IMO, the snugness is because of humidity, or something that has made the fibers inside inflate a bit. Because of that, I just set the reamer in the hole and gently twisted it. I have never used a reamer of any sort so I just went carefully. Once I made a full turn, just hand turned, the reamer would drop down and I could do another turn easily. I guess this depends on the material your top is made from. So no other tools needed, just patience. I am only doing certain holes that I use for dogs in my cutting station set ups. The remainder of the holes are for clamping so those don't really need much care. BTW, this reamer is a hefty piece of equipment.