Handheld Grinder for porting, grinding, cutting etc.

[computeruser]

I am thinking about treating myself to a little IR 308 die grinder in the near future, but before I buy it I thought I'd throw the question out:

What are folks using for porting work and general detail metal grinding/cutting? Dremel? Pneumatic die grinder? Pneumatic pencil grinder? Something else?

 

[Lakeside53]

I have a 302.. love it.. need to get a pencil grinder too..

 

[chowdozer]

I got a Dremel and a couple pneumatic die grinders and a fistful of carbides. Use a little WD40 or kerosene on the bit to keep it from loading up. I haven't done much saw work. Yet. Mostly SBC's in the past.

 

[Jacob J.]

Bluepoint makes some great straight and right angle pneumatic die grinders, and having a Dremel with a good selection of bits helps a lot. I'll use a die grinder to rough ports out after making all the marks and then use a Dremel for a lot of the fine tuning and polishing (exhaust ports only). Those diamond flake Dremel bits work good for making the initial start of finger/snake ports if you're going that route, and then get the volume scarfed out with a small round carbide bit and then back to the Dremel for the clean up.

Having an air compressor with an adjustable pressure outlet helps also, because a lot of the time you'll want to run the carbide tools at lower speeds to maintain more control. The Foredom is great for that also if it has the foot speed controller.

 

[Four Paws]

I use a Dremel for now. I spent some money and got a really nice assortment of carbide burrs from Enco. I like the variable speed control of the Dremel, even though air tools are regulated easy enough. I dislike the bulk of my Dremel. It makes it difficult at times to get in the tight spots or at the angles I need. If I keep this saw work up much longer, I will invest in a Foredom, and several handpieces (including the right angle attachment). I use a die grinder with 1/4" shank bits for roughing out ports. I use diamond tipped bits in my Dremel to cut my chamfers and finish everything up.

 

[Ax-man]

I bought a variable speed Dremel with the flexiable shaft attachment that gives me a pencil like attachment to run the assortment of cutting bits. It does a good job for your basic beginneer hobbist type saw mods like raising,lowering, widening and polishing intake and exhaust ports. You can do some transfer port work with it but it has it's limitations can't get all the way down inside the transfer port and you can't raise a transfer port opening to change it's timing you need a right angle grinder for that to do a good job.

I was never a big fan of Dremel and I always felt so guility about spending the money on it and the assecories for it, just for playing around with saw engines, till I snapped a cylinder bolt in the head of a Wisconsin engine. We tried everything to get broken bolt out, heat, E-Z outs, just wouldn't budge. Finally took that Dremel with one of those small carbide cutters I had and just kept grinding away the old bolt till I could see the threads in the head, ran a tap through it, problem solved. I thought for sure I would have burned that Dremel up doing that kind of work with it, but it surprized me how fast it removed that bolt. I don't feel so guilty now as that little electric tool saved me a lot or time and money getting that head fixed in house.

Larry

 

[Trigger-Time]

Worked at Detriot Tool & Die for 11 years, in the Specail Machine Shop
Sioux Pneumatic Die Grinders is what was mostly use in the Die Shop, last a very long time and they are rebuild-able

 

[huskydave]

Im a machinist and I use ingersol grand die grinders at work mac die grinders are also very good. Bothe have a long service life just my .02

 

[computeruser]

Well, I think I'll start with a straight die grinder, then a decent Dremel, then go on to pencil grinders and angle die grinders and whatnot.

Incidentally, I was so inspired by my own thread that I went out and bought a new compressor this morning. I think my air ratchets and impact guns are going to be a LOT more productive with the new compressor's 6.4cfm at 90psi, up from the old compressor's...well, not many cfm!

New:

Old - I threw a new hose on it, still gotta get new a QC and a blowgun for it, and I'm going to give it to my father when I see my folks for Easter:

 

[Four Paws]

Yeah, you will be much happier with your new compressor! I'd still hang on the little one - sure looks like it would come in handy running a brad nailer in the house or something.

Since we are on the topic of compressors, my wonderful wife surprised me (seriously, I had no idea until the delivery guy opened the back of his truck) with this for my birthday. She's a keeper...the compressor and my wife!

80gal, 175psi 2-stage, 24.7cfm. I paint cars and do body work, so it is somewhat justified!