What are your favorite porting tools?

[tolman_paul]

I've been porting various two strokes off and on for ~30 odd years and this is the setup I've ended up with.

I use the straight foredom handpiece for 1/4" shank burrs for exhaust, the base of transfers and intakes. The narrow straight handpiece is an NSK as is the 90 degree head. I had a machinist make an adapter for the NSK heads, but CC specialty offers them. To power them I use a makita 1/4" electric die grinder and a foredom flex shaft and use a variac to vary the speed on the makita and an electric foot switch for start/stop. It's a long story how I ended up with that setup, it would been easier to just get the foredom motor.

I prefer to use carbide burrs, 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2" dia and when I want to make things shiny the cratex comes into play.

I started out with a moto tool, but it's kinda like an electric chainsaw. It looks like a real tool but when it comes to removing material it just can't get out of it's own way.

 

[bplust]

Unibit: The one-tool solution to porting and overboring needs.

 

[deye223]

subed

 

[srcarr52]

I have a NSK head like that with an adapter from CC Specialties. Before I was using (busting) Foredom 55's.

I use a lot of oval 1/8 shank carbides and strait sanding roll cartridges. I also have a coarse diamond burr from CC for smoothing the burr marks in the transfer ports.

 

[ncfarmboy]

Foredom CC model w #8 straight head, Dremel w/flexshaft, another Dremel w/cutoff wheels(for muffler work). 1/8" carbide single and double cut bits, split mandrels w/240 grit 1" cloth, craytex, sanding rolls, 3/16" and 7/32" diamond sawchain bits. Just got an angle head for uppers haven't used it yet.
Shep

 

[woodgrenade]

I've been porting various two strokes off and on for ~30 odd years and this is the setup I've ended up with.

I use the straight foredom handpiece for 1/4" shank burrs for exhaust, the base of transfers and intakes. The narrow straight handpiece is an NSK as is the 90 degree head. I had a machinist make an adapter for the NSK heads, but CC specialty offers them. To power them I use a makita 1/4" electric die grinder and a foredom flex shaft and use a variac to vary the speed on the makita and an electric foot switch for start/stop. It's a long story how I ended up with that setup, it would been easier to just get the foredom motor.

I prefer to use carbide burrs, 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2" dia and when I want to make things shiny the cratex comes into play.

I started out with a moto tool, but it's kinda like an electric chainsaw. It looks like a real tool but when it comes to removing material it just can't get out of it's own way.

Where did you get your burr sets and the cratex from?

 

[tolman_paul]

I've had that stuff for ~20 years so I don't exactly remember.

I've found machine shop supply houses are generally the best, try MSC
MSC Industrial Supply Co.

they usually have everything you need. Or if you have a local SPI dealer.

 

[Boleclimber]

The NSK 90 degree head is nice but pricey. I'll have to watch ebay for one. I have a foredom 55 with many port jobs under its belt. It takes a long time to remove transfer material and takes a beating.

 

[srcarr52]

The NSK 90 degree head is nice but pricey. I'll have to watch ebay for one. I have a foredom 55 with many port jobs under its belt. It takes a long time to remove transfer material and takes a beating.

I looked for a while and never found a NSK head on eBay for less then what CC charges for them. During that time I broke 2 Foredom 55's and finally gave up and called CC, they said that they could also fix my 55 handpieces but I don't see a point now. The only thing I like about the 55's more is that the contra angle helps keep the bit from chattering when you get to the edge of the transfer port, but I just let it chatter a bit and clean it up afterwards with a diamond stone (bought from CC) with the motor running in reverse.

 

[blsnelling]

I just got a couple Dumore 100 series flex shaft grinders. I also got a larger 200 series. One of them has a sweet little 5/32 chuck. The grinder uses a quick disconnect, and simply pulls off the shaft. Very nice! Anyone know if the Foredom headpieces will fit? They look the same. I'd also like to pick up a 90° piece. Anything decent, but not crazy pricey? How about this NSKs?

 

[srcarr52]

I just got a couple Dumore 100 series flex shaft grinders. I also got a larger 200 series. One of them has a sweet little 5/32 chuck. The grinder uses a quick disconnect, and simply pulls off the shaft. Very nice! Anyone know if the Foredom headpieces will fit? They look the same. I'd also like to pick up a 90° piece. Anything decent, but not crazy pricey? How about this NSKs?

I think the Foredom handpieces should fit fine. The sweet little 5/32 chuck is like the standard Foredom #30 handpiece. I have one #30 and I'm think about getting a collet style #44T handpiece for 1/4 shank burrs.

