NEW - Rotary Chisels - a Revolutionary new way to Carve!

"Rotary Chisels" were designed by a woodcarver who wanted to achieve the look of carving with hand chisels, but with the speed of rotary tools.  These burs are surprisingly powerful, and they create great texture effects in addition to removing material quickly.   The rotary chisel bur's unique, triangular shape allows you full view of the cut and allows for rapid heat dissipation, thereby extending the life of the tool.   Since each cutter head is manufactured from solid carbide, the self-cleaning edge will remain sharp far longer than conventional carving tools.  You'll be amazed at how fast you can work using these!





 


Rotary chisels come in larger sizes, but these 1/8" shank burs are the perfect size for gourd carving.  Larger sizes would be suitable for woodcarving or carving on thicker materials.  These burs also work well on harder materials.

$18 each
OR a SET of all 4 shapes for $70

SET of all 4 Shapes  

Profile A - "U" shape - $18             Profile B - "V" shape - $18        Profile C - $18    Profile D - $18
  "U" shape gouge               "V" shape gouge         Square sides, flat bottom chisel                 Multi "V" cuts
Rounded groove suitable for heishi inlay         Creates lines quickly - similar to wheel cut Great for removing a lot of material quickly - flat bottom cuts          Wonderful multi line textures


Dimensions
A: Depth of Cut  3/32”
B: Head Width   3/8”
C: Width of Cut  1/8”
D: Shank Diameter  1/8”

Profile Examples for each Rotary Chisel.  Try holding the tool at an angle, or using a shallow cut for different effects.
Carving Burs
These are some of the burs I use most often in carving, cutting and inlaying materials into gourds. 
I only sell burs I use myself!

Ball
1/8 inch shank

Use this one for relief carving, to inlay heishi and for stippling techniques. $5 each

Top view and side view of wheel burs
Left: 5mm wide x 1/32" thick
Right: 3mm wide x 1/32" thick

High Quality Swiss made Bur

Fine Engraving Burs
3/32" shank

A handy set of 5 burs - the set includes three different sized ball cutters and two sizes of inverted cones. The set is packaged in a nice little plastic storage box. (The tiniest ball is great for carving your name on the bottom of your gourd!)

Set of all  5 burs in a handy plastic storage box
Set $7.50

Wheel
1/8 inch shank

Great for cutting fine lines.
(The smaller wheel can cut tighter curves.) $5 each
5mm
(left)

3mm(right)

1/8"
(left)

3/32"
(middle)

3/16"
(right)
5mm

7mm


Inverted Cone
1/8 inch shank

I use this shape to cut sand ripples and faux basketry.
$5 each

Structured tooth carbide burs are my favorite type of bur for fast roughing out and general carving. Because these have non-directional cutting teeth, they are the best choice for left handed carvers.  $8.00 ea

Special - Set of 3 burs
(cylinder, flame, and ball)  $23

Special - Set of 4 burs
(cylinder, flame, cone and ball)  $30

NEW!  Inverted Cone (Dovetail) shape.
The Kutzall brand bur has a large head for removing lots of material quickly.  The Saburr Tooth brand bur has a smaller head, but coarser, faster cutting teeth.  Both sizes and types are  fantastic for carving basketry and ripples.   $15
Cylinder

Flame



Ball

Cone

About Carving Burs:  Which type is right for you and your project?
Most burs that are included in a typical rotary tool kit are intended for general household use, and many are unsuitable for gourd carving.  The descriptions below will help you to choose the appropriate burs, you can also find more in depth descriptions on pages 29-31 of my "Gourds" book. 

Note:  I have been carving wood and gourds for over 25 years.  All of the burs shown below are pieces I have used and tested myself.
High Speed Steel Burs 
These burs are the mainstays of most gourd carvers.  They are inexpensive and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.  This type of bur cuts with sharpened cutting flutes or "teeth".   They will cut aggressively and are perfect for most people that want to do general gourd carving, and their price makes them the best choice for beginners.  For most carvers, three basic shapes are adequate (although you may want to add a variety of sizes within those shapes.)  I recommend a wheel, a ball, and a either a cylinder or an inverted cone.  You can use other shapes as well, but if you are starting from scratch this is a good place to start.  These burs will dull after years of use or if misused, but usually a thorough cleaning will extend their life. (More on cleaning burs at the bottom of the page.)

Carbide Burs 
Carbide burs are more expensive than steel burs, but with ordinary care they will outlast a steel bur and should never need to be replaced. 

Some carbide burs look exactly like steel burs, but will stay sharper much longer. Personally, I don't buy this type as they are much more expensive and the high speed steel cutters last quite a long time when they are kept clean and used only on gourds.

Some burs have bits of tungsten carbide grit fused onto a steel based cutting surface.  This type of bur comes in various shapes and cutting grits, but is less aggressive and smoother cutting than a structured tooth bur.

Structured tooth cabide burs have sharp hair-like projections protruding from all sides of the bur.  They are great for left handed carvers as they are not directional and are not used with a mandrel.  They come in a variety of shapes and grits and are the most aggressive burs for fast carving.

Diamond Burs 
Diamond burs are not intended for carving through the gourd skin.  They are better suited for detail carving or sanding operations.  These burs are the least aggressive of all but are perfect for sanding or texturizing after the rough carving is finished.  Inexpensive kits with several burs will give you plenty of shapes to choose from.
High Speed Steel and Carbide Burs
80 grit 7/16" diameter thick disc bur     $12.50       
    
120 grit 1/8" pointed bur           $9.50  

60 Grit 1 1/4"  Shaping Wheel           $15.50    
 
80 Grit 1" Cutting Wheel     $15.50       

Tungsten carbide burs are nice additions to round out a set of carving burs.  Shown above are a few specialty shapes that I have personally selected.   They are less aggresive than the structured tooth carbides and work well for shaping and smoothing when a smoother texture is desired.  The larger wheels work well for removing large amounts of material.

