7 Facts About Tungsten Carbide Burrs and How To Use Them

Carbide Rotary Burrs are used for cutting, shaping, grinding and for the removal of
sharp edges, burrs and excess material (deburring) and this is what we talk about in
the following article.

For drilling holes or cutting a hole in metal then a carbide drill or a carbide end mill,
carbide slot drill or a carbide router is required rather than a carbide burr.

1. Carbide Burrs Can be Used on Many Materials

Tungsten Carbide burrs can be used on most hard materials: metals including steel,
aluminium and cast iron, all types of stone, ceramic, porcelain, hard wood, acrylics,
fibreglass and reinforced plastics. When used on soft metals such as gold, platinum
and silver carbide burrs are ideal as they will last a long time with no chipping or
breaking.

Steel, Carbon Steel & Stainless Steel

Cast Iron
Aluminium
Titanium
Stone
Gold, Platinum & Silver
Ceramic & Porcelain
Fibreglass
 Plastic, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CRP), Glass Fibre Reinforced
Plastic (GRP)
Brass, Copper & Bronze
Zinc
Hard Wood

Different cuts of carbide burrs will be best suited to certain materials, see the next
point below to find out about the different cuts.

What Do You Use Carbide Burrs In?

Ideally carbide burrs are used in Air Tools i.e Die Grinders, Pneumatic rotary tools
and high speed engravers. Micro Motors, Pendant Drills, Flexible Shafts, and hobby
rotary tools such as a Dremel. Always use a handpiece that runs true i.e with no
wobble.

Who Uses Carbide Burrs?

Carbide burrs are widely used for metalwork, tool making, engineering, model
engineering, wood carving, jewellery making, welding, chamferring, casting,
deburring, grinding, cylinder head porting and sculpting. And are used in the
aerospace, automotive, dental, stone and metal sculpting, and metal smith industries
to name but a few.

2. Carbide Burrs Commonly Come in Two Cuts; Single Cut and Double Cut
(Diamond Cut)

Single cut (one flute) carbide burrs have a right handed (Up cut) spiral flute. These
tend to be used with stainless steel, hardened steel, copper, cast iron, and ferrous
metals and will remove material quickly with a smooth finish. Use for heavy stock
removal, milling, deburring and cleaning.

Heavy removal of material

Milling
Deburring
Cleaning
Creates long chips

Double cut carbide burrs tend to be used on ferrous and non ferrous metals,
aluminium, soft steel and also for all non-metal materials such as stone, plastics,
hard wood and ceramic. They have more cutting edges and will remove material
faster. Double cut are sometimes referred to as Diamond Cut or Cross Cut (2 flutes
cut across each other) will leave a smoother finish than single cut due to producing
smaller chips as they cut away the material. Use for medium-light stock removal,
deburring, finishing and cleaning. A double cut carbide burr is the most popular cut
and will see you through most applications.

Medium- light removal of material

Deburring
Fine finishing
Cleaning
Smooth finish
Creates small chips

The below image indicates the double cut, single cut and again, the double cut or
diamond cut.

Shank sizes of your carbide burrs:

The shank is the mount of your burr that fits into your rotary tool, die grinder, micro
motor etc.; so the opposite end to the working part of the tool. These are usually
found in the following shank sizes:

1.6mm or 1/16"
2.35mm or 3/32"
3mm or 1/8"
6mm or 1/4"

3. The Various Shapes of Carbide Burrs and How To Use Them

Making a decision on what shape to use will depend on the profile or cut you are
looking to achieve.

These different shaped burs will get into many a nook and cranny and produce some
interesting profiles.
Carbide Ball Burrs

Use a ball or spherical shaped carbide burr to create concave cuts in your material
or to shape and hollow out an area. Small carbide ball burrs from as tiny as 0.5mm in
diameter are ideal for intricate carving projects. Many wood carvers, stone carvers
and metal engravers use these carbide carving burrs in a hobby drill, micro motor or
a high speed handpiece. As we mentioned before, make sure to use a handpiece
that runs true i.e with no wobble.

