to their being precise to a designated diameter; thus [Fig. 2268] represents a half-round reamer of the form used by boiler makers to bring rivet holes fair, and sometimes by machinists to ream the holes for taper securing pins. The flat face is cut down to below the centre line, so that the back requires no clearance ground upon it.

Fig. 2269.

The square reamer shown in [Fig. 2269] is used for rough work generally, although with careful grinding and use it will produce excellent results upon work of small diameter. Brass finishers generally prefer a square reamer to all others for reaming the bores of brass cocks, &c., and some of them prefer that one edge only be sharpened to cut, the other three being oilstoned off so as not to cut, but simply serve as guides. The square reamer is very easily sharpened whether by grinding or oil-stoning; the flat sides are operated on, taking care to keep them straight and the thickness even on the two diameters, so that, the sides being straight and the reamer square, it will cut taper holes whose sides will be straight. If the reamer is not ground square, two only of the edges will be liable to have contact with the work bore, causing the reamer to wabble, and rendering it liable to break.