The thick disc shaped bur is perfect for smoothing flat areas.  Use the bottom for smoothing and flattening larger areas, and use the sides for creating perpendicular  edges or borders. 

The small pointed bur can be drug to create lines, to undercut relief carving, and works great for cutting  channels for heishi inlay, or for drilling and shaping decorative holes.  The finest grit works well for filigree type hole piercing.

The 1 1/4" wide shaping wheel is used for "skinning" the gourd, shaping, and removing large areas.

Use the 1"  cutting wheel for cutting through the gourd.  Also, when drug sideways across the gourd surface it is very effective in rapidly removing large areas of material in gourd carving.
Dura Grit Tungsten Carbide Burs
Structured Tooth Carbide Burs
Bur Cleaning Info and Tips
There are different reasons why burs leave burn marks or don't cut well.  If you know your bur is relatively new and not likely to be dull, then the cause is often a dirty or clogged bur.

The easiest way to clean all types of burs is to get a small jar (baby food size is fine) and fill it with enough acetone to cover the bur cutting heads.  Let the burs soak for a while, the acetone won't hurt them.  This will loosen the resins that are clogging the cutting surfaces.  After the burs are removed from the acetone, simply scrub them off with a toothbrush shaped brass brush.  This should eliminate the majority of the debris.  You can resubmerge and repeat if necessary.

Carbide burs are much tougher and in a pinch they can even be flamed with a small propane torch to burn off the residue.  Use caution when using this method; flame the bur while it is chucked into your tool, don't attempt to hold it with pliers (or your fingers!!!).  Do NOT try this on steel burs.  They will lose their temper and will not hold a sharp edge.  If you are cleaning a mandrel mounted carbide bur, you must remove the small fiber washer before using the torch cleaning method.
Diamond Bur Sets
These economical sets have 1/8" shanks, and the 20 and 30 piece sets come in a handy storage box.

Set of 20 assorted smaller shapes
$7.50

Set of 30 assorted smaller shapes $8.50  

Set of 6 assorted larger shapes
$4     

*Looking for Rifflers, Hole Saws and other tools? 
To make each page load faster, they are now found on the "Tools" page.
Arizona Gourds is an authorized Foredom Tool Distributor.   Please use the Foredom link button to view available tool sets including bench and hanging models and the new Gourd Carvers Kit.
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Carbide Wheel Set - 2 piece set $30 
60 Grit 1 1/4" Shaping Wheel
80 Grit 1" Cutting Wheel      

Diamond Burs
Note: When used in a Dremel, large or heavy headed carbide burs will work better at lower speeds.   They can be run at full speed in a Foredom tool and in some micromotor tools.  Practice with them to deterimine the ideal speed for your own tool.   Always insert these burs completely up to the shoulder depth (the thick area of the mandrel) when mounting into the collet or chuck.  Do not run the mandrel mounted burs in reverse.
*Looking for Bur Holders, Flexshafts, Keyless Chucks, Sanders and other Rotary Tool Accessories?  To make each page load faster, these items are now on their own page:   Rotary Tool Accessories

Carbide Filigree Burs
1/8 inch shank
(Carving drill has a 3/32" shank)

Burs that will both drill holes and cut sideways for piercing/filigree. 
Set of 2  Filigree burs (left)   $6

Carving Drill
(middle)  $7.50

Carbide Pointed Bur (right) $9.50

*See the Project Packets page for instructions on how to do the filigree technique
6 Piece Set - $4
Larger sized burs than those in the other sets.  Loose packaging, no box.  Exact sizes and shapes vary from set to set, but are similar to photo.
Diamond burs are best suited for sanding and texturing the softer inner gourd.  These are not suitable for cutting through the tough outer gourd skin, but they cut smoothly when doing fine carving or detail work on the inner pulp, and are great for smoothing cut edges. 
5mm shallow inverted cone mounted on a 3/32" shaft.  These hard to find burs are great for smoothing backgrounds, inlaying small cabochons and undercutting relief carvings. $4 each
Assorted larger head Diamond Wheel Burs mounted on a 1/8" shaft.  Most are approximately 1/2" - 5/8" wide.  Some have squared edges, others are rounded.  Thickness varies.   Great for smoothing backgrounds and inlaying larger cabochons. $4
NEW - Best Value SET of 3 different sizes of diamond wheels - $8
Includes small, medium and large wheel shapes.  Assorted profiles - some have flat sides,
some have rounded edges, some are knife edged or are shallow inverted cone shaped. 
*Looking for a larger inverted cone bur?  See the new structured tooth inverted cone bur shown below


Kutzall Dovetail


30 Piece Set in Plastic Storage Box - $8.50
20 Piece Set in Plastic Storage Box - $7.50

Carbide Football
1/8 inch shank

Good multipurpose shape.  This carbide bur will last a long time. $5 each
Out of Stock
Saburr Tooth Dovetail

20 Piece Steel Cutting Bur Set

This is an inexpensive set and not premium quality like our other burs, but it is a great starting set for the beginner.  The set has several shapes and sizes to get you started with gourd or wood carving. 

$20 per set

New!
Small 5mm size inverted cone for getting into tight areas.