Bead holes can present a variety of challenges when beading. Hole sizes vary according to the material of the bead. Gemstones and pearls are generally sold on the basis of weight so producers drill the smallest hole possible. Gemstone holes are hand drilled from each side of the bead until they meet in the middle so the hole size is thinner in the center of the bead. This can make stringing frustrating. Similarly, bead holes often have rough interiors that fray your stringing material over time leading to necklaces that break. Having a bead reamer at hand for your beading projects could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. The bead reamer acts like a circular nail file and it smoothes out through edges of the existing bead hole. If you use the bead reamer extensively you can file away some of the bead’s body to enlarge the hole. Obviously, this will only work on beads that are made of a material that can be filed – gemstones, pearls, bead, bone and soft materials. Lampwork glass beads and metal beads may have their holes smoothed but not enlarged. Always use water to lubricate the diamond bits when you are reaming glass or stone beads. See the technique for using Beadalon’s battery operated bead reamer in their video here.