We have also developed a specially formulated porting lubricant (PN# 2010) that eliminates aluminum sticking to carbide cutters, and makes polishing and cross buffing faster, easier, and more cost effective. Mondello Technical School also carries a complete line of porting stones in aluminum oxide, and silicon carbide for an aggressive cut with a smooth finish. Our stones are available with up to a six (6) inch long shank for the hardest to reach areas such as the common wall, short-side radius, roof, floor, and around the pushrod tube turn wall. 

    All of our polishing and abrasives, cartridge rolls, discs, pads, mandrels, cross buffs, handy rolls, Skuzz Buster® (one of our exclusive products), etc., are developed and supplied by Standard Abrasives®. Mondello technical School stocks and distributes Standard Abrasives® products exclusively. Our Standard Abrasives® products are available in 10, 25, 50, and 100 packs for all your porting needs. We also sell in bulk quantities. Handy Rolls are available in 25-foot starter packs, or 150-foot Handy Rolls. The minimum quantity of cartridge rolls or sanding discs that can be ordered is 25, but 10 packs of cross buffs in 3/4", 1”, and 1-1/2”, in two (2) or three (3) ply are available.  Our carbides, mandrels, stones, and disc pads, flapper stick-rods, etc., may be ordered in single quantities, if needed. 

    All of our carbides are made of C2 carbide due to better wear and strength properties, especially for use on cast-iron and aluminum. Mondello Technical School stocks over 800 carbides on four (4) inch and six (6) inch shanks. Our standard carbide length is four (4) inch. We also have 1/4", 5/16”, 3/8”, 7/16”, 1/2”, 5/8”, and 3/4” carbides in round nose tree, oval, egg, banana, flame, reverse teardrop, barrel shape, barrel shape teardrop, safe nose, and radius-end cylindrical shapes. We do not stock the less popular shapes in all sizes and cuts.  Our latest design is a hot new number called the concave radius designed for modifying short side radii (this procedure may be illegal in some classes of racing). Follow with bead blasting or shot peen & you’re finished.  This increases airflow 8 to 10cfm.  It is very handy to deburr sharp edges on blocks, heads, rods, rod & main caps, etc. after milling, cutting or resurfacing.  Comes in only one style at 1/2 or 5/8”O.D. on 4 or 6” shanks.

    Joe Mondello recommends the regular and intermediate style cut for normal porting of aluminum for the porter with minimal experience (for better control in ports and combustion chambers). And for the experienced porter, Joe recommends the fast mill-cut or aggressive Carbides, finishing up with intermediate and regular style carbides. When using any style carbide cutter (1/2 or 5/8 diameter) on four (4) or six (6) inch shanks, you must use air powered or electric grinders with good bearings and straight chucks to eliminate, vibration, flexing, and bending of the shanks. Mondello recommends an air reducer-regulator (PN# AR-32) valve, or a rheostat (electric speed reducer, PN# 6681) in-line with at least five (5) or more amps. Usually on high rpm (20,000-30,000 rpm) grinders, Joe shortens the shanks or reduces grinder speed on popular style carbides between 3-inch and 3-1/2-inch when using high rpm’s, but a reduced speed is recommended. This does not apply to flame or reverse teardrop shape carbides. All Mondello Technical School stones need to be shaped with (PN# SD-240) steel wheel stone dresser, then smoothed over with our (PN# DS-3) stone dressing stick.

