Brian,
I stand by what I said.
The Serdi is not a "production machine"
It can be used as a production machine or it can be used as a performance machine just as a boring mill or surfacer or almost any other piece of equipment in a shop.
Again it comes down the person using the equipment & the intended usage.
CNC machining centers are used in both production & performance environments but will hold tolerances in the tenths in the right hands.
This does not make them a production only machine.
The only people I have ever met in this trade that tell people that a Serdi, Newen, Sunnen etc. head machining center is not the best way to machine seats are shops that either do not have one or don't know how to use one.
I am aware you can pull a vacuum with enough clearance in the guide but in some applications I use less than a thou on the intake & I will guarantee you these will not pull a vacuum unless they are pretty concentric
I also have trick little tools that measures runout & I use straight solid live carbide pilots that are in increments of .0002" that have two conditions,, they are dead straight or they are in two pieces.
This is not the case with tool steel Sioux stone pilots or most stone pilots as I have had to replace many over the years that were not concentric.
There is only one stone system I know of that can do what the machines can in regards to radius stuff & that is the Hall Toledo with the radius dressing option & it takes a very good operator to use it properly just as it takes a good operator to use any piece of equipment.
Before you make blanket statements about something like this take the time to attend something like the PRI show & try using this machine.
They are there, set up & running & waiting for you to try.
Just take a look at who is using them in the performance industry.
I have a little more experience in regards to machine work than you & as I stated I do know how to use stones & I can tell you from this experience that stones are an archaic way to do valve seats.
Don't take my word for it, call or walk into any top performance engine shop & see what is there.
As I already stated I know how to use stones, still have stones & still use stones on things like flat head fords about once every 4 or 5 years when I get talked into doing one
Again I am not saying you cannot use stones & do a first class job, what I am saying is the machines, in the right hands will do it better, faster & more repeatable in almost every instance.
I freshen some pretty expensive heads that were done by some of the top head shops in the country like WeldTech, HRD, M2 etc & if you call any one of these shops & tell them you are any where near their heads with stones for finishing seats I doubt you will appreciate the response.
Not to be redundant but,,, it all comes down to who is using the machine.
There are some that can ruin an anvil with a rubber mallet,, & there are a lot of Serdi's in production shops that do not take the time to do their work properly just as their are shop with stones that do horrible work
Again, do not fault the equipment because an idiot is running it.
