What are Tungsten Carbide Burs?

What are tungsten carbide burs?  Carbide Burs are used for cutting, shaping, grinding and for the removal of sharp edges, burrs and excess material (deburring).

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

SN-7 Carbide Bur Die Grinder Bit

Tungsten Carbide Burs

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 plastics and wood. They have more cutting edges and will remove material faster. Double cut are sometimes referrred 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

Uses for Carbide Bur Cutting Tools:

Aluminum
Brass
Bronze
Carbon fiber
Cast iron
Ceramics
Copper
Fiberglass
Gold
Hard rubber
Plastic
Platinum
Silver
Steel
Stone
Titanium
Wood
Zinc

Burs (burrs) come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each of which can be used for different purposes:

Arch ball/pointed nose – engraving, texturing, increasing hole size
Ball – concave cuts, hollowing, shaping, carving. Useful for wood, stone, metal engraving.
Ball nose cone – rounding edges, surface finishing, tight spaces, and angles.
Carbide Ball nose cylinder- contour finishing
Ball nose tree (also known as tapered) – concave cuts and rounding edges
Cone – rounding edges, surface finishing, tight spaces, hard to reach areas.
Cylindrical – contour finishing and right-angled corners
Cylindrical end cut – contour finishing
Carbide Cylindrical no end cut – contour finishing
Flame – channel work and shaping
Inverted cone – v-cuts and rear-side chamfering
Oval – die grinding and engraving
Pointed tree – concave cuts, rounding edges, access to hard-to-reach areas, and acute angles.
Rounded tree – concave cuts and rounding edges

extension-tool-holder

Need a longer reach?
Try our 4″ and 9″ extension tool for your carbide bur bits

Burs (burrs) also come in a variety of ranges, each of which has a specific benefit in their use:

Alloy-specific – heads have varying shapes used with certain metal alloys – used in the
aerospace/aviation industry
Base metal range – used for deburring on softer metals
Bolt remover range – used for the removal of broken studs
Foundry metal range – used for deburring on harder metals, stone, etc.
Inox range – specifically used with stainless steel
Locksmith range – used by locksmiths
Long shank range – general-purpose; long shafts useful for deeper, hard-to-reach areas
Miniature range – miniature heads useful for engraving and fine detail work
New geometry range – used for all general metal removal
Steel range – heads have specialized fluting to cut stainless steel
Universal range – general-purpose, best on metals such as copper, iron, nickel, and steel

Carbide burs (burrs) require a bit of special care to keep them performing optimally. To preserve the life
of your carbide burs (burrs), ensure your handpiece does not wobble. The speed of your pneumatic rotary tool
should not exceed 35,000 RPMs, and speed should be gradually increased. Please note, however,
that higher speeds will prevent flute clogging inside the bur (burr). If you apply too much pressure to the
bur (burr), the edges may chip, resulting in premature dulling.

SN-7 Carbide Bur Die Grinder Bit

Tungsten Carbide Burs

Choose Double or Single Cut Carbide Bur?

Double Cut

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. Double cut have more cutting edges and will remove material much faster. Double cut 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.
Designed for medium- light removal of material, deburring, fine finishing, cleaning, smooth finish, and creating small chips.

Single Cut

Usually 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.
Designed for heavy removal of material, milling, deburring, cleaning, and creating long chips.

Aluminum Cut

Non-ferrous are exactly what you would expect them to be. Use our cutting tools on non-ferrous materials such as aluminum, copper and magnesium.

Our USA made tungsten carbide burrs can be used on most hard materials including steel, aluminum and cast iron, all types of stone, ceramic, porcelain, hard wood, acrylics, fibreglass and reinforced plastics. If you use our burs on soft metals such as gold, platinum and silver, carbide burrs are perfect as they will last for a long time with no breaking or chipping.

Different cuts of carbide burrs will be best suited for certain materials.

collet reducer

Try our 1/4” to 1/8” Collet Reducer
Allows you to use 1/8” shank carbide bits in your 1/4” die grinder

Uses for Carbide Bur Die Grinder Bits

Carbide burs are widely used in metalworking, tool making, engineering, model engineering, wood carving, jewelry making, weldingchamferringcastingdeburring, grinding, cylinder head porting and sculpting. Carbide burs can be used in the aerospaceautomotivedentistry, stone and metalsmith industries.

All our USA made carbide bur cutting tools ship SAME DAY ordered by USPS Mail with online tracking.

We can also dropship the carbide bur die grinder bits, if interested in joining our FREE dropship program.

credit card

We accept debit and all major credit card payments including VisaMasterCardDiscoverAmerican Express and PayPal.  Fast and easy secure checkout with no account or login required.  If you have any questions, visit our FAQ page or contact us here.

Return to CarbideBur.com

Perfecting Aluminum Porting for Improved Airflow

June 27th, 2026|0 Comments

Engine Enthusiasts' Guide to Burr Shapes: Perfecting Aluminum Porting for Improved Airflow Most people think any burr shape works for aluminum porting. That’s why so many end up battling sticky residue and uneven airflow. Choosing [...]

Effective Weld Grinding Techniques for Stainless Steel

June 26th, 2026|0 Comments

Empower Your Craft: Effective Weld Grinding Techniques for Stainless Steel Grinding stainless steel welds can feel like a never-ending battle against scratches and uneven surfaces. You’ve spent hours welding, only to find the finish doesn’t [...]

Expert Tips on Grinding and Sanding Welds

June 25th, 2026|0 Comments

Enhance Your Welding Skills: Expert Tips on Grinding and Sanding Welds Most welds look rough right after the job, leaving your project far from professional. You know that smoothing welds is key to clean, strong [...]

Surface Preparation With Carbide Burrs

June 25th, 2026|0 Comments

DIY Rust Removal Made Easy: Surface Preparation With Carbide Burrs Rust stuck on your metal projects can ruin hours of work and leave surfaces uneven. You want a way to clean it off without wasting [...]

Preventing Carbide Burr Loading

June 24th, 2026|0 Comments

Mastering Cutting Efficiency: Preventing Carbide Burr Loading Carbide burr loading slows your work and wears down your tools faster than you realize. When debris clogs your burrs, cutting efficiency drops and your project quality suffers. [...]

Double Cut or Single Cut for Your Next Project?

June 23rd, 2026|0 Comments

The Ultimate Carbide Burrs Guide: Double Cut or Single Cut for Your Next Project? Picking the right carbide burrs can make or break your project’s finish. You’ve likely faced the choice between double cut burrs [...]

Finding the Perfect Burr for Clean Results

June 22nd, 2026|0 Comments

Carving and Finishing Aluminum: Finding the Perfect Burr for Clean Results You’ve struggled with burrs that clog and leave rough edges on aluminum. Getting clean cuts on this soft metal isn’t about just any tool—it’s [...]

Extending the Life of Your Carbide Burrs

June 21st, 2026|0 Comments

Cutting Tool Durability: Extending the Life of Your Carbide Burrs Carbide burrs wear out faster than you might expect when the wrong factors come into play. If you don’t understand the key elements affecting carbide [...]