    Joe Mondello will supply you with guidelines on which carbide cutters to use in specific areas of the ports, how to shape your stones, what type of cartridge rolls, discs, pads, flapper paper (Handy Roll) grits, cross buffs, and Skuzz Buster® discs (one of Mondello Technical School’s exclusive products) to use for the best flow and swirl of your cylinder heads and manifolds. Joe will also instruct you on deburring blocks, cranks, rods, etc., and cleaning your dirty, grungy gasket surfaces and dried sealant from your performance engine parts. Our valley tray (available for small block Cheve, big block Cheve oval and rectangular port, and small block Ford Windsor heads) compliments our Skuzz Buster® kits when cleaning off stuck-on intake gaskets by protecting the intake ports and lifter valley area from debris and gasket particles.  SF and BS series carbides are best used to port and shape the upper portion of the valve bowls, below the valve seat. The regular NN-SF, NN-SH, NN-SE “No Nose or Safe Nose” series is for shaping and tear-dropping the exhaust valve guides, partial shaping of the short side radius, porting the intake mouth and exhaust mouth, widening and shaping the push rod tube turn, raising the roof of both intake and exhaust ports, blending certain areas in the combustion chamber, and the intake and exhaust valve bowls.  The first few inches of the roof, common wall, approximately 1-inch to 1-1/2-inch of the floor, and just around the pushrod tube turn wall (from the port mouth side of the port) can be ported with the SF series carbide cutters. The SE series will also work very well in combustion chambers for blending and shaping. The SE series (egg/oval shape) is for any round or curved area from the mouth to the floor, partial porting of the short-side radius, valve bowls, gussets and radii next to the valve guide boss. We designed the NN “No Nose or Safe Nose” series especially for valve guide shaping and tear-dropping to eliminate digging into the roof of the intake port, blending the center area of the exhaust port walls, roof and floor. NOTE: Our “Safe Nose” NN series works well on common walls, roofs, floors, the wall around the pushrod tube turn, plus the transition of the valve bowl area into the intake and exhaust port runners.  The NN and BST series, due to their unique design, follow odd shapes and curves very well while maintaining a good flat surface. Mondello recommends these carbides to complete the porting on common walls, pushrod tube turn walls, floors and roofs on the intake ports. These are the most versatile cutters available because they do so well on long, curved and flat areas, both in heads and intake manifolds. The RT series was primarily designed to port and blend the short-side radii to obtain a good, smooth roll into the floor of the port. It also works well to blend the roll around the pushrod tube turn for maximum flow and conformity.  The SC series has limited uses because it’s flat with a radiused end, making it difficult to dig into the work surface. The SC series is recommended for very flat areas, i.e.; block and cylinder head deburring, some intake and exhaust porting, and valve guide shaping.  The FM series is designed for experienced, aggressive head porters that port aluminum heads and intake manifolds. This is a fast cutting carbide cutter, leaving a semi-rough surface while removing a great deal of material very quickly. Mondello does not recommend this cutter for beginning or intermediate head porters. Joe feels that the “beginner” head porter should use the standard style carbides offered in this catalog. If you have more experience, the intermediate style carbides are perfect. This style carbide is used to instruct students at Mondello Technical School. They cut fast and do a great job. The intermediate and experienced head porter should use our intermediate and aggressive style cutters for the best results, fast metal removal on cast-iron heads, and good, fast removal on aluminum heads. They also leave a good finish that just needs to be polished. Joe also recommends that you stone finish cast-iron heads, manifolds, and blocks before polishing. This practice makes polishing faster and easier, using less abrasive material, and removing more porting flaws and carbide dimples without changing the radii and port shape.  Mondello likes to shape the stones with a (PN# SD-240) steel wheel stone dresser, very similar to the shape of the carbide cutter you use to shape the port, or to get close to the radii, and short side radii you are trying to smooth out and blend.  If the finish is too rough during the stoning procedure, Joe recommends that you dress the stone smoother with the (PN# DS-3) stone dressing stick.  NOTE: Always make sure your stone retains it shape, and continue to use your (PN# SD-240) to remove any grooves on the stone face.  CAUTION: Do not port heads with stones or cartridge rolls because they lose their shape, leaving inconsistent radii and shapes. The porting procedure for all heads should be to use carbide cutters to shape the port, raise the roof and form the radius, including the short-side radius.  Once your ports are to the size and shape you desire, stone them (except aluminum) to prepare the surface for polishing. When your carbide cutting and shaping is complete, do not try to reshape the ported areas with stones or cartridge rolls. You only want to smooth and condition the surface. Mondello recommends you apply the cartridge roll on all the port areas, first, before using handy rolls (aluminum oxide polishing abrasives commonly called Emory cloth). Joe always finishes his ports with 1” handy rolls and a flapper stick rod.  NOTE: This is what head porters have called a steel rod with a slot cut in it for over 40 years.  You take about five (5) to six (6) inches of handy-roll flapper paper and roll it on to the steel rod in a clockwise rotation (going away from you), forming an abrasive ice cream cone shape.

