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by Peter Brett - May 2005
For more information call Christine
01444 440188
01444 440188
From Vargus Tooling
A Simple Way To A Smooth Finish
The Vargus finishing bit is made of high speed steel, ground to form an edge. Via a standard 1/4 inch hex section this can be held in a convenient handle and dragged along the edge of just about any hard material to remove the burring associated with cutting or drilling. It leaves a smooth chamfered edge that looks neat and makes fitting joints easier. It removes the danger of sharp edges and makes the work look more professional. With about, let’s say, about 30 seconds practice, these advantages can be available to anyone who is prepared to give one of these bits a try. There doesn’t appear to be a catch, it really is a very simple idea with many applications.
I tried it out on a number of applications that an average tradesman would face many times a day. First of all on pieces of copper and steel pipe, from 15mm to 38mm. With very little effort it is possible to align the finishing bit to the inside edge of the pipe to remove the burr left by hacksaw cutting. I know that most plumbers use pipe slices these days, but there are still occasions when pipes need deburring. This tool would seem to be the simple efficient answer.
I also tried out plastic pipes, metal and plastic trunking, aluminium edges, straight and curved, and even MDF. In each case I was rewarded with a neat chamfered edge. What Vargus hope to do is persuade the trades that the finishing bit is an essential, but simple and inexpensive part of their toolkits. Because it has such a wide range of applications and is so simple to use it will be no hardship for individuals to use it.
The finishing bit is made to fit into the storage magazines of most hex screwdrivers etc so it will be an integral part of normal tool usage. Most trades people would not even have to buy a dedicated handle in order to accommodate it, it will fit into their current one. The finishing bit, while made out of HSS, will last a long time, but not forever. This provides the opportunities for retailers to provide aftermarket business for end users to replace their bits, and no doubt, specialist handles and holders.
Vargus, a company established in 1960 and based in Israel is part of the Ehrenberg Group. It is a well-established international company that supplies a wide range of cutting and finishing tools to metal and plastics industries. So, this is not a one-trick company. Its product development is based on a thorough understanding of the needs of the industries concerned. At the risk of sounding like an anorak, I had my eyes opened by a flick through the 38 page deburring solutions catalogue. All the angles are covered, literally! For example, the Mango deburring tool. A strange name to me, but it is an ergonomically designed hand deburring tool that has the flexibility to tackle a range of materials from hard steels and cast iron to plastics and rubber. And it is able to be used on edges, front and back, holes deep and shallow, inner and outer edges, flat surfaces and corners. The handle is a bright red, with inbuilt rubber grips. It will hold a wide range of deburring tools as well as being telescopic for reaching into and behind thicker materials.
Further reading of the catalogue revealed a huge range of deburring tools made in a variety of shapes and forms and in a variety of materials (e.g. cobalt steel, Titanium Nickel coated, diamond coated, solid carbide.) Alongside these are a wide range of handles and holders from the simple to the complex, telescopic, adjustable and wheel guided. There is even a section for a disposable model!
Finally there are kits specifically designed for plumbers, tool-makers and other trades. I have to admit that this finishing tool is probably one of the most specialized tools I have ever had to review for ToolBusiness and Hire magazine.
I was worried what I might have to say about it, because lets face it, it does a very simple job. But the point for me is that it does the job very efficiently. It is well designed and part of a huge range that users can exploit for their own purposes where necessary. It does not require a massive investment on the part of end users to get the benefits of work that is more professional looking and is safer for them and their customers. In the meantime, I am looking round and taking the sharp edges off things just for the hell of it.
Airstream Communications