Best Porting Bit for Aluminum?

[Moparfiend]

I have several carbide bits for my 4A 1/4” shank die grinder. One is a very high quality cobalt bit. Neither chew aluminum as they do steel! It looks like some helical designs might be better suited for Aluminum?

So what do you guys use to chew aluminum if not these?

 

[33 IMP]

Google Killer Carbide.
Raved about by the racers on the A-body side, Pittsburgracer, Newbomb Turk and others.
Go over to the a side and search "porting burrs".
(I'd copy a paste some info, but I don't know how.)
You will see an a-bodies only review by Rat Bastid. Same guy as Newbomb Turk.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Killer Carbide has a good rep, but the burrs you already have can work a lot better if they weren't loading up.... There are a lot of products that will stop or at least slow the accumulation... WD-40 is far from the best but everyone already has some.. Better is Tap Magic for Aluminum, Old school but effective is Bee's wax.... Cheap but effective is just grab a plastic milk crate, grind the plastic first then grind aluminum.. A little plastic, a little aluminum...

And this cut and paste might be helpful...

If you’ve been using a carbide burr to remove material from aluminum, chances are good that you’ve got some aluminum buildup on the burr itself. This can decrease the burr’s effectiveness and make it harder to use, so it is essential to clean it off regularly.


The good news is that it is easy to do – all you need is some muriatic acid or sodium hydroxide.

• First, you’ll need to gather your materials.
• In addition to the acid and hydroxide, you’ll need a glass or plastic container to hold the mixture, gloves to protect your hands, and eye protection.
• Once you have everything, mix equal parts of the acid and hydroxide in the container.
• Then drop your carbide burr into the mixture and let it sit for a few minutes.
• After a few minutes, remove the carbide burr from the mixture.
• And rinse it off with water.
• You should see the aluminum buildup come right off. If necessary, repeat the process until all the aluminum is removed.
• Finally, dry off the carbide burr.
• Store it in a safe place until you’re ready to use it again.

 

[Photon440]

I find that dipping the grinding burr in some wire feed welding anti spatter tip dip keeps it from clogging up.