    Mondello Technical School offers cartridge rolls in straight, half taper, and full taper configurations, from 1/4 inch, to 3/4 inch O.D. and from 1 inch to 1-1/2 inch in length. Always use the size cartridge roll that fits the work area and radii best. Use extreme caution because 40,50, or 60 grit cartridges are very aggressive and can re-port or reshape your head within seconds: especially in the valve bowl, valve guide, and radius areas of the ports.  Our newest product, Kay Rolls is the best polishing product for ports, manifolds, blocks, etc. that I have ever used.  They have a resin core & are completely usable right down to a nub.  They are only available on a 4” shank in 60 & 80 grit; ½”diameter x 1-3/4” long. Kay Rolls last 5 times longer than cartridge rolls & run very true at 20,000 RPM; a very cost effective product.  Here are a few examples of what is used with great results at Mondello Technical School on both aluminum and cast-iron heads: On aluminum heads, blocks, and intake manifolds, after all carbide cutter shaping and grinding is complete, use a 50 or 60 grit cartridge roll with (PN# 2010) porting lubricant to smooth out all the carbide dimples and grooves in the ports and combustion chambers. Always use the correct size and shape cartridge roll for all areas being polished.  For maximum flow, and on all out competition heads, use these final finishing procedures:  On aluminum heads and intake manifolds use 50 or 60 grit flapper paper in all the intake runners and ports.  NOTE: You may use 80 grit for a final finish on the intake ports, but do not use any smoother of a finish as it will effect the final airflow numbers.  The plenum area in the intake manifold (just below the carburetor base) may be highly polished with 150 to 180 grit flapper paper, followed by a very fine 1-1/2” 3-ply cross buff for the final polish blending into the roof of the intake port. You can polish an intake port too smooth and lose cfm (cubic feet per minute) airflow on the flow-bench. Combustion chambers do not like to be too smooth, either. Usually a 40, 60, or 80 grit finish works best for maximum airflow and swirl. Mondello polishes all exhaust ports (cast-iron or aluminum) with 40 or 60 grit cartridge rolls, then with flapper paper in 80, 100, 120, 150 and finishes up with180 grit. NOTE: This is smooth enough for street and bracket racing on cast-iron. Use the 150 and 180 for all out competition on both cast-iron and aluminum exhaust ports.  After the180 grit finish (on aluminum) use very fine cross buff pads. Always remember, on all aluminum porting and polishing, use our (PN# 2010) porting lubricant from start to finish. If you are doing street/strip porting on cast-iron or aluminum cylinder heads (including bracket racing and 6500rpm, or less, circle track engines, a 60 or 80 grit port and combustion chamber is more than smooth enough for good flow and swirl numbers on the flow-bench. An 80 to 120 grit finish on the exhaust ports will work fine for these applications. If you want to highly polish your combustion chamber floors, we have buff and blend discs in 3/4, 1, 1-1/2, and 2 inch that will fit your SocAttâ holder pads. Buff and blend pads are available in medium, fine, and very fine. Always use (PN# 2010) porting lubricant for polishing with these pads on both cast-iron and aluminum.  If you have trouble trying to get good flow numbers, correct radii, smooth radius short turns, good finishes, round valve bowls, nicely shaped tear-dropped valve guides, or beautifully prepared, shaped and polished combustion chambers, contact Joe Mondello and he will teach you how at the Mondello technical School.

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