Official Luthiers Forum!

This is what I use to fish the jack through the tail block.
Tom
No it's not..................having a awful time with this computer and picture stuff......wish there was an erase button.
Will try again...!

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Hey Tom, you can edit it. Just delete the photo and put in the new one.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

This should be the one..........!!
Steve, I'm not very good at the computer and others would likely say I'm not much good for anything. Thanks for the info but I had to shut down and reboot. I almost gave the computer the boot.............!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Jack fixed to the plug as seen through sound hole.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Jack pulled through hole in tail block.
I'll leave now and won't make any more rash promises about not speaking up again............!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Tom could you please post a few more pics..... JUST KIDDING!!!!

Terry I do what you do, 1/4" sharp brat point for the pilot hole and then the Stew-Mac reamer on a medium speed gets it done. Where brad point bits benefit from going at it quickly and completely with a reamer on a medium speed for me I can keep track of my alignment a bit better and have more time to do so.

Tom I just reread the original post and it's unclear to me if the OP's ax has finish on it or not. In any event and even without finish reamers, quality reamers are still safer. The pic that Dave Collins posted that showed damage was not only damage to the finish but the genuine, imitation plastic butt wedge and the surrounding wood as well.

Sure you can pull it off with a sharp bit and that's what I used to do but I think that reamers are less potentially.... dramatic...

For fishing the jack out through the reamed (or drilled) hole a 1/4", long drill bit works fine so too does a 1/4" wooden dowel.

Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I have to agree with you Tom, the job the OP was asking for advice on
can be done cleanly and effectively with a sharp, quality (like the ones Lee Valley sell)
brad point bit. No other fancy smancy tool needed.
Ken

No finish on it.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Tom, if you aren't sure about the pictures you want to upload, click the Preview button to the left of the Submit button, to make sure it is what you want to post.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Alex: Thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind next time I try to post a picture.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

If I was going to use a forhner bit I would drill a hole in a hardwood block to use as a guide. and clamp or tape that block to my gutplucker.

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Michael F Smith
Goat Rock Ukulele
http://goatrockukulele.com