That’s because it was beat into the head of every potential head porter that if you even look at a short turn wrong the casting is junk and you should never try again.
I didn’t get the fear gene.
Guys that are motivated by fear (or I suppose unmotivated by fear too) will never make a go of it no matter what.
I **** on all those authors and talking head bastards who spent the 1960’s and onward telling guys what not to do rather than what to do.
And when they did do some articles no porting they bought some sorry assed paper roll kit and maybe a couple of burrs and they say just remove the casting flash but don’t move any metal and never touch the short turn unless Ernie Elliott or Smokey Yunick are standing there, holding your hand.
You’ll never learn to port unless you do it. If you live in fear of killing a short turn or poking a hole in something you’re in the same boat.
To learn to port the guy MUST learn to pick his own tools and such so that HE can make the shapes HE wants.
No two guys see things the exact same so it takes different guys different tools to make the same shape.
There isn’t one way to port. What matters is the end result.
I’ve always said if someone chopped a short turn down to almost hitting water and you went out and set a national record with them, as soon as it was spread about what you did every swinging dick with a grinder would be chopping down their short turns, not considering as to WHY it was done in the first place.
Eventually you have to stop copying what other people do and learn for yourself.