What Is Carbide Rotary Burr?
Carbide Rotary Burrs are essential tools used for carrying out tasks such as cutting, carving, grinding, polishing and shaping in wood and metal works. They are also used for deburring and removing sharp edges.
Carbide rotary burrs ensure high-quality cutting, soft finishing, and longevity. As a result, they improve production efficiency, making them a necessary tool for engineers, maintenance officers and bench workers.
Who Uses Carbide Rotary Burrs?
Manufacturers use carbide rotary burrs to carry out different tasks during the production cycle in tool making, engineering, model engineering, jewellery making, chamfering, casting, welding, cylinder-head sculpting and porting. They are also used in industries such as automobile, aerospace, dental, metalsmith, metal sculpting and many others.
The Different Types of Carbide Rotary Burrs
There are various types of Carbide rotary burrs, and each type serves its purpose. They are available in different shapes and sizes and they can get into many a nook and cranny to produce varied types of profiles. Deciding on which type of carbide rotary burr shape to use is dependent on the profile or cut you want to achieve.
- Carbide Ball Burrs
Metal engravers, woodcarvers and stone carvers use carbide ball burrs in hobby drills, micro-motors and high-speed tools. This type of burr is small-sized with roughly 0.5 mm in diameter. When carbide rotary ball burrs are handled properly at the right speed, they can be used in performing complex engraving jobs very quickly. If you are engraving with these carbide carving burrs, ensure you use a handpiece that does not wobble.
- Cylindrical Burrs
One important thing to note is that there are some differences between a regular cylindrical burr and a cylindrical cross burr. The cross burr has vertical blades and small rows of teeth to boost cutting performance. This makes them suitable for heavy-duty tasks that require removing large metal quantity. Hold the tool tightly to achieve sharp texturing and shaping effects.
There are three common types of cylindrical burs:
- Cylinder with an end cut cylinder. This type has a cutting edge on the end and it is used for contour finishing.
- Cylinder without end cut. This type of cylindrical burr has a flat on the end with no cutting edge. It is used for contour finishing, and cutting and carving right-angled corners.
- Cylinder with a round nose or ball nose shape. This is also a cylindrical carbide burr but it has a rounded head.
- Wheel Burrs
Wheel burrs are very versatile and handy, making them ideal for various tasks. Their profiles can be compared to cylindrical burrs; however, wheel burrs have a narrow edge. This type of edge makes it easy to cut specific lines, shapes, and grind. The top surface of the wheel has blades that allow you to use this burr in a completely vertical position. Also, this burr is useful for tidying up the interior of bezels.
- Carbide Rotary Tree Burrs
Carbide rotary tree burrs help to achieve rounded edges and concave cuts. Its pointed end makes it easy to get to hard-to-reach surface areas and contoured angles.
The Type of Materials that Carbide Burrs Can Work on
Carbide burrs can be used on various materials including metals such as steel, aluminium and cast iron, and all types of acrylics, wood, fibreglass and plastics. Soft metals such as gold, platinum and silver, carbide burrs are ideal as they will last a long time with no chipping or breaking. Other materials include cobalt, titanium, nickel, ceramics, brass, copper, zinc and bronze.
Steps on How to Use a Carbide Rotary Burr
Now that you know different carbide rotary burrs and their applications, let’s understand how to use a carbide rotary burr. You cannot pick any random burr and start using it to perform a specific task. The process begins with the selection of the right burr shape.
- Select the Right Burr Shape
Whether you are a DIY enthusiast or a manufacturer, you will likely need to work with different shapes of burrs to complete specific tasks. Depending on your budget, you can buy a burr set which comes with 5mm, 8mm and 10mm burrs, and sometimes more burrs. If you need just one, you can surf products online and choose the right ones for your tasks.
- Select the Right Size of Burr
Now that you’ve chosen the right shape, the size is equally important. You must pick the right size that matches your tool. If you want better performance, choose burrs with big heads. They usually deliver higher efficiency and increased work speed.
- Fitting of the Burr
Now check the corresponding burrs with the chuck to evaluate concentricity of the tool to prevent shocks and wobbling. You should also note the clutch position for safety purposes while ensuring that it isn’t too long or short. Preferably, it should be approximately two-thirds of your shank.
- Move the tool in the Right Direction
The direction you move the tool can also take a toll on the efficiency. If you want to deburr, stick to one direction. You should either move the burr head from right to left or from left to right and not both ways. You should also avoid moving the burr head sporadically as it could cause wear and cracks.
- Use Grease or Lubricating Oil
If you are working with soft or highly-viscous materials, ensure you apply grease or lubricating oil. On some occasions, burrs may stop working because of friction or blockage. When this happens, be quick to use lubricants to revive your burrs.
- Apply Pressure
You must apply steady pressure when using carbide rotary burr. Too much of pressure leads to a high degree of temperature that may be hard to lower. This high temperature can also cause welding parts to fail.
- Selection of Speed
Finally, make sure you run your tool at a constant speed. To achieve quality and high-level cutting, you must put RPM (revolution per minute) into consideration. Set the pace of your tool within the permitted range before you start operation.
The Best Speed to Use your Carbide Rotary Burrs
Burrs that break off easily could be as a result of slow speed. Ideally, start at a low speed, then increase the speed gradually. On the other hand, high speeds prevent blockage in the flutes of your burs.
The speed you use your carbide bur depends on the material you want to use it on: and the contour produced; however, it should not exceed 35,000 RPM.
The table below shows some approximate speeds.
| Burr Size in Diameter / Inch | Speed in RPM | |
| 1.6mm or 1/16″ | 25,000 – 35,000 | |
| 2.35mm or 3/32″ | 17,000 – 26,000 | |
| 3mm or 1/8″ | 17,000 – 26,000 | |
| 6mm or 1/4″ | 11,000 – 16,500 | |
| 12mm or 1/2″ | 8,000 – 12,000 | |
| 16mm or 5/8″ | 7,650 – 11,500 |
Safety Measures to Take When Using a Carbide Rotary Burr
- Ensure you begin at a slow pace. Don’t go too fast until the burr gets to the right position. Starting with a higher speed may cause the tool to vibrate and slip.
- Protect yourself when using a carbide rotary burr. Make use of protective gear like hand gloves and safety glasses or a full face shield.
- Make use of a lubricant. It is useful when carrying out soft cutting or lessening chatter. It also helps to increase the burr’s life.
- Do not keep the burr still for a long period to prevent it from jamming into your material.
- Do not push the tool when using a burr. It may cause a scratch or breakage.
- Make sure that the burr shank is inserted and clamped into the collet properly.
- Apply minimal pressure on the burrs, else the cutting perimeters of the flutes will begin to smoothen or chip away. This will reduce the lifespan of the burr.
- Make sure to secure and tighten your work on the bench.
- Make sure you keep the burrs in a safe toolbox after use. This minimizes contact with impurities or external factors.
Conclusion
You can see that carbide rotary burrs can perform various tasks to make the manufacturing process much easier. Also, note that task-specific carbide burrs must be used to achieve high-quality cutting.