Porting

[paul a. busick]

Here is a question for you.  How do you keep your rotary cutting tool from clogging when porting an aluminum cylinder?  I have tried various lubes and waxes with little to no changes in the reduction of clogging.  It is a pain to stop and use a dental pick to remove the aluminum from the flutes of the cutting tool.[xx(] Has anyone out there found a solution to stopping or at least reduce this problem?  Is there a commercial product on the market?  All information will be greatly appreciated.  Amherst Paul

[454MRW]

There is a lot of difference between the cutting tip for aluminum and ones designed for steel. The aluminum ones are all one continuous flute with no serrations between the ridges and the ridges are much farther apart than ones for steel, but they are all prone to clogging and must be cleaned frequently during use with a pick, just as they start to clog, and not after they build up a lot of metal. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S
1975 Can Am 175 TNT & 77 250 Black Widow
1979 Husqvarna OR390
1976-78 RM & 77-79 PE Suzuki's
1974 CR250M 07 CR125R 79 CR250R

[Daniel P. McEntee]

A friend of mine back in the day who used to do a lot of porting work, used a home brew mixture of auto paste wax and kerosene, if my memory serves correctly. Like Mike mentioned, the type of tool helps. The tool tends to heat up and that is what makes the metal gall and stick to the tool. Keeping it cool and slick helps. From my own experiments in just cutting aluminum with a saw, a spray of WD-40 works decently. Dipping the porting tool frequently into whatever you use will help. There are lots of cutting fluids for tapping holes in aluminum that may work well also. Just use liberally.
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Rick Bennett]

Bees wax is what I have always used.
Rick

[KJDonovan]

Paul,

Kerosene is the best cutting fluid when working with aluminum and as Michael mentioned there are differences between the cutting flutes on burr tools made for aluminum.  All that said, I have a little trick that works well for clearing the burr tip of aluminum that is a lot quicker than picking it out.  Each time it fills with aluminum just run it across the edge of a piece of steel.  Takes just a couple of seconds and flushes out all the aluminum mashed into the flutes.  I usually just use the underside of my bench.

Thanks,
Kevin

[paul a. busick]

Thanks for all of your input.  I will try the tips and see which one works the best for me.  Castrol makes what they call machinist wax and was recommended by a professional porter.  The trouble is I can't find who sells it. Anyone else care to add to this topic?  Amherst Paul