Carving with diamond burs

1. Choosing the best diamond coated burs for your design will make the carving process much simpler and can prevent overcutting or unnecessary cleanup. Use a selection of burs to suit your carving needs.

2. Select the shape of the bur to fit each part of your design; i.e., rounded areas, crevices, the flat plane of the base, details, etc.

3. Each bur can either make an impression of itself in the stone when you hold the bur in place, or the bur can make a trail when you pull it across the stone. So when you need to choose a bur, don’t just look at its shape, also visualize its trail.

4. Most of the time, keep the bur moving with a light, flowing touch steady touch.

5. Keep water dripping over your stone, or dip your stone in water frequently to keep the stone cool, to prevent dust, and to prolong the life of your burs.