A gold mine in recycled tools

[monk]

Hi everyone, this is my first posting. I have scanned through many of the previous posts and saw that someone has already mentioned sharpening used burs for engraving tips. I use many different tools to engrave coining dies, and over the years have gone through thousands of carbide and HSS ( high speed steel ) burs. Die engraving uses up a lot of burs and can be expensive, however by utilizing these tools for other operations they become quite a little gold mine. Here are some typical uses for both carbide and HSS burs ( It does help to mention that I use a diamond wheel for grinding the carbide ). They can be used as gravers, punches, chasing tools, scribes, scrapers, sculpting tools, micro sculpting tools, burnishing tools and regrinding them to two, three and four edge cutting burs. Mounting these tools permently in a handle is relatively easy, or you can use a pin vise with a collet that holds the shaft size you are using. Micro sculpting tools are a Godsend to my nickel carving. It is more like sculpting the metal rather than engraving, you pulll the tool more often than push it. One more tip before going. When you are using small steel burnishing tools to remove material (and not polish) on a small scale, try glass beading the tool. This gives the tool a more abrasive tip, just don't sacrifice your favorite polished tips. Now I am curious, does anyone else out there have a hard time throwing away used burs and have creative uses for them? Steve Adams, die engraver

heck, i used to save the toilet paper till my wife caught me !

 

[ED DELORGE]

Polishing question?

Hello Steve, after sculpting the metal with your cutters do you polish the item you are sculpting with rotorary polishing stones? And if so, which stones do you use and where do you buy them?

Ed DeLorge

 

[gail.m]

yet another.....

Hi All,
Another use I have found is that they also make excellent scribes, fitted in a handle of your choice.
Gail