Head Porting - Preferred tool?

nickpohlaandp · Post by **nickpohlaandp** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 2:39 pm

So I'm going to begin work on my 781's in the very near future and I just wanted to see what everyone was using as their preferred die grinder. I have air die grinders, but I don't have a compressor big enough to keep up with them for any amount of time and I prefer to run an electric grinder for "roughing in" the job. I used to have a variable speed DeWalt die grinder which I can no longer find (probably out on a beach somewhere sharing martini's with my Thermal Arc TIG that got up and walked away), so I'll be purchasing a new electric grinder. Just a quick search online and I found a few options at Lowes/Home Depot, some are variable speed, some all-or-nothing. This post is just an inquiry to see what the guys out there who do a lot of porting are using. Thanks for any replies.

Carnut1 · Post by **Carnut1** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 2:48 pm

0611171443.jpg

These two models are durable single speed monsters. The Dewalts are beasts, heavy but last. The Makita is old school all aluminum out of production but have parts from 3 others to keep it going. Thanks, Charlie

statsystems · Post by **statsystems** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 2:56 pm

If you are going to buy one, may as well get a Foredom and be done with it.

Post by **GARY C** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 6:20 pm

statsystems wrote:If you are going to buy one, may as well get a Foredom and be done with it.

Thats what I went with but I don't do it for a living and I don't do iron so I always wondered how it would live porting iron? The good thing is that you can replace the hand piece and cable if needed but I bought mine in mid 2000 and it's still going strong.

mag2555 · Post by **mag2555** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 6:41 am

I only use my cable driven Fordam for polishing , using round stones in the bowl on iron heads and boat tailing guides bud to it's shorter lenght giving better control, it's far to slow for anything else!
If need be though you can throttle back a bigger type electric grinder with a foot controller.

nickpohlaandp · Post by **nickpohlaandp** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:09 am

mag2555 wrote:I only use my cable driven Fordam for polishing , using round stones in the bowl on iron heads and boat tailing guides bud to it's shorter lenght giving better control, it's far to slow for anything else!
If need be though you can throttle back a bigger type electric grinder with a foot controller.

I just took a look at the Foredam stuff and it is definitely more badass than a dremel tool, but looks like it uses dremel tool bits. I've got a flex shaft for my dremel that I could use to fine tune around guides and what not, but it seems like if you were trying to do a set of heads with just the Foredam unit you'd spend a few months getting it done (if working on iron at least). I learned the hard way that you have to be super careful when doing aluminum with a big "Dewalt" style grinder, they can catch and before you know it you've ruined the port from that burr dancing around in there like meth head with fire ants in his shoes.

mag2555, do you have a link to a foot controller for the larger grinders by chance?

Carnut1 · Post by **Carnut1** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:22 am

nickpohlaandp wrote:
mag2555 wrote:I only use my cable driven Fordam for polishing , using round stones in the bowl on iron heads and boat tailing guides bud to it's shorter lenght giving better control, it's far to slow for anything else!
If need be though you can throttle back a bigger type electric grinder with a foot controller.
I just took a look at the Foredam stuff and it is definitely more badass than a dremel tool, but looks like it uses dremel tool bits. I've got a flex shaft for my dremel that I could use to fine tune around guides and what not, but it seems like if you were trying to do a set of heads with just the Foredam unit you'd spend a few months getting it done (if working on iron at least). I learned the hard way that you have to be super careful when doing aluminum with a big "Dewalt" style grinder, they can catch and before you know it you've ruined the port from that burr dancing around in there like meth head with fire ants in his shoes.

mag2555, do you have a link to a foot controller for the larger grinders by chance?

True, that is why you MUST use a speed controller of some type. Full speed is downright dangerous.

nickpohlaandp · Post by **nickpohlaandp** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:38 am

Carnut1 wrote:True, that is why you MUST use a speed controller of some type. Full speed is downright dangerous.

Agreed. I have a new Dewalt die grinder that was given to me as a present after my old one went missing, but it's an all-or-nothing, 25,000 rpm deal (my wife didn't know about variable speed and it was nice enough of her to buy me one in the first place, so I wasn't going to complain). It'd be nice if I could get a foot controller to regulate the speed of it somehow instead of having to purchase yet another die grinder. Got any idea where I could find such a device?

Carnut1 · Post by **Carnut1** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:53 am

nickpohlaandp wrote:
Carnut1 wrote:True, that is why you MUST use a speed controller of some type. Full speed is downright dangerous.
Agreed. I have a new Dewalt die grinder that was given to me as a present after my old one went missing, but it's an all-or-nothing, 25,000 rpm deal (my wife didn't know about variable speed and it was nice enough of her to buy me one in the first place, so I wasn't going to complain). It'd be nice if I could get a foot controller to regulate the speed of it somehow instead of having to purchase yet another die grinder. Got any idea where I could find such a device?

An old sewing machine foot controller would work or a heavy duty dimmer, a ceiling fan speed contoller would also work.

mag2555 · Post by **mag2555** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:58 am

I built my controller , but if you do search they will come up.
The Foredom unit does not need a controller as it does way less then the needed 22K rpm to really fully port a iron head before next winter. Lol!

F-BIRD'88 · Post by **F-BIRD'88** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 12:01 pm

I use 2 off shore copy Dewalt style die grinders just like Carnut has.
+ a few air grinders. Home made light dimmer speed control.
On the longer shaft carbides you need to slow the die grinder
speed down. Full blast rpm is not needed at all.
Wearing gloves helps. Good lighting and ventilation is essential.
I like to to do it outside, on a old picnic bench if possible.

nickpohlaandp · Post by **nickpohlaandp** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 12:26 pm

mag2555 wrote:I built my controller , but if you do search they will come up.
The Foredom unit does not need a controller as it does way less then the needed 22K rpm to really fully port a iron head before next winter. Lol!

What'd you use to build your controller? Not trying to pester you, just looking for info.

Steve.k · Post by **Steve.k** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 12:36 pm

http://www.ccspecialtytool.com Thats what i use.

Post by **Jagdpanzer** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 12:48 pm

Check out this recent discussion before ruling out a Foredom heavy duty flex-shaft:
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=48929
You'll find it has all the power and speed you will need for doing porting work with large carbide burrs.

nickpohlaandp · Post by **nickpohlaandp** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:07 pm

mag2555 wrote:I built my controller , but if you do search they will come up.
The Foredom unit does not need a controller as it does way less then the needed 22K rpm to really fully port a iron head before next winter. Lol!

Found this searching on Google. Same one on Ebay for twice the price. Looks like this should do the job, ya think?

https://www.harborfreight.com/router-sp ... 43060.html

Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

Head Porting - Preferred tool?

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