aftermarket Screw in freeze plug dilemma resolved.

[AlanCasida]

A long time ago I bought screw in freeze plugs to convert my 427 block. What I got was basically 1 1/2” pipe plugs and they are quite a bit thicker than the originals which I didn’t like. I have done a lot of mental gymnastics trying to figure out a good way to cut them down with the equipment I have and last night I finally got it. I bought a couple of 1 1/2” couplings and a close nipple, screwed them together and then threaded the plug into that. All that made a solid foundation to clamp it in my band saw. Perfect!

[cleandan]

Good thing you arrived where you want to be.
I have some machine tools in my shop, including lathes and a small mill, but taking those out of the mix I would have likely cut them down carefully with a hack saw and then finished them with a wide file to arrive where you are now.

Or I would have used a fiber cut off wheel on a Dremel to remove the bulk, then a file to finish the part.

Your new freeze plugs will look perfect once installed.

[jayb]

Nice job Alan!

[cjshaker]

They came out pretty nice. Didn't you buy a Bridgeport a few years back?

[Barry_R]

Nice job.
We used to do those in quantity a few years ago. 
Even made a fixture to do them in a lathe (still have it somewhere...).
I think we sold a couple dozen sets and nobody else ever ordered them...

[AlanCasida]

They came out pretty nice. Didn't you buy a Bridgeport a few years back?

Thanks Doug. I have a Grizzly benchtop mill. I couldn't figure out a good way to hold the plugs in place on the mill without either getting an indexing chuck or maybe welding them to a plate to keep them secure. This turned out to be a cheap and easy solution.