There are many tools that can be used for more than one task but carbide burrs are something else. They are one of the most versatile addition your tools can have. Burrs are used for shaping, cutting, grinding, and for the removal of excess material which is known as deburring.
Also known as rotary burrs, carbide burrs are meant to be used on materials such as ceramics, cobalt, titanium, aluminium, cast iron, wood, zinc, fibreglass, gold, steel and so on. You can have a cutting burr that can be used with rotary tools, die grinders, air tools and more. There is no other bit that can be used on as many materials and with as many tools as a carbide cutting burr. But why is that so?
Advantages of Using Carbide Burrs
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Durable
If you want hard bits that can survive through the harshest exposure of weather conditions then you're going to like carbide burrs. They have plenty of cutting edges but also a competitive edge over other tools. A quality carbide burr will do its purpose without fail and it will do so for a long time if it's used properly. This is why you can use cutting burrs on metal surfaces too.
Sharp
You can also find burrs that are extremely sharp. It's not that there are burrs that aren't sharp but you're able to use ones that are a cut above the rest. This mainly includes diamond burrs as they retain their sharp edge after prolonged usage too.
Usage
Talking about usage, you can use burrs for long production runs. This can be on harder metals and in a more challenging production application too. You will also have fewer changeovers with carbide burrs even in such conditions.
Quality
When you want to get a great finish and good processing quality, time and time again, carbide burrs are what you should go for. Long-term performance is something carbide burrs are known for and they also provide a tremendous work finish with minimum loading on soft and sticky metals.
Single vs Double Cut
There are two types of burr cutters when it comes to how they cut, single and double cut. With a single-cut burr, you get a right-handed single spiral flute. This up cut is what allows the burr to be used on copper, cast iron, stainless steel, hardened steel and ferrous metals. Double-cut burrs are more versatile since they can be used on both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. These include aluminium, soft steel, wood, and plastic. This is because they have more cutting edges and remove material faster while having a smoother finish.
Types of Carbide Burrs
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Ball
A spherical or a ball burr is one that can make concave cuts. Ball burs can be as small as 0.5 mm in diameter and are made mainly for carving applications. If you're a wood or a stone carver you're definitely going to like this type of carbide burr.
Tree
No, this is not an environmentally friendly burr, instead, it's one that's being used to round off edges. You can also make concave cuts with tree burrs and with their pointed end, you can cut into acutely angled contours and in areas that are hard to get to.
Inverted Cone
If you want to make rear side chamfering and V-cuts you should use inverted cone burrs.
Pointed Cone
Pointed cone burrs are great for when you want to do some surface finishing in hard-to-reach areas or narrow angles and contours. They are also good for rounded edges.
Cylinder
When it comes to contour finishing and right-angled corners cylinder end burrs are what you should be looking for. There are also different shaped cylinder end burrs such as round nose and ball nose burr cutters.
Countersink
Also known as cone burrs, countersink burrs are best used for counterboring, in angled areas, bevelling, and chamfering. This is because they come in a range of angles between 60° and 90°.
Tips on Using Carbide Burrs
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Speed
The first and most important thing when you want to use carbide burrs is to have them operate at the proper speed. This will depend mainly on the diameter of the burr. For example, 12mm burrs will require an RPM between 8,000 and 12,000 while 3 mm burrs will need you to set your rotary tool between 17,000 and 26,000 RPM. The exact RPM will also depend on the application you're using said burr for.
Pressure
The second most important factor is the pressure you apply when using a cutting burr. Whatever you do, don't apply too much pressure as this can chip away more material than needed. It's best that, if you're unsure how much pressure you should use, to start with very little pressure and build it up from there. This way you won't have to worry about chipping away more material than needed. Also, any mistakes you make can be easily fixed.
Movement
How you move the tool, will affect how the burr alters the material you're working on. As long as you keep a steady and continuous movement throughout, you won't have to worry about digging into the material or creating any jabs. No marks and rough edges will be created if you avoid keeping the grinder still.
