You can always add one drop of washing up liquid to the water if you wish - no suds though please! There are burr lubricants available which promise to lengthen the life of your bits but we've not found one yet that does the job sufficiently. The higher the grit size, the finer the burr, so a 400# diamond burr will be finer and leave a smoother finish, but will remove less material than say a 120#.Īs with all diamond burrs, using them in the correct way will preserve the life of the drill bit so using them with water on a slow speed will prevent the burr from overheating and make them last longer. Most rotary drills will take burrs that have up to a 2.35mm (3/32") or 3mm (1/8") shaft or shank (the end of the burr that pops into your drill) which is essential to know when you're looking for your carving burrs as anything larger than this will mean you will need an adapter or a drill that can take larger shank sizes.Ĭoated or electroplated diamond burrs have a single layer of diamond grit meaning that once the grit has worn away or dulled you will need to replace the burr.ġ20 - 160# is a medium grit and is standard for coated burrs and ideal for your glass engraving endeavors.
These ball burrs start as small as 0.8mm which is ideal for lettering and very detailed work, and continue up in size to as large as 50mm, great for cold-working glass artists and sculptors. Or you could choose a set of 7 diamond ball burrs including one of each of these sizes: 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.5mm, 1.8mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm Popular sizes to begin with are the following: These are sometimes referred to as diamond spheres or points and sometimes the spelling differs:burrs or burs, depending on your preference or the countries spelling.
#Metal engraving tools how to
Read on for more information about the purpose of each tool, optional extras and how to use your new glass engraving supplies. The following is a quick glance list to help you start engraving glass. In this case, the pin vice with a diamond point burr would serve you well. Pin Vices are also useful if you want to try stipple engraving or you wish to delicately mark the glass for something such as whiskers or hair. These are a very economical way to draw on glass with a diamond burr. Can't use Electrical Tools? Try a Pin Viceįor councils, schools and youth groups who are concerned about children using drills and electrical equipment, we recommend using a pin vice to hold the diamond burs in. This particular model is only compatible with two Dremel accessories, a carbide tip and a diamond tip. Helpful note before buying a Dremel: If you would like to use a wide variety of burrs, polishers and stones to engrave with, do not purchase the Dremel 290 Hobby Engraver. These allow you to easily change burs and mounted points and will also allow you to use a wider variety of bits and bobs with varying sized shanks (this is the bit that goes into the drill, not the working end) With the flex shaft you can hold the lightweight hand piece much like you would do a pen or an artists brush.Ī Dremel multi chuck will come in handy here too. If you're using a Dremel then a flexible shaft will also be a good investment at some point. Rotary Drill, Micro Motor, Dremel or Flex Shaft?įirst things first is to make sure you have something to hold your mounted burrs, polishers and abrasives in.Ī hand held rotary tool such as a Dremel 3000 or something similar will do just fine to begin with, and when you have the hang of it and more pennies in the piggy bank you can always treat yourself to a micro motor or a dentists drill. As you learn more and start to experiment with different techniques you can add different burrs, abrasives and polishers along the way. In addition to Glardon® Vallorbe Swiss gravers, we include a pair of our own special HSS Graver Blanks for you to make your own tools, especially if you want to engrave stainless steel.If you're new to the wonderful world of glass engraving this short guide will provide you with a list of the small amount of kit you'll need to achieve something special. We include lots of High Speed Steel gravers that are easy to shape and sharpen, along with a carbide graver that holds its edge longer but can be more challenging to sharpen. The Engraver Starter Set of Gravers includes a nice variety of gravers for people to experiment and learn using popular graver sizes and shapes.