Its my birthday soon and I have presents coming my way, dad said "what do you want for your birthday" I said "a electric die grinder to bridge port my spare motor and exhaust ports and polish the housings and front cover" I know I need carbide bits for the porting I know I could get a air compressor and air die grinder but I like the idea of the quiet electric version my question is what does everyone use and can I get one die grinder to do all those things or am I asking too much, I guess I'd need a bit of power (usually means bigger power tool) when I carving out the general shape and removing the mass of the material I want out but when it comes to finishing I dont want this big as awkward thing that makes it harder. So yeah basically you guys out there that do your porting with power tools do you have two die grinders? one big, one small, or one for the whole job if so what type/model is it or what would you recommend. Thanks

[quote name='MazdaRx323' date='Jul 3 2005, 01:29 AM']Its my birthday soon and I have presents coming my way, dad said "what do you want for your birthday" I said "a electric die grinder to bridge port my spare motor and exhaust ports and polish the housings and front cover" I know I need carbide bits for the porting I know I could get a air compressor and air die grinder but I like the idea of the quiet electric version my question is what does everyone use and can I get one die grinder to do all those things or am I asking too much, I guess I'd need a bit of power (usually means bigger power tool) when I carving out the general shape and removing the mass of the material I want out but when it comes to finishing I dont want this big as awkward thing that makes it harder. So yeah basically you guys out there that do your porting with power tools do you have two die grinders? one big, one small, or one for the whole job if so what type/model is it or what would you recommend. Thanks


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If you are commiting to a life of porting, you need a compressor and a bunch of cheap ass Chinese die grinders. Once you get rolling on a job, you don't have to stop to change bits. Just pick up the right die grinder. I used to buy Ingersol-Rand grinders.



Made in America by people who care. They don't outlast the chinese jobs and cost ten times more.



The obvious shortcoming of the air grinder, is no compressor, no grinding.

I have an electric grinder from Harbor Freight that will do anything but get into a small space. Its a big sucker. But not bad price wise and it works anywhere.

We have an inverter and a generater in the race trailer. It is good for a number of operations outside of porting.



For more money Sears has a nice electric. Also real big but lots of power.



It is nice to snap in a new bit and watch the iron fly like a brush chipper.



For less money, you can get a flex cable with a chuck on the end. You will be tied to a drill press, but they work, and can get into the small spaces, and they are very cheap.



Wear eye protection. That is real safety glasses with side shields and a full face mask. If you can still hear anything, wear sound suppressors. I cannot hear much of anyting. My wife says I just zone her out, but its not true.



Another tip to keep you out of the emergency room while a trainee digs iron slivers out of your eyeball, is to just smile while grinding. It puffs up your cheeks

so slivers bouncing off of you chest and coming up under your face shield, cannot get into your eyes.



It also makes people think you enjoy grinding.



Wear leather gloves at first. After a few days count up the bark marks where you have bounced te bit off of a spot on a glove. Each of those is a gouge of flesh that would be missing without the glove. A die grinder can take off a thumb nail in one millisecond. It takes over a year to grow back.



Lynn E. Hanover

I swear to God you need to write a book Lynn. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683894.gif

home depot die grinders have a lifetime gurantee, I bought 3 of them 3 years ago and have gotten at least a dozen in exchange without ever buying another one since.



after 90 days they just issue you a store credit and you can actually buy whatever you want, fiberglass and guys running too much air pressure is rough on the die grinders so we go through alot of them

[quote name='Rob x-7' date='Jul 3 2005, 12:09 PM']home depot die grinders have a lifetime gurantee, I bought 3 of them 3 years ago and have gotten at least a dozen in exchange without ever buying another one since.



after 90 days they just issue you a store credit and you can actually buy whatever you want, fiberglass and guys running too much air pressure is rough on the die grinders so we go through alot of them


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Yah Home Depot is great for that, when I used to do electrical work I would tear up my Klein Lineman pliers everytime I did a remodel. Back to Home Depot and got another set for free everytime.

For more money Sears has a nice electric. Also real big but lots of power.



^ i'm gonna disagree on that one. the three i got were gutless and all broke the very first time i used them... the name brand rotozip is a zillion times better-i'm still on my first one. well, if it worked for you, maybe sears just made a bad batch and i got all 3 from that?



for a bridgeport, nothin' beats a dremel https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png

[quote name='guitarjunkie28' date='Jul 3 2005, 08:44 PM']For more money Sears has a nice electric. Also real big but lots of power.



^ i'm gonna disagree on that one. the three i got were gutless and all broke the very first time i used them... the name brand rotozip is a zillion times better-i'm still on my first one. well, if it worked for you, maybe sears just made a bad batch and i got all 3 from that?



for a bridgeport, nothin' beats a dremel https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png


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I was refering to the $100.00 job that weighs about 3 pounds and is a foot long. You broke three of those?



Lynn E. Hanover

[quote name='Lynn E. Hanover' date='Jul 3 2005, 08:34 AM']

Another tip to keep you out of the emergency room while a trainee digs iron slivers out of your eyeball, is to just smile while grinding. It puffs up your cheeks

so slivers bouncing off of you chest and coming up under your face shield, cannot get into your eyes.



It also makes people think you enjoy grinding.



Wear leather gloves at first. After a few days count up the bark marks where you have bounced te bit off of a spot on a glove. Each of those is a gouge of flesh that would be missing without the glove. A die grinder can take off a thumb nail in one millisecond. It takes over a year to grow back.



Lynn E. Hanover


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HAHAHA hey and hang on when it bites!I was diggin shards out my hands 1st time.

Lynn ... do you use a oil when grinding? It saves a lot of bits especially when hitting the aluminum.

This is similar to what Lynn is refering to.



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00...8618098-8405507



Something of this nature will make roughing in the ports take half the time and IMO gives superior control. The low speed torque of the electrics are far superior IMO to the air grinders. It's neccesary to use the small air grinders to finish the ports because they are often the only thing that will fit. But when you want to remove material quickly with superior control a big electric, the Roto-Zip isn't one of them and a Dremel is a joke, is the only way to fly.

I do all of my porting with a Dremel.



Not the fastest way to work but it does the job just fiiiine.