CC has the best price I've found for an NSK head with an adapter to the Foredom quick attach system. It's their 182A MC handpiece.

Handpieces | ccspecialtytool.com

 

[promac850]

I think the Foredom handpieces should fit fine. The sweet little 5/32 chuck is like the standard Foredom #30 handpiece. I have one #30 and I'm think about getting a collet style #44T handpiece for 1/4 shank burrs.

CC has the best price I've found for an NSK head with an adapter to the Foredom quick attach system. It's their 182A MC handpiece.

Handpieces | ccspecialtytool.com

Holy crap, burrs are expensive there!


As for favorite porting tools, an old 300 series Dremel, and a HF mini die grinder...

I've got some extra long 1/8" shaft carbide burrs coming in the mail from McMaster-Carr... looking forward to those...

Thanks to this thread, I finally found a place that sells those fairly hard to find 1/8" extra longs.

 

[tolman_paul]

The NSK head with the adaptor is about $300. Sounds crazy expensive, but it is built like a swiss watch and will last you a life time.

I just sold my 45 deg NSK head on ebay a month ago, I should of posted it here. The downside with the 45 deg head is it is counter rotating so you need left hand burrs. It's more of a specialized head and I rarely used it.

The NSK with carbid burrs cuts so much faster than a foredom 55 with HSS it's not even funny. Not to mention you'd have to be porting as a full time job with the NSK to wear it out.

 

[srcarr52]

The NSK head with the adaptor is about $300. Sounds crazy expensive, but it is built like a swiss watch and will last you a life time.

I just sold my 45 deg NSK head on ebay a month ago, I should of posted it here. The downside with the 45 deg head is it is counter rotating so you need left hand burrs. It's more of a specialized head and I rarely used it.

Or you can use a reversing motor like the Foredom SR series.

 

[FATGUY]

Brad and Andre

 

[half_full]

I've got some extra long 1/8" shaft carbide burrs coming in the mail from McMaster-Carr... looking forward to those...

Thanks to this thread, I finally found a place that sells those fairly hard to find 1/8" extra longs.

Do you have part numbers or a link to the burrs? I always have a hard time finding stuff on the McMaster-Carr site.

 

[blsnelling]

Brad and Andre

That's ok Nik. I think you're a tool too:biggrin:

 

[tolman_paul]

(sic)

Thanks to this thread, I finally found a place that sells those fairly hard to find 1/8" extra longs.

You might find you need to run the x-tra long burrs slightly slower as they can chatter. I prefer the x-tra long 1/4" burrs as the larger dia shaft is less prone to deflection and chatter.

 

[timmcat]

Which of the 90 degree tools can use standard 1/8" bits, I looked at CC and the one they have for $94 only uses special bits and no carbides. I'm working on alot of Stihls and the chrome overspray in the transfers is a major PITA to grind through with anything less than a carbide burr.

 

[promac850]

Do you have part numbers or a link to the burrs? I always have a hard time finding stuff on the McMaster-Carr site.

Sure, here ya go!

McMaster-Carr

Beware, this page shows both 1/4" shank and 1/8" shank burrs...

I bought the single cut ball burr part # 4313A53, the single cut oval/egg burr part # 4313A54, and the single cut flame burr part # 4313A57

The prices are about the best I've found so far. Doubt many could really beat them.

You might find you need to run the x-tra long burrs slightly slower as they can chatter. I prefer the x-tra long 1/4" burrs as the larger dia shaft is less prone to deflection and chatter.

I was wondering why the 1/8" shaft extra longs are somewhat hard to find. You may have just explained it.

As for deflection and chatter, I may be coming up with a way around that when there is room for the apparatus that I'm trying to conceive in my mind right now...


Main reason I need these is to get into the lower transfers on a 790 cylinder... there's about a 1/4" by 3/8" channel that you can get into the reach the ports from the bottom of the cylinder. I've tried many different techniques through the freeze plug holes and from the bottom of the cylinder, but they yield results to a certain point... and don't match the uppers in terms of flow capabilities and such... I am going to get them as close as possible to the uppers in every aspect.

With these, I'm hoping to be able to get them in there. At least one of them should get into that channel and let me work on those lowers.

Now that don't mean I won't have other uses for these burrs... I'm sure it'll be like every other tool that I either make or buy for a project... it get used somewhere else on something else...


When it comes time to do so, I will pick up some 1/4" shank extra longs. As of right now, I don't need them.