jnatelowe - Posted - 06/08/2017:  17:56:52

I'm thinking about using violin-style tuning pegs on the next I banjo I build, but am on a limited budget.  I've seen some cheap violin peg-hole reamers on ebay (in the $15 range), does anyone have experience with those?  Peg hole reamers from actual violin stores seem to go for $50 and up.   

Culloden - Posted - 06/08/2017:  18:18:41

My Harbor Freight reamer is pretty serviceable when working with mahogany or even rosewood peghead veneers. I just don't get too aggressive with it. I use it to fit pegs on banjoleles but I have not used fiddle pegs on banjos as of yet.

For reaming holes in curly maple I use my good reamer from International Violin. Since I do fiddle work as well as banjo work my good reamer gets used a lot more.

Bob Smakula - Posted - 06/08/2017:  18:39:42

it's important to have a peg reamer and peg shaper that match. Otherwise the tuners will not fit the tapered holes.

Bob Smakula

smakula.com 

Zachary Hoyt - Posted - 06/08/2017:  18:59:37

I bought a reamer from Stew-Mac, but then I bought a shaper on eBay that has an adjustable hold-down angle(not the right term, but I can't think what it is).  To set the shaper you loosen an allen bolt and put the reamer in the hole, and then tighten the bolt again once the angle is correct.  I haven't tried the cheaper reamers, and they may be variable in quality if they come from more than one factory.

Zach

mike gregory - Posted - 06/08/2017:  19:30:46

Some guy online uses a half a  scissors, and made himself a peg-shaper to match, out of a block of wood and a planer blade.

I'll go look for it, post a link..

mike gregory - Posted - 06/08/2017:  19:41:48

Reamer link instructables.com/id/Cookie-Ti...g-Hole-R/

Shaper link:  instructables.com/id/Cookie-Ti...g-Shaver/

jnatelowe - Posted - 06/08/2017:  22:04:02

Yeah, I've seen the scissor one.  If I had a grinder I would attempt it. 

jnatelowe - Posted - 06/08/2017:  22:07:20

quote:

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Originally posted by Culloden

 

My Harbor Freight reamer is pretty serviceable when working with mahogany or even rosewood peghead veneers. I just don't get too aggressive with it. I use it to fit pegs on banjoleles but I have not used fiddle pegs on banjos as of yet.

For reaming holes in curly maple I use my good reamer from International Violin. Since I do fiddle work as well as banjo work my good reamer gets used a lot more.

---

I imagine the Harbor Freight reamer isn't an ideal angle for tuning pegs.

Culloden - Posted - 06/09/2017:  01:58:13

quote:

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Originally posted by jnatelowe

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Culloden

 

My Harbor Freight reamer is pretty serviceable when working with mahogany or even rosewood peghead veneers. I just don't get too aggressive with it. I use it to fit pegs on banjoleles but I have not used fiddle pegs on banjos as of yet.

For reaming holes in curly maple I use my good reamer from International Violin. Since I do fiddle work as well as banjo work my good reamer gets used a lot more.

---

I imagine the Harbor Freight reamer isn't an ideal angle for tuning pegs.

---

No, it's not. That is another reason I don't use it for fiddles. I sand the pegs to fit a banjolele, I have a shaper for fiddle pegs.

Hawgfiddle65 - Posted - 06/09/2017:  02:40:24

Hi

I bought my reamer from David Dyke here in the UK, originally for doing Peghed tuners, expensive , but got a cheap peg shaver from ebay . I re reamed tuner holes in an old 7 string fretless  and shaved some new pegs. This banjo probably stays in tune the best of all my banjos! So I'd agree you need to get matching 1:30 reamer and shaver.

Jim

matthews 7 string fretless banjo headstock

 

Banner Blue - Posted - 06/09/2017:  05:48:22

Violin restoration people will be your best source of information. The peg reamer and the peg shaper must match in taper. The shapers with the knob at the top are difficult to adjust so that they work. You need a small engineers square to adjust them. The brick style shapers are more costly but infinitely better. The test of whether a peg fits properly to the taper in the peghead hole is to spin it in the hole. The peg will develop a polished surface where it touches the sides of the peghead. If there are spots on the peg where it is not polished, the peg is not fitted correctly and will slip or lock up. You will also need some sort of peg dope or compound. Many choices from commercially available Hill Peg Compound to Lava brand soap. If your neck wood is relatively soft, such as cherry, you may need to make and insert a spiral bushing made of maple into the peg holes in the peg head. The length of the peg in relation to the headstock is also important. To tune a banjo with pegs, one must spin the peg AND press upwards at the same time. Some of us like short pegs so we can wrap a finger around the peghead to push upwards more easily while turning.

I consider fitting pegs to a headstock, a skill set more advanced, and initially more expensive ($150 or so for the reamer and shaper) than just fitting geared tuners. 

mike gregory - Posted - 06/09/2017:  07:52:58

Nice to know that, even though peg dope is fairly cheap, those of us who wish to pose as authentic pioneer improvisational types, can use LAVA brand hand soap.

However, since I'd only be posing, and those who I am trying to impress, would not be able to tell, at a glance, that it was Lava, I'll probably go with peg dope.
-----------------------------------------------
So, who gets more misunderstood?
The banjo modifier whose wife overhears him telling someone that he's looking for a real sweet tail piece, or the kid making his own pegs, whose parents hear him saying he's going downtown to buy some dope?

Fathand - Posted - 06/09/2017:  08:58:51

I bought a bag of shaped pegs and a reamer from ebay. The pegs are much larger diameter than typical violin pegs but they fit perfectly into the reamed holes and look just fine on a banjo with more wood available around them than a fiddle would have.

tombones - Posted - 06/09/2017:  14:05:31

the Ebay violin peg reamer works perfectly, I've been using the past two years with no problems. The one I got was one of the cheapest ones out there, I took the handle off and just stick it in my drill these days tto speed up the process and have depth markers on there so I know when I've gone far enough, and I've never had problems with it. 

jnatelowe - Posted - 06/09/2017:  14:17:44

I realize that I need a reamer and shaper whose angles match (usually 1:30 or 1:20).  Really what I'm wanting to know is if anyone has used one of those cheap violin peg hole reamers you can get from China, one like this:

 ebay.com/itm/Violin-Tool-Cheap...w42dZN5CV

or this:

 amazon.com/ammoon-Violin-Peg-H...le+reamer

Are they a good deal, or complete junk that should be avoided?  

Culloden - Posted - 06/09/2017:  16:56:24

For the price it can't hurt to try it. The one for sale on eBay costs the same as my Harbor Freight reamer.