Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Spencer  I have decided to restring my Hohner EAB to B E A D. That means larger strings will be going into all positions on bridge & nut. Its a wooden bridge & I`m afraid to attempt redrilling with oversize holes. I would prefere to use a small round file to enlarge the holes. Same tool should work when enlaging the nut slots.
Can anyone steer me in the right direction as to the tool I need and where it can be found? Thanks & take care. Bob |
If you could find a small round file of the proper diameter it will not fit in the existing hole. A tapered round file will leave a tapered hole, which is in fact desirable if it matches the taper of the bridge pin. Pretty tricky to create that freehand. If you're moderately handy, a hole with a figure eight profile will result. If you're really handy, you may be able to make a cylindrically shaped hole. Most folks will simply create a hole roughly the shape of the outline of a fried egg.
The tapered file is a poor choice for reslotting the nut for all of the above reasons. If you do not want to purchase the correct tool for a one-off job, the best substitute is a drill bit with some sandpaper wrapped around it. Just remember when sizing the drill bit to allow for the thickness of the sandpaper. 400-600 grit tends to add approximately .020" to the diameter of the bit. Size accordingly.
Now that were talking about drill bits, let's go back to that bridge pin hole. Drill it. Start with the drill bit one size up from the existing hole. Run it through the hole. Allow the hole to guide the bit. It won't remove very much material. Move up to the next size. Repeat. Do not skip sizes. The result will be the proper sized hole, gloriously round and cylindrical. Given that the drill is held correctly. Access to a complete drill index is best, but moving in sixty-fourths will work fine, too. If you're careful, stepping in thirty-seconds of an inch will also give good results, however tend to grab and pull a bit.
If an electric drill seems to aggressive, try and old fashioned "egg beater" style hand drill. It will move slowly through the material. You will feel the bit pulling the drill through the hole.
If doing it by hand is the only thing that you are comfortable with, a tapered reamer is the tool to use. Single fluted or semi fluted will give the best results. Stewart MacDonald makes some nice
reamers.
