Using Diamond Resin Burrs

Hi and thanks for getting some diamond resin burrs from me.

I thought I should write up a quick user guide for them to give you an idea of how to use them to full effect. Note this will be mainly in terms of their use in opal carving. For a video demonstration feel free to check out any of my carving videos on the YouTube channel “Roys Rocks”. Remember to always use water and don’t be too scared about getting cut by the burrs they are quite safe on skin especially with water.

This kit comes with 4 pieces and you will need to use all 4 of them each time increaseing in grit from 200, 400, 800 and finally 1500. The burr resin colour denotes the grit and matched the order of my sintered diamond burr kit.

The order is (ANSI minimum grit): Black (200), Green (400), Red (800) and Yellow (1500).

I hope this very brief guide helps but if not, there are many videos on my channel using these exact burrs so check it out and ask me any questions you have.

Thanks and have fun carving,

Roy (YouTube: Roys Rock)

Stay Safe

I recommend, at minimum, safety glasses, lubricating with water, and wearing a P2/N95-grade mask, even when cutting wet (P100 is best). Vision and breathing are very important to us humans, so look after your eyes and lungs. Also, for carving, I always recommend using a flex-shaft attachment on your rotary tool, since water and electricity do not mix, and you don’t want to give yourself a zap.

Before Carving

Prior to starting with the black 200 grit diamond resin burr remove crust and do the majority of shaping and inclusion removal with sintered diamond burrs up to 600 grit. Then you can transition to the diamond resin burrs, this will avoid damaging and wearing out the resin burrs and the sintered diamond burrs are almost indestructible.

All resin burrs new out of the box will have seams from the injection mold that need to be removed. The best way to do this is to use an aluminium oxide dressing stick however, you can also use an abrasive non-precious rock. All you need to do is spin the burr in your tool and grind it up against the dressing stick. Feel and look for the seam to ensure it is removed and you are ready to go. This will take less than 30 seconds, but it is vital to getting a smooth carving.

I have a video on the full process here: https://youtu.be/XlFIkuMVmEU

When Carving

The black resin burr is incredibly aggressive in comparison to the nova points as the resin is much harder so use it with caution. Grind the surface until any major scratches and/or chips from the sintered diamond burrs are removed and you are left with a frosted look when dry.

You can then do the exact same thing with the green, then red and finally yellow burr. As you get through the higher grits, remain aware of the rate at which the stone is being ground. The green burr will still remove significant material but the red and yellow do not. The higher grits will also allow you to increase the RPM and pressure you are using on the surface. Remember to check the surface dry between each stage by the end of the yellow 1500 grit, you should only have a slight frosting and no significant scratches.

Between each stage it is best to change water if you are using a dipping method. This is not required if you have a water feed with fresh water throughout the cut and polish.

Once again, this full process is shown in detail in this video: https://youtu.be/XlFIkuMVmEU

Maintenance

When you are done using them, wash with water and wipe dry. It is not a highly important step but at least drying the burr after usage can avoid any chance of rust on the shank (this has never happened to me yet).

If the outer diamonds stop cutting well the burr may need “dressing”. This may not be required cutting opal as it is such a soft stone but may be required if used on harder materials at a fast rate. “Dressing” is just a way to reveal more diamonds and/or sharpen the ones on the outside. It involves using a piece of compressed metal oxide (such as aluminium oxide) to peel back the outer surface and is commonly done for these types of bits and sintered diamond tools (like saws, especially if sawing large slabs often).

If scratches seem stronger than they used to you can also do a quick pass with the dressing stick to remove any potential contamination on the surface.

If dirty from a muddy stone like Boulder opal, you can use a dressing stick for a few seconds.