Step 1: What Operation Are You Performing?
Start by identifying your primary operation. Click on your application below to jump to the recommended product line.
Deburring & Grinding
Removing burrs, blending welds, shaping cavities, porting, or general stock removal with a die grinder or rotary tool.
View OptionsCountersinking
Creating chamfers for flat-head screws, deburring holes, or chamfering edges in a drill press, mill, or by hand.
View OptionsTube Deburring
Removing internal and external burrs from cut tube and pipe ends. Cleaning up tube after sawing, cutting, or drilling.
View OptionsHand Filing
Precision filing by hand for fitting, finishing, and deburring. Die work, mold work, and bench finishing.
View OptionsDeburring, Grinding & Stock Removal
Severance offers multiple product lines for rotary deburring. The right choice depends on the workpiece material, access constraints, required finish, and how much material you need to remove.
Choose Your Product Line
| Product Line | Material | Shank | Head Diameters | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midget Mills | HSS or Carbide | 1/4" | 1/4" to 3/4" | General-purpose deburring, die work, weld blending, porting. The most versatile rotary file line. Available in shapes A through Z. |
| Junior Mills | HSS or Carbide | 1/8" | 1/8" to 1/4" | Smaller work, tight spaces, detail work, and precision deburring. Ideal for high-speed pencil grinders and Dremel-type tools. |
| Lab Mills | HSS only | 3/32" | 3/32" to 1/4" | Ultra-fine detail work. Dental, jewelry, engraving, and precision instrument work. Smallest form factor available. |
| Carbo-Mills | Carbide only | 1/4" | 1/4" to 3/4" | Aggressive stock removal. Double-cut pattern for faster cutting and finer finish than single-cut. Ideal for production deburring. |
| Sever-Cuts | Carbide only | 1/4" | 1/4" to 1/2" | Maximum stock removal rate. Chip-breaker cut pattern for aluminum and non-ferrous metals. Prevents loading. |
Decision shortcut: If you're not sure, start with a Midget Mill in Shape A (cylindrical) in the diameter closest to your workpiece feature. Shape A is the most versatile all-around shape. Choose HSS for general work or Carbide if cutting hardened materials or running high production.
Step 2: Choose the Right Shape
Midget Mills, Junior Mills, and Lab Mills are available in multiple standard shapes. Each shape is designed for specific types of work:
| Shape | Name | Description | Best Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Cylindrical | Straight cylinder with end cut | Flat surfaces, straight walls, slots, general deburring. The most popular and versatile shape. |
| B | Cylindrical End Cut | Cylinder with radiused end | Blending flat surfaces into radiused transitions, fillet work, slot bottoms with radius. |
| C | Ball (Spherical) | Full sphere | Concave surfaces, internal radii, die cavities, rounding internal corners, ball-end slots. |
| D | Ball Nose Cylinder | Cylinder with hemispherical end | Slots with rounded bottoms, channels, grooves, and contour work combining flat and radius surfaces. |
| E | Oval (Egg) | Egg-shaped profile | Smoothly curved cavities, blending compound curves, contour work, and die sinking. |
| F | Tree Radius | Tapered with radiused end | Radiused root work, blending fillets, die cavities where a taper meets a radius. |
| G | Tree Pointed | Tapered with pointed end | V-shaped grooves, narrow slots, acute-angle cavities, reaching into tight tapered areas. |
| J | 60° Cone | 60-degree included angle cone | Countersinking, V-grooves, chamfering, and center-drilling cleanup. |
| K | 90° Cone | 90-degree included angle cone | 90-degree chamfers, countersinking for metric screws, and deburring holes. |
| L | Rounded Cone | Cone with radius end | Tapered cavities needing a radiused bottom, transitional blending. |
| M | Cone Pointed | Cone with sharp point | Reaching into acute-angle intersections, cleaning sharp internal corners, and engraving. |
| N | Inverted Cone | Cone shape widening toward the end | Back-side deburring (reaching through a hole to deburr the opposite side), undercuts, and back chamfering. |
| W | Flame | Flame-shaped taper | Elongated cavities, narrow access areas, die work, and mold detail. |
Pro tip: When in doubt between two shapes, choose the one with the larger contact area. More contact area means less pressure per unit area, which gives better finish and longer tool life.
