What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Hole deburring

JeremyL

Well Known Member
I’m thinking about buying a couple EZ burrs. Does anyone have experience with these. Are they fantastic additions or could they cause an over deburring issue? The idea of cutting deburring in half is quite enticing.
 
Those look slick, I've never seen them before. But for $80 (on amazon) I don't know if it's worth the extra hassle over just getting a countersink bit chucked into a drill and giving every hole a quick blip of the trigger on both sides.

I feel like I'd treat this the way I do my pneumatic cleco tool. Thought it was a great idea and worth the money but then I just don't ever use it.
 
I ran across a few YouTube videos of these (or tools like these) in action. They look...aggressive. It seems to me they're meant for working with considerably heavier and harder stuff than airplane aluminum. I think it's likely these would create overt chamfers or even enlarge the hole in thin sheet. But if you try, by all means, let us know how it works.
 
They have been around a while..but be careful!

I have used them for 40 years, and have them all the way up to 3/4". My day job is a structural specialist for heavy aircraft, and I spent a lot of time working with B737 thin skin failure issues. To the layman, de-burring is a magical novelty that yields a smooth beautifully produced hole, however in thin materials it can be problematic. Think of it this way..the skin/structure transfers load through the fastener into the adjacent structure aka, "bearing strength". When holes are de-burred, the area of the bearing surface is reduced and the condition of knife edging is increased, resulting in fastener movement/failure. In reality, we only try and remove the burr caused by drilling that interferes with stck-up. I have seen folks get really overboard and end up with a hole that has a small countersink on both sides. Those de-burr tools are great for in situ work where access is limited. I actually prefer to de-burr with scotchbrite, a 6 flute countersink with my fingers, or a thumb vixen file on thin stuff.
 
If your goal is to sped things up, then a single-hole demurring bit (Cleavaland has them) stuck in a cheap electric screwdriver is a GREAT way to do a lot of holes in a short time in a non-overly-aggressive manner. If I need to do the back side of a hole, I like the Shaviv “S”-shaped bits - that tool comes out of the drawer occasionally, but when it’s needed, its really needed.There used to be lots of posts here about EZ-burs...mostly about how folks had broken them. You find lots of the larger sizes for sale in the flymarts at the big shows, built the#30 and #40 are rare finds - my guess is because the small ones break before they wear out.
 
Last edited:
If your goal is to sped things up, then a single-hole demurring bit (Cleavaland has them) stuck in a cheap electric screwdriver is a GREAT way to do a lot of holes in a short time in a non-overly-aggressive manner. If I need to do the back side of a hole, I like the Shaviv “S”-shaped bits - that tool comes out of the drawer occasionally, but when it’s needed, its really needed.There used to be lots of pots here about EZ-burs...mostly about how folks had broken them. You find lots of the larger sizes for sale in the flymarts at the big shows, built the#30 and #40 are rare finds - my guess is because the small ones break before they wear out.

Thanks for the conversation guys, I do have and currently use the single hole and love it. Just curious if anyone has had plenty of build time with these on all thicknesses. I like to be on the cutting edge of technology (pun) haha. Spruce has several sizes of ez burr including the 30&40.
 
I do have a nearly full set and use them often. They are especially useful in the area that you may have limited access to the other side.
 
I have these for deburring holes. 1/4” shank bits fit the hex receptacle nicely and I epoxy the bit in place.
 

Attachments

  • E0B0C5D7-EF0A-4C45-9749-31BC3B12C797.jpeg
    E0B0C5D7-EF0A-4C45-9749-31BC3B12C797.jpeg
    1,019.3 KB · Views: 257
  • B700AFB2-7A6F-47C1-9C9B-CB3B05092FD4.jpeg
    B700AFB2-7A6F-47C1-9C9B-CB3B05092FD4.jpeg
    1 MB · Views: 239
  • 9CB62AD4-4C9D-4556-ACB9-E005D3CF7586.jpeg
    9CB62AD4-4C9D-4556-ACB9-E005D3CF7586.jpeg
    982.3 KB · Views: 262
Duburing party

Deburr Party is sort of a joke. Difficult to control a bunch of folks. However, I did have a dear friend who enjoyed helping. He actually came back!
Sadly he moved away. I miss my building buddy.
We had a few sessions over the course of fhe Wings. Deburring was fun.
We joked and talked. Adult beverages after.
I was very strict at first. Just a turn or two. Check. If it needs more, another turn.
In very short time, he was a pro. Just the burr removed. No chamfer or countersink.
Just saying. Life is short. Make friends.
 
