FYI: super helpful tool--the deburring tool

[RadicalEd]

Just wanted to throw this one out there for all the folks 'not in the know' like me.

When you cut, machine, or otherwise put an edge on metal, it tends to leave lots of nasty, snagging, tear-your-flesh burrs on that edge. Sure, you can spend forever and a half with a file and get rid of them, but a coworker clued me into a really cool (and inexpensive!) tool for deburring your metal edges. You can find many of them just by searching 'deburring tool' on google. Here's the one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004T828/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The principle is simple: the head has a super sharp carbide blade, which can rotate freely. You put the blade on the rough metal edge and pull the tool along the surface. The blade will automatically align itself with the direction of the edge and shave away the burrs. A few passes with the tool and the edge is totally burr free! You can run your fingers all the way around a hole and not worry about any nasty cuts! Note that you need to get both 90ºF edges of a cut. I used it on my recent fermenter control panel build, with great success .

Improved safety, less work, and inexpensive? I figured you guys should be told about it too!

 

[BigFloppy]

depending on depth of cut, material etc and initial drill bit used., you could always use a bit 2 or 3 sizes larger and accomplish same

 

[RadicalEd]

True! And that is especially true for holes up to and including 3/8"; this tool would have a hard time dealing with those, as they are too small. But if you're talking about larger holes, or holes made by a 1/2" conduit knockout punch, or a hole cut out by a jigsaw, you commonly won't be able to get a 'size larger' drill bit. So this tool is very helpful in those situations!

 

[podz]

I normally use a teardrop shaped wire brush on my drill, they are violently effective!

 

[tracyk]

I have either used the General tool mentioned above which comes with 2 different deburring sizes or a countersink tool used in metal.