Round Grinding Burs:

Round burs fitted in a pin vise are the perfect hand tool to clean up the flared edge left from punching a hole in your metal.

Traditionally, round grinding burs are used by jewelers in a mechanized rotary tool like a flex-shaft.  But I like to use them fitted in a pin vise to ‘file’ or clean up the flared remnants from punching holes in your metal. 

Many people use files and emery paper to clean up the edges left behind from punching holes in metal, but there’s an easier way…

When you punch or even drill a hole in metal, it’s common to have a flared edge remain on the underside.  Filing and then sanding the whole area can be tedious.  So I like to fit a round grinding bur in a pin vise to effectively bevel the edge of the hole.  This is much less work, because the grinding is so precise to the area that needs to be removed.  Often there’s no need for additional filing and/or sanding.  So you don’t have to work your way through all the sanding grits – woohoo!

Choose a round grinding bur meant for metal (as opposed to wax) that is larger than the size of the hole you punched or drilled.  For instance, if I punch a 1.5mm hole, I use either a 2.5mm or 3mm round bur to clean the edge.  You can try various sizes depending on how much material needs to be cleaned away.  You just don’t want it to be so close in size to the hole that you risk enlarging the actual hole instead of just beveling the edge.  Yet if it’s too large, it may not clean off all the material and leave a more noticeable bevel.

Please note:  As with all grinding and cutting tools, you should use a lubricant to preserve the life of the bur and ease the task.