Simple, cheap one-time drill for end pin

[Ralph124C41]

What is a cheap and simple way to drill into the end pin area to install an input jack for a pickup?

Do I need both a reamer and a regular drill bit or I could just use something like this

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-piec...=&utm_content=

or this

https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Tools-1...16&sr=8-5&th=1

Any other tips? Taping the pilot hole or not? Etc. I understand I will need a hole slightly smaller than a 1/2-inch bit. The manual says 12 mm.

This will be for a cheap magnetic soundhole pickup (with a microphone) in a beater guitar.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

What is a cheap and simple way to drill into the end pin area to install an input jack for a pickup?

Do I need both a reamer and a regular drill bit or I could just use something like this

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-piec...=&utm_content=

or this

https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Tools-1...16&sr=8-5&th=1

Any other tips? Taping the pilot hole or not? Etc. I understand I will need a hole slightly smaller than a 1/2-inch bit. The manual says 12 mm.

This will be for a cheap magnetic soundhole pickup (with a microphone) in a beater guitar.

I use a 1/2" Forstner bit. If there's already a hole then I glue in a short piece of dowel so the point of the Forstner bit has something to initially center on. Once the bit starts cutting it doesn't need the center. I do of course cover the area with tape as an extra precaution. Forstners can be purchased individually, generally less than $10.

Lots of folks use a stepped reamer, but they cost more and do the same thing. The reamer is a bit safer if you are a self-admitted klutz.

Lots of folks will tell you that it requires a smaller hole, but here's the official comments for Switchjack installation, directly from the StewMac catalog:

"Can be wired for mono or stereo with simultaneous battery switching.
15/32" diameter, for 1/2" mounting hole."

I'd believe the manufacturer.

Fishman, who has installation instructions for the Strapjack, does specify a 15/32" hole:

https://www.fishmanjp.com/support/in...tall_guide.PDF

[John Arnold]

15/32" is the drill I use. If you are OK with a sloppy fit, drill it 1/2". I prefer a snug fit, if for no other reason than the fact that the jam nuts are much less likely to loosen, especially under the side force from using a strap.
I use a general purpose 1/8"-1/2" tapered reamer by hand, enlarging the hole just enough to insert the 15/32" drill about 1/8" below the surface. That eliminates chipping.

[phavriluk]

It may be easier to find a 12mm drill bit than a 15/32" drill bit, but I never have had the need to look for one. The 12mm bit is a tiny bit larger than 15/32". One of the metric-conversion tools will give specifics.

[Fathand]

The stepped drill in your amazon link will work ok. The jacks are usually metric so a max 12mm stepoed is a bit more accurate. Push it all the way through so your hole is straight.

If your jack is a little loose in the 1/2" hole you could wrap a bit of tape around it. Also some masking tape over the existing hole can help prevent chipping.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Fathand

The stepped drill in your amazon link will work ok. The jacks are usually metric so a max 12mm stepoed is a bit more accurate. Push it all the way through so your hole is straight.

If your jack is a little loose in the 1/2" hole you could wrap a bit of tape around it. Also some masking tape over the existing hole can help prevent chipping.

How about the HFreight unit? I can get that today while out shopping. I don't have Amazon Prime and the last two items I ordered from Amazon I had problems with delivery.

Yes it's a Chinese product and the manual, as I said, recommends a 12 mm slot. I imagine I would just use the drill and keep adjusting it until the sleeve fits OK, right? I've never used a stepped drill bit before.

[jjbigfly]

I am late to the party, so you may want to ignore me…..
I would say that I WOULD NEVER use a drill bit to put a hole in the body of a guitar….If that drill bit catches for any reason it can destroy the instrument in a heartbeat. REAMER works and is much safer….
A tiny drill bit for running a pick up wire through the saddle slot is fine, but anything else can bring tears to the strongest players.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by jjbigfly

I am late to the party, so you may want to ignore me…..
I would say that I WOULD NEVER use a drill bit to put a hole in the body of a guitar….If that drill bit catches for any reason it can destroy the instrument in a heartbeat. REAMER works and is much safer….
A tiny drill bit for running a pick up wire through the saddle slot is fine, but anything else can bring tears to the strongest players.

I would not use a drill bit ... again. I would use a reamer and then if necessary use a drill bit to finish the hole off.

[redir]

The step bit is by far the most safest way to drill into an already existing hole. The directions even on expensive pickups like Fishman call for a 1/2in bit but as John mentioned it's actually a bit smaller then that. That's why the Stew Mac, or other quality, reamer is the best option.

