Ball milling reamer??

[Paul Workman]

OK, you machinists out there...Where would be a good starting place to start looking for a ball shaped milling reamer that is either chased or pulled thru a curved (i.e. intake plenum and IH) (aluminum) runner? Aside from a drill press and assorted air-driven tools, I don't have anything in the way of machining tooling. And, wanting to open up the plenum runners, I'm looking for a tool that a lay person could push or pull thru the runners that would open up the 33mm runners to a 36mm ID, perhaps in stages, if necessary. Sound crazy?

I've done more than a "little" time on a die grinder in my dayz, but looking at the LT5 runners makes me think there must be a better way than a TC ball bit and air-driven die grinder...NO?

I'm thinking of a TC ball cutter that can be attached to a flexible joint so the tool will (more or less) faithfully follow the existing centerline of the runner while opening it up.

Am I making sense, or am I doomed to hours with a grinder?

Also, where would one find a 36mm ball gauge?

TIA,

P.

[lbszr]

Did it the old die grinder way here but salemball.com I think was were I got chrome ones for not much.

[rhipsher]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

OK, you machinists out there...Where would be a good starting place to start looking for a ball shaped milling reamer that is either chased or pulled thru a curved (i.e. intake plenum and IH) (aluminum) runner? Aside from a drill press and assorted air-driven tools, I don't have anything in the way of machining tooling. And, wanting to open up the plenum runners, I'm looking for a tool that a lay person could push or pull thru the runners that would open up the 33mm runners to a 36mm ID, perhaps in stages, if necessary. Sound crazy?

I've done more than a "little" time on a die grinder in my dayz, but looking at the LT5 runners makes me think there must be a better way than a TC ball bit and air-driven die grinder...NO?

I'm thinking of a TC ball cutter that can be attached to a flexible joint so the tool will (more or less) faithfully follow the existing centerline of the runner while opening it up.

Am I making sense, or am I doomed to hours with a grinder?

Also, where would one find a 36mm ball gauge?

TIA,

P.

Ball endmills or any endmills are made to be mounted in a ridgid machine because their cutting edges are to course to be held in a die grinder and used by hand. You will gouge the hell out of your work piece and destroy the endmill if you try it so your better off with a die grinder bit. You'll have more control over it.
Here are typical ball endmills. http://www.niagaracutter.com/cobalt/ballend.html
You will be better off using these. They are carbide and will last forever on aluminum. http://www.carbidebur.com/18shank/51series.htm. As far as a chrismas tree type or snake type one that can go around corners, I'm just not sure. Accept for the one Dremel tool makes which is very small. I'm getting ready to port and polish my plenum and injector housings myself. But I'm going to make the cnc mill do most of the work. I will probably have to do some finish grinding in areas where the cnc won't be able to reach. Now your other choice is a boring head where you can adjust the size of the hole you want to bore within .0001 of and inch. But again they are made to be mounted in a manual milling machine. Not a flimsy drill press. They don't make them for a drill press. I know this is allot to obsorb. But this is what I do for a living 50 hours a week. For the past 19 years. Here is what I do at work. If you've never seen it before it will blow your mind. And you will understand why us cnc programmers can make $100,000 a year. And thats in a non union shop. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LCaRqQ8Qf8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsmiIeAkE-o

[IowaZR-1]

You might want to look into extrude honing.
http://www.gethoned.com/process.html

[flyin ryan]

Originally Posted by IowaZR-1

You might want to look into extrude honing.
http://www.gethoned.com/process.html

No, you wouldn't

Originally Posted by flyin ryan

No, you wouldn't

It's garbage, doesn't remove enough material.

[XfireZ51]

Sorry Paul! I used a die grinder from Powerhouse
http://www.compperformancegroupstore...ory_Code=Burrs

I used the double fluted bits that don't gouge as much. More control.
Lgaff is still using one of my bits for doing the plenums he's porting.
Well worth the money, IMO.
Go ahead. Pull out the credit card. Resistance is futile

[billybaloneey]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

Also, where would one find a 36mm ball gauge?

TIA,

P.

If someone PM's you with a source for a metallic 36m ball gauge, please share it with me.

I have found the next best thing to a 36mm metallic ball guage...on eBay. Just do a search for "36 mm" or "36mm" and you get several results. They are selling 36mm polished stone balls...and they are not all that expensive. Of course extra care would have to be used to back one out if it got stuck in a runner while testing your material removal progress.

While visiting Marc Haibeck's shop a while back, at his porting and polishing workstation/table, he was proud and quick to show me the 36mm metal ball guage he used. I didn't think to ask him where he got it

[XfireZ51]

To get started I used a 36 mm foosball.

[Polo-1]

http://zr1netregistry.com/forum/show...hlight=porting

http://zr1netregistry.com/forum/show...hlight=porting