Step 3: Select the Right Size
Diameter Selection
- Match the feature size. The tool diameter should be close to the size of the feature you're working on. For slot work, the tool should fit inside the slot with room to maneuver.
- Hole deburring: Use a tool diameter 1.5–2× the hole diameter for external chamfering, or slightly smaller than the hole for internal deburring.
- Contour work: Use a tool radius equal to or smaller than the tightest radius you need to produce.
- Accessibility: In tight quarters, use the smallest diameter that will still efficiently remove material.
Flute Length (Cut Length) Selection
- Shorter is stiffer. Choose the shortest flute length that reaches the work area. Longer flutes deflect more and chatter more easily.
- Deep cavities: Use a longer flute length only when you need to reach into deep pockets or long slots.
- Surface work: For flat surfaces and shallow deburring, standard (short) flute length is ideal.
- Overhang rule: Keep the shank supported as close to the cut as possible. Excessive tool overhang from the collet causes vibration.
Countersinking
Severance offers three countersink product lines, each designed for different applications and machine setups.
| Product Line | Key Feature | Best For | Available Angles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatterless Countersinks | 6 flutes with unequal spacing eliminates harmonic chatter | Drill press, hand-held, portable drilling. Any setup where rigidity is limited. The most forgiving countersink design available. | 60°, 82°, 90°, 100°, 110°, 120° |
| CNC-K Countersinks | Designed for CNC machines with positive rake and free-cutting geometry | CNC machining centers, rigid setups, production runs. Optimized for programmed feed rates. | 60°, 82°, 90°, 100°, 120° |
| 3N1 Countersinks | Three tools in one: countersink, deburr, and chamfer | Versatile hole finishing. When you need to countersink, deburr, and chamfer with a single tool change. | 82°, 90° |
For detailed angle selection guidance, see the Countersink Angle Guide.
Tube & Pipe Deburring
Severance Tube Deburring Tools are specifically designed to remove burrs from the inside and outside of cut tube ends simultaneously. They work in a standard drill or drill press.
How to Select
- Match the tube OD. Select a deburring tool sized for your tube's outside diameter.
- Check wall thickness. The tool must accommodate your tube's wall thickness range.
- Material: HSS tools work for most tube materials including steel, copper, aluminum, and brass.
Tips for Best Results
- Run at moderate speed (300–600 RPM for most sizes).
- Apply light, even pressure—the tool self-centers on the tube end.
- One pass is usually sufficient for clean deburring.
- For heavy burrs, take two light passes rather than one heavy pass.
Hand Filing
Severance Carbide Hand Files provide dramatically longer life than conventional steel files, especially on hardened materials, stainless steel, and abrasive alloys.
When to Choose Carbide Hand Files
- Filing hardened steel (above Rc 40) where conventional files glaze over immediately.
- High-production filing where conventional files wear out too quickly.
- Stainless steel, titanium, or Inconel where conventional files lose their edge.
- Precision fitting and finishing where consistent cut quality matters.
Handle Styles
- FJ — Junior handle for light filing
- FZ — Standard handle for general purpose
- FS — Senior handle for heavier filing
- FE — Economy handle
Available in flat, half-round, round, square, and triangular cross-sections.
Complete Product Line Comparison
| Product | Type | Material Options | Shank Size | Primary Use | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midget Mills | Rotary File | HSS, Carbide | 1/4" | General deburring & grinding | Most die grinder work |
| Junior Mills | Rotary File | HSS, Carbide | 1/8" | Precision deburring | Small parts, tight spaces |
| Lab Mills | Rotary File | HSS | 3/32" | Ultra-fine detail | Dental, jewelry, engraving |
| Carbo-Mills | Rotary File | Carbide | 1/4" | Aggressive stock removal | Production deburring |
| Sever-Cuts | Rotary File | Carbide | 1/4" | Maximum removal rate | Aluminum, non-ferrous |
| Chatterless CS | Countersink | HSS | Various | Countersinking holes | Drill press, hand-held |
| CNC-K CS | Countersink | HSS, Carbide | Various | CNC countersinking | Machining centers |
| 3N1 CS | Countersink | HSS | Various | Multi-function hole finishing | Versatile chamfer/deburr |
| Tube Deburring | Deburring Tool | HSS | Various | Tube end deburring | Tube fabrication |
| Carbide Hand Files | Hand File | Carbide | N/A (handle) | Hand filing | Hardened materials |