Flat-milling
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: All humans are vermin in the eyes of Guru VA
Cruise-In IV Veteran
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Flat-milling
Can you flat mill your cylinderheads on a bridgeport vertical mill? What kind of cutter is best?
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 161
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From: Grand Island NY
Re: Flat-milling (Guru_4_hire)
Yes you need to use a dial indicator and get the head of the machine square with the table. Then use the indicator to get the face of the cylinder head parallel to machine table. Use the largest cutter you have, I would go for a fly cutter with a carbide insert
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: eville in
Re: Flat-milling (Philvet)
i've seen it done but have'nt do it my self... they angle milled a set of 76cc
smog heads... the slite angle take's more cc's off each .001 than a flat cut..
i rememmber they only made one pass on the intake ports to realign things
so i know they didn't cut much :thumbs:
smog heads... the slite angle take's more cc's off each .001 than a flat cut..
i rememmber they only made one pass on the intake ports to realign things
so i know they didn't cut much :thumbs:
Instructor
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 123
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From: corpus christi tx
Re: Flat-milling (Guru_4_hire)
are they iron or aluminum heads? not that it really matters, but obviously aluminum would cut easier and wouldn't require a special insert. iron cuts fairly easy, but you'll have to ensure the set-up is solid. either head dosen't require coolant as long as the depth of cut is small and feeds are kept constant.
radius of the flycutter would have to be large enough to do a cut the width of the sealing surface. also, the mill table would have to be long enough to ensure that you can make the pass lengthwise along the X axis (left/right) without having to move the Y axis (front/back)-- you don't want to make multiple passes to cut the same depth -that'll leave a witness line and risk sealing. also-- the Y axis, knee, and head would have to be locked while feeding, and the X axis ways tightened up to avoid chatter.
just my recommendations-- but it can be done with the right set-up.
radius of the flycutter would have to be large enough to do a cut the width of the sealing surface. also, the mill table would have to be long enough to ensure that you can make the pass lengthwise along the X axis (left/right) without having to move the Y axis (front/back)-- you don't want to make multiple passes to cut the same depth -that'll leave a witness line and risk sealing. also-- the Y axis, knee, and head would have to be locked while feeding, and the X axis ways tightened up to avoid chatter.
just my recommendations-- but it can be done with the right set-up.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
Re: Flat-milling (Guru_4_hire)
The problem is the Bridgeprt mill is not as "stout" as a automotive machine shop surfacing machine. The job can be done BUT, the time required to set-up, the tooling and other expenses just don't really add up to a sucessful ending. I know a top engine shop that uses a $2000 profilometer to insure their surface finish is compatible with what the gasket makers want to see their products installed against. The surface finish and other factors apply in the proper machining of engine parts so make sure you know what you are doing before you decide to do the job yourself.
