Burs by Material
Tungsten Vanadium Steel - Least expensive, wears quickly. Made for precise cuts. Can be operated at low speeds.
High Speed Steel (HSS) - Great balance of cost and durability. Maintains temper when operated at high speeds.
Tungsten Carbide Steel - Most expensive and most durable. Maintains sharp edges. For use at high speeds.
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Burs by Flute Angle, Number & Shape
Straight-Flute - For general shaping and smoothing.
Angled-Flute - For detailed stone work.
Many Flutes (Fine Bur) - Flutes are generally shallow, made for finishing and pre-polishing work.
Few Flutes (Coarse Bur) - Flutes are generally deeper, made for general shaping and material removal.
Cross-cut Flutes - Seen in various bur types, are generally more aggressive in material removal than their standard equivalent.
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Burs by Shape
Ball (Round) - For drilling, deburring, and enlarging holes, carving recesses, and refining bezels.
Bud & Flame - For tapering, enlarging, and repositioning holes. Flame burs can also be used for engraving.
Cone - Available in standard, rounded, or flat end variants. For tapering, enlarging, and repositioning holes.
Crown Saw - Cutting edge is equivalent to that of a saw blade. For cross-wise cuts, removing sprues, and trimming tubing.
Cup - For rounding the ends of wires, refining the shape of prong tips, or making domed rivet heads. Tends to clog easily; use lubrication.
Cylinder (Rotary File) - Available with either a standard or rounded end. Good alternative to a file. For bulk removal of material and grinding the insides of ring shanks.
Hart (Bearing Cutter) - Most commonly used bur for stone setting. For cutting seats in prongs, for channel and flush settings, or as an alternative to flywheels for bright-cutting.
Inverted Cone - For making undercuts for stone setting and removing excess solder in tight areas.
Knife-edge (Lens) - For grinding in tight areas, removing material from flat surfaces, and scoring lines.
Setting - For cutting seats in prong settings, bezels, and tube settings. Often used to rough-cutting before refining with a hart bur.
Wheel - For removing material from a thick bezel when setting a cabochon.
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