Carbide Tree Burrs

Use for rounding off edges and making concave cuts. Use the pointed end for cutting
in hard to reach areas and acute angled contours.
Carbide Inverted Cone Burrs

Use inverted cone shaped tungsten carbide burrs for making v-cuts and rear side
chamfering.

Carbide Pointed Cone & Carbide Round Nose or Ball Nose Burrs

Good for rounded edges and surface finishing in difficult to reach areas or tight and
narrow angles and contours. The round nose or ball nose cone are often referred to
as a taper shape.
Cylinder Burrs. Round Nose/Ball nose/End Cut

Choose from an end cut cylinder (with a cutting edge on the end) for contour
finishing. Cylinder without end cut (flat on the end and no cutting edge) for contour
finishing and right angled corners or a round nose or ball nose shape which is a
cylinder shaped carbide burr but with a rounded head.

Oval Burrs
Flame Burrs

Oblate Spheroid

A wheel shaped burr with a smooth top and fluted sides. Great for channel work and
shaping.

Countersink Burrs

Choose from 60 degree or 90 degree angle countersink burs, sometimes referred to

carbide cone burrs. These are ideal for beveling, counterboring, chamfering and for
getting into acute angled areas of your work.

If you're not sure what shape burr you want, or you would like a variety, why not try a
set of 10 with different shapes in.

4. What Speed or RPM should you use your Carbide Burrs?

The speed at which you use your carbide bur in your rotary tool will depend on the
material you're using it on and the contour being produced but it's safe to say you do
not need to exceed speeds of 35,000 RPM. The table below shows some
approximate speeds.
If the burs are chipping easily this could be due to the speed being too slow.
However, it's ideal to start the bur off slow, increasing the speed as you go along.
High speeds will prevent clogging in the flutes of your burs.

Diameter of Burr 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

5. Do Not Apply Too Much Pressure

As with all drill bits and burrs, let the burr do the work and apply only a little pressure
otherwise the cutting edges of the flutes will chip away or become smooth too
quickly, reducing the life of your burr.

6. Carbide Burrs are Harder Than HSS Burrs

Our Carbide Burrs are machine ground from a specially chosen grade of carbide.
Due to the extreme hardness of the Tungsten Carbide they can be used on much
more demanding jobs than HSS (High Speed Steel).

Carbide Burrs also perform better at higher temperatures than HSS so you can run
them hotter, and for longer.

HSS burrs will start to soften at higher temperatures so carbide is always a better
choice for long term performance.

What Are The Advantages of Tungsten Carbide Burrs?

Long life
Use for long production runs
High stock removal
Ideal for using on many hard and tough materials
Ideal for Deburring, finishing, carving, shaping and smoothing welds, moulds,
dies and forgings
7. Keep The Carbide Burr On The Move

When using your carbide burr try not to keep it still for too long as this will prevent
the burr from digging and jabbing into your material causing unsightly marks and
roughness.

End on an 'up' stroke for a smoother finish to your work.

Helpful note: Using a carbide burr on Soft Cast iron is a great way to de-clog them.

I hope you feel better informed now as to how you should use your carbide burrs,
why you should use them and what you should use them on.

The above image is by Maira Ribena of Akmensraksti. Maira uses a combination of

small carbide ball burrs and small diamond ball burrs for her stone pebble carvings.
These are then made into various jewellery pieces such as pendants by drilling a
hole through the pebble using a small diamond core drill.

Stay Safe:

Always ensure your burr shank is well inserted into your collet and clamped
down tightly
Keep pressure light and keep the bur moving, focusing on the highest material
first
Ensure your work is secured tightly to your work bench
Don't snag or jam your burr into your work
Wear eye protection as a minimum, but better still use a full shield for your
face