But a step bit to 1/2in is flawless and you can pad the jack if you want with something like an aluminum can cut off or something. Most people just install them with a 1/2in hole though and in the end it works but I have seen damage there as a result of it too. SO just make sure everything is tight and come back to it after a month or so and double check it.

[Howard Klepper]

At the risk of being taken to have admitted to being a klutz, I'll say the the 4-12mm step drill is the best tool for this job, if your goal is to do it accurately, with next to no risk of chipping, while staying centered, not making an oversize hole, and at very low cost in tooling.

There is no advantage to making a 1/2" hole for an 15/32" jack. All that does is unnecessarily introduce play and weakness. 12mm is just a tiny bit more than 15/32". The step drill is single-fluted, which makes it stay perfectly centered in the existing pin hole. The small increments, along with single flute, make it nearly impossible for the bit to chatter or take out a chip. And you can get them cheaply--$6.59 with shipping on Ebay. This one will not be of the same quality is Irwin or Milwaukee, but if you are only going to do a guitar or two they are okay. And you don't need to tape or dowel the existing hole, because you are starting centered with the smaller bit diameters already inside the hole.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

At the risk of being taken to have admitted to being a klutz, I'll say the the 4-12mm step drill is the best tool for this job, if your goal is to do it accurately, with next to no risk of chipping, while staying centered, not making an oversize hole, and at very low cost in tooling.

There is no advantage to making a 1/2" hole for an 11/32" jack. All that does is unnecessarily introduce play and weakness. 12mm is just a tiny bit more than 15/32". The step drill is single-fluted, which makes it stay perfectly centered in the existing pin hole. The small increments, along with single flute, make it nearly impossible for the bit to chatter or take out a chip. And you can get them cheaply--$6.59 with shipping on Ebay. This one will not be of the same quality is Irwin or Milwaukee, but if you are only going to do a guitar or two they are okay. And you don't need to tape or dowel the existing hole, because you are starting centered with the smaller bit diameters already inside the hole.

Thanks. I found a set of three for $5.75. One of the three shapes even has a marking for that suggested 15/32" setting.

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

Thanks. I found a set of three for $5.75. One of the three shapes even has a marking for that suggested 15/32" setting.

The end block is thicker than any one of the steps, which is why 12mm maximum is the right bit (as Fathand said). You through drill with that last diameter.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

The end block is thicker than any one of the steps, which is why 12mm maximum is the right bit (as Fathand said). You through drill with that last diameter.

I thought you folks said 12 mm is a little bit too large and the 1 15/16-inch is a closer fit. Of course if it is too large I could just use a little tape wrap around or if it is too small I could just enlargen it a bit with some sandpaper wrapped around a small pole. Right?

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

I thought you folks said 12 mm is a little bit too large and the 1 15/16-inch is a closer fit. Of course if it is too large I could just use a little tape wrap around or if it is too small I could just enlargen it a bit with some sandpaper wrapped around a small pole. Right?

Hi Ralph.

You are indeed correct. It's a hole to put a jack in, not precision woodworking. (with the correction to 15/32"...)

In reality, all of the suggestions are "correct" and there are tiny fine points to each method, so you get to chose which one sounds correct for you. As my post points out, even the folks who originally were responsible for the Strapjack design or the folks who market the expensive custom tools to create the hole aren't in agreement on what "correct size" means.

Each person who does this ends up with their own reasons why they prefer one method over another. One of the reasons I prefer the Forstner bit is the teeth drill downward, and that helps to create a clean hole through the applied finish. I've seen a number of jack installations that had the finish blistered up around the hole. That happens when a method is used that is too aggressive in creating the hole or where the process creates pressure against the side of the existing hole, flaking up the finish in the process.

The argument can also be made that a jack hole that doesn't have a small amount of play won't let the jack seat squarely against the washers and nuts because very few people with a drill in their hand are going to be able to drill a hole that's perfectly perpendicular to the instrument surface. The Forstner bit even helps out in that respect because you can see the toothed edge as it just contacts the tape. It's instantly apparent if the hole isn't 90 degrees and tells you which way to correct the angle.

Use what you're comfortable with and have fun with your new-found skill!

[redir]

12mm is a hair to large but it actually makes it a bit easier to fit. The 15/32 reamer is the perfect size and you almost have to screw the endpin jack in.