Thread: Carving bits/burrs

You may have to look at sites such as Alibaba and similar Chinese websites. Cheap does not equate to quality, but sometimes you can get lucky...

If you are just starting out, I'd suggest three shapes: Flame, round-end cylinder, and ball, in coarse, medium, and fine. I'd also suggest structured carbide, especially if your rotary tool is reversible. The structured carbide can be used in either direction. Here's an example on a flame: Amazon.com Shapes such as these can only cut in one direction: Amazon.com but they are relatively inexpensive if you only need them to turn in one direction.

Also, I'd suggest the carbide burrs, not the high speed steel ones. When the carbide burr gets clogged up with pitch or wood fibers, you can hold it in pliers over the kitchen stove or a propane torch and burn off the pitch/clog. Not possible with the high speed steel as it will lose it's temper. Amazon and eBay are both sources of burrs, as well as several carving supply sites in the US. Don't know if they'll ship to OZ or not.

If you need the links to the US sources, let me know.

Claude

Originally Posted by ClaudeF

Also, I'd suggest the carbide burrs, not the high speed steel ones. When the carbide burr gets clogged up with pitch or wood fibers, you can hold it in pliers over the kitchen stove or a propane torch and burn off the pitch/clog. Not possible with the high speed steel as it will lose it's temper.

Real High speed steel was designed to run red hot and not lose its temper and once it is made, it's very difficult to soften it. This misperception arises because some HSS is not really HSS.

Australian timbers don't usually have as many pitch issues as north american types. A more gentle solution (that works with chainsaw chains) is to soak the bits ON in diesel or even warm water and then briefly using the bits on a low pitch timber, jarrah is a good example. You could also keep a small spray bottle of it handy and every now and they just spray a little on the burr. Just turning on the tool will throw off the excess form the bit.