Hello folks,

Because I am always on the lookout for good tools I want to report one I recently found and have been using. It is truly an excellent affordable porting and polishing tool.

When I got ready to start in on another head (since I am gonna pop in my group buy Erson cam, might as well build another head) I asked my machine shop if I could come in on Saturdays and set up and use their table, flow bench and milling machine. They said ok on all but the porting tool...we can't get it any more and don't want it dying on you! Fair enough....they are using an older Dremel 732 with 1/4 inch collett adn variable speed foot pedal. I thought to myself, they work all the time, they just don't have time to really look for one. This Dremel, by the way, is about the size of a beer can and has a 32 inch rotary drive cable. They have used it daily for porting in an engine machine shop for years, so I thought it ougta do me.

Well, they were right. I went everywhere looking. I called Dremel and talked to them. Dremel says it was a "marketing" decision to stop making industrial grade tools and come out with the new banana size one with the 1/8 and 3/16 inch collets for "the home". But Dremel allowed as how they would sell me all the parts except the case. since the 732 was discontinued and they were unloading parts. They admitted owners of the 732 were calling from all over the country and whining about not being able to buy one anymore.

I studied die grinders and the one with the best rotary cable I found was the Metabo at about $300 for the die grinder and about $300 for the cable. WAY to pricey for me! But then trusty Ebay came through. I got a setup with foot pedal, cable, new in box with instructions, grease for cable, collets and wrenches for less than $100 including an outrageous shipping. And I see another one sold recently used for about the same.

I have used the heck out of mine and not surprisingly for a tool that I have seen worked dailiy in a production shop, mine is a tool that just works and works. Those of you wanting to teach yourself how to port and polish and then have that tool for the long haul might jump on one locally or on Ebay where they seem to pop up about once a month. The foot pedal is still available on the web. I bought a spare armature, rotor, 5 cables, 3 collets of each size and a half dozen brush sets for less than a hundred bucks from Dremel.

As to carbide burrs, as usual good stuff costs. I looked for a long time before finding a set of four on 6 inch long shafts so I could get deep into ports and stand back far enough to have a comfortable stance. I coulda found one or two many times, but wanted a complete set. One or two costs $80, by the way. In case you are looking for a set of long burrs, a set with large and small Christmas tree, a ball and a flat side round nose is $121 from Machine and Welding Supply Company. the part number is Mastercut MTC8170. It is listed as having one each of SD3L6DC, SF5L6DC, SF3L6DC, and SC3L6DC. These are double cut (left and right). They have lasted 3 years in the machine shop so not surprisingly, the set I got recently did quite nicely over the 25 hours I recently put into my head.

In total, the tool, complete spare tool via parts, and burrs for less than the Metabo alone. In case anyone wants a seriously good Dremel...and it has many uses.
rock
'64d100

I've had a Dremel 732 with foot pedal for about 10 years now. I was just using it today as a matter of fact. The only thing I've ever had go wrong was in using too large a cutoff wheel in mine and braking the stamped tang off the drive cable at the handpiece and/or spinning the cable at the crimp where it meets the motor. I now have an air driven angle die grinder and a 4 1/2" electric grinder so the Dremel doesn't see that abuse any more.

I have a Sears Craftman branded roto-zip. No foot petal, but it does have variable speed, 1/8" flexiable cable, cutoff attachment and a router attachment. Works real nice.

Being another Home Porter & being dissatisfied with Dremel's offerings I wound up with a Foredom Rotary Tool

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1966 Dart 170 2Dr Sedan, 273 4BBL,A833,8 3/4 W3.91's Radio Delete & KH Disc

Thanks for answers all,

And Bogie, man you cleared up a mystery! The Dremel customer service told me that if I couldn't find a 732, I oughta look at FORDHAM ....I thought. There is a hardware Fordham and they were of no help so I was stuck. NOW I see!! It was Foredom , not Fordham. And darn if the Foredom doesn't have a 732 clone!

Thanks man, one of life's mysteries cleared up and a neat web page to boot.
rock
'64d100