So I finished m.y first SK2 install....turned out great but now with some fudging around.
I used the graphite arbors which I first epoxied to the seat then reamed. One issue I ran into was reaming the graphite straight/even, once I reamed to the size I needed the reel seat did not sit evenly on the blank, had to do some further modifications to get an even ream. Wondering if others have a better way to keep the reaming even. Also I didn't feel the graphite dust was as bad as many predicted.
Thinking about skipping the graphite and using tape next build.
Just thought I would share my experience.

You might do better by drilling/boring the arbors out. Assuming the arbors already have a bore (1/4"?) just use the next larger drill bit to open it up, followed by the next size, the next and so on and so forth until you get very close. Just a tad of taper reaming will then do the trick.

By moving up one size bit at a time, the bit will tend to follow the bore that's already there and keep itself centered.

.............

Go slow and easy, ream from both ends, and if you are using a drill allow the seat to slip in your hand occasionally. This will kept everything centered. The main reason for reaming after epoxing the arbor in the seat is to prevent the arbor from splitting, either during the reaming or while sliding it into place on the blank. Been there done that.
Norm

Tom do you mean with an actual drill bit?

Norm...there was little arbor left after the reaming so I see there would be no way to do it without being in the seat.

I use Tom's method and it works pretty well. You still have to be careful, but it can pretty easily be done. I do mine before gluing into the seat so that if there is a problem, it's easy to just scrap that arbor and start over.

Yes, a real drill bit. You can actually "screw" one into an arbor and turn it's diameter down, if needed, on a drill press with sandpaper. Material loss is very fast, so a light touch and check often.

I have a lathe. I always pre drill arbors to a larger ID. If no lathe, then Tom's method will work fine.

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

NO tape.

Jon,
For reaming arbors, I use the same circular files as I use to ream grips. I use various sizes of circular files chucked into either a 3/8th or 1/2 inch variable speed drill set in the reverse direction.
I always run the drill in reverse when reaming with files to avoid having the file screw into the item being reamed and split the item open.

Also, I wear cloth gloves when reaming. By wearing gloves and holding the item in my gloved hand, I can let the item slip from time to time. By letting the item slip some as the item is being reamed, the slowly slipping item will tend to keep the hole centered in the item being reamed. This applies to arbors or to grips.

However, if I do not let the item slip and turn from time to time as reaming, I will almost always end up with the hole being off center in the object.

Files that I use for reaming:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Another advantage of using a file - never needs replacement or change. If the file gets clogged, I just hold the spinning file against a spinning wire brush and the file is clean of any debris.

Be safe

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You might do better by drilling/boring the arbors
> out. Assuming the arbors already have a bore
> (1/4"?) just use the next larger drill bit to open
> it up, followed by the next size, the next and so
> on and so forth until you get very close. Just a
> tad of taper reaming will then do the trick.
>
> By moving up one size bit at a time, the bit will
> tend to follow the bore that's already there and
> keep itself centered.
>
> .............

Ditto for me. Solved the problem with off center ream job!

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com