If your goal is to sped things up, then a single-hole demurring bit (Cleavaland has them) stuck in a cheap electric screwdriver is a GREAT way to do a lot of holes in a short time in a non-overly-aggressive manner. If I need to do the back side of a hole, I like the Shaviv “S”-shaped bits - that tool comes out of the drawer occasionally, but when it’s needed, its really needed.There used to be lots of posts here about EZ-burs...mostly about how folks had broken them. You find lots of the larger sizes for sale in the flymarts at the big shows, built the#30 and #40 are rare finds - my guess is because the small ones break before they wear out.

I am one of the guys that has had several #30 and #40 EZ-bur tools. They are expensive and break. The blade is supposed to be replaceable but the new tool blade does not work in the old tools and the blade for the old tool is not available. Have been unable to get a new blade installed in one of the new tools after it broke. When they work, they are fast. Problem is, they break, and require repair. The time spent fixing them and deburring with them takes more time than just using using one of the Cleaveland tools in a cheap electric screwdriver.
 
A fast way to deburr skin holes, or holes an any flat part, is to lay a fine file flat on the surface and slide it across the row of holes, once on each side. If necessary, a reamer will remove any burr inside the hole.

Dave
 
Some great conversation and points being made here. I do have the single hole in an electric screw driver from cleavland, it works great, it’s just a total pain to get the inside of a rib, etc. I just ordered a 3/32 ez burr from ACS. So I will report back once that gets in and I get some time with it. There are pros and cons to everything….
 
The trick with the ez burr is to adjust the "bite" on some scrap first. Once your happy with a light bite go at it. It makes quick work of large pieces. After you might have to follow up a few stubborn holes with manual tool or an additional pass w the ez burr.
 
The trick with the ez burr is to adjust the "bite" on some scrap first. Once your happy with a light bite go at it. It makes quick work of large pieces. After you might have to follow up a few stubborn holes with manual tool or an additional pass w the ez burr.

Thank you for the heads up.
 
Thumb Vixen

I don't have picture of it with me, but its a tiny vixen file about an inch long with a little curved wood handle that you pretty much push along with your thumb or finger. Got mine from a Boeing surplus store years ago. The Yard Store sells a palm version about 3" long. The vixen shaves off the burr cleanly..but you risk slightly scratching alclad. Not a worry if priming/painting.
 
Mixed feelings….

So I’ve used it and I have mixed feelings with it. Some holes it works ok on and other holes it won’t remove a burr or it chamfers the back side of the hole too much and the front ok. Im not too happy with the chamfer it creates in order to adequately remove burrs. So I’ve been trying and using the “larger drill bit method” and the single hole duburr tool. The ezburr is and will continue to be amazing for impossible to reach areas. As they say….. YMMV
 
Great info

I have used them for 40 years, and have them all the way up to 3/4". My day job is a structural specialist for heavy aircraft, and I spent a lot of time working with B737 thin skin failure issues. To the layman, de-burring is a magical novelty that yields a smooth beautifully produced hole, however in thin materials it can be problematic. Think of it this way..the skin/structure transfers load through the fastener into the adjacent structure aka, "bearing strength". When holes are de-burred, the area of the bearing surface is reduced and the condition of knife edging is increased, resulting in fastener movement/failure. In reality, we only try and remove the burr caused by drilling that interferes with stck-up. I have seen folks get really overboard and end up with a hole that has a small countersink on both sides. Those de-burr tools are great for in situ work where access is limited. I actually prefer to de-burr with scotchbrite, a 6 flute countersink with my fingers, or a thumb vixen file on thin stuff.

I have the Ezburr tools also ,,

I have often thought about the tool taking to much material out but as a new builder just used what was easy , I just hit the thin material quick and light , will try the scotchbrite method
I use a under sized bite for drilling then reamer bits for final size and holes are nice and tight sometimes when i deburr it opens holes to much ! Also use the reamer for match drilling
 
I have the Ezburr tools also ,,

I have often thought about the tool taking to much material out but as a new builder just used what was easy , I just hit the thin material quick and light , will try the scotchbrite method
I use a under sized bite for drilling then reamer bits for final size and holes are nice and tight sometimes when i deburr it opens holes to much ! Also use the reamer for match drilling

I love the Burr Away tool. . I don't use it on the .020 skins though. Yes it may cut too much. .you can adjust it though. Take an Alan key, and back off the tension. You also have to find drill speed that works for you. I prefer medium speed, light pressure, and the Alan key tension backed off to almost nothing.
 
Back
Top