Rotary Tool Burr Bit Recommendations

[The Warm Canuck]

I'd like to purchase a few bits for doing some carving, one course and one fine. I'm just wondering out of all the options, if you where just to buy one shape in each selection, what would that be? and would you go with course or extra course?

My purpose right now, is just removing stubs of old leaders.

Black = Extra Course
Silver = Course
Gold = Fine

 

[Maros]

I'm having different colors from another producer, I use green for a while ( comparing the pictures your black) and I like the ball shaped the most. I do not have a feeling I need a finer grade but it could be a matter of taste and style.

 

[BobbyLane]

Id go with the Black bits, row 1, 1st pic. row 2, 3rd pic. I use them myself, kaizen sell those as Sabretooth bits. as Maros indicates, the fine grades are pretty pointless.
my goto bits are the ball and the rotosaw, you should try n get the rotosaw

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Id go with the Black bits, row 1, 1st pic. row 2, 3rd pic. I use them myself, kaizen sell those as Sabretooth bits. as Maros indicates, the fine grades are pretty pointless.
my goto bits are the ball and the rotosaw, you should try n get the rotosaw
View attachment 493869

That's funny you say a Rotosaw, I was just about to buy a Dremel, than relized I have a Rotozip laying around, from my basement reno.

 

[Paradox]

Only time I used the finer bits was to smooth off a cut to allow better callous movement over the area for healing.

 

[Bob Hunter]

check out Mountainwoodcarvers.com They also have the Flying saucer bit for carving the fine lines... its called Knife edge cutter or texturing cutter

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Id go with the Black bits, row 1, 1st pic. row 2, 3rd pic. I use them myself, kaizen sell those as Sabretooth bits. as Maros indicates, the fine grades are pretty pointless.
my goto bits are the ball and the rotosaw, you should try n get the rotosaw
View attachment 493869

Oh and would you go with the 1/8" or 1/4" shank? (the Rotozip apparently can apparently take both). Obviously the 1/4" have larger cutting ends. Would 1/8" with the smaller bud, and 1/4" in the large ball, make sense?

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Do you use a larger ball or smaller?

 

[BobbyLane]

I have the small ball, works fine for med to large trees. think theyre 1/4 for the dremel. not used anything else apart from dremel n makita die grinder

 

[Maros]

Do you use a larger ball or smaller?

Small ball is good for most part.
Look odd when you look at it how it is written, but it is what it is.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

I have the small ball, works fine for med to large trees. think theyre 1/4 for the dremel. not used anything else apart from dremel n makita die grinder

Dremels are 1/8" and die grinders are usually 1/4"

 

[BobbyLane]

Thats correct. I have the sabres for the dremel. so 1/8

 

[BobbyLane]

So heres a photo demo of how I use the ball, mainly for concaving wounds. The rotosaw ill use for creating hollows. hope that helps, now you can get to work. btw the wedge in the first photo was created using a reciprocating saw, dont try this at home folks unless you have experience.

Acer Katsura project#1

From a nursery tree. again this one picked out for its exceptionally good roots that will only improve. tree has a good, solid trunk. i like the branch structure on this one, still very raw, but i see a very natural image down the line 20190320_204135 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr 20190320_160818 by...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Id go with the Black bits, row 1, 1st pic. row 2, 3rd pic. I use them myself, kaizen sell those as Sabretooth bits. as Maros indicates, the fine grades are pretty pointless.
my goto bits are the ball and the rotosaw, you should try n get the rotosaw
View attachment 493869

What do you use the Rotosaw bit for?

 

[Millard B.]

I recently purchased an assortment of 1/4" burrs from Kutzall, all very coarse, a small round, a straight head cylinder, a round head cylinder and a skinny pointy slender christmas tree shaped burr to start working on a massive Brazilian Tree I inheirited with a 9" trunk/ 36" tall - 2/3 of the trunk is deadwood, $25 to $30 apiece, I favor the christmas tree burr as it gets into the small edges when flattening off cut off branches. The BRT will be one of my victims at an all day workshop with Suthin next month. It will take hours to soften the cutoff stumps of dead branches. There is a side grinder wheel attachment that has chainsaw teeth, I value my fingers too much to buy one!