What is a "BENT BUR" good for? => 6 photos

 Don't throw away your bent burs. Why not? They now have another remarkable purpose in their short lives. They plug up little holes in your jewellery.

 Instead of melting solder and finding that the solder is not the same colour as the surrounding metal, here is a quick solution.

 Find a well-worn bur in your bench and heat the top 1/3rd to RED HOT. This will subsequently soften the steel tip on your bur to start your 'bending process' at a 90-degree angle using a pair of pliers.

Softened steel bends very easily; please be careful in the bending.

 Exactly where the steel tip is to make contact with your item is what you are searching for.

 

  Locate that 'soft steel spot' and use any emery tool to make a flat surface. This is exactly your spot that will make a 'hitting' where the hole is.

 This flattened steel flange is where the hitting will literally 'move' the metal over the hole. 

 This flange must be contoured carefully with an emery disk and followed by soft finishing paper. 

 You can now see where the flange is appearing. FOREWARNED, this smooth flange must be made to gently move metal across the hole.

 

 When the bent bur is rotating, it is not pounding the metal flat. On the contrary, it is moving metal towards and over the hole(s).

 How can you reheat the 'bent steel bur'? All that is needed is to reheat (harden) the complete steel bur using a torch flame. 

 I suggest that after a quick drop of the reheated bur into cold water, the steel will become 100% hard again.

 It might be a good idea to 'smooth' the flange again. 

  NOW YOU HAVE A NEW TOOL FOR REPAIRING HOLES IN YOUR JEWELLERY. There is no need to solder any of these holes.

  Another point is to 'experiment' before you need to attempt the real 'repairing'. If the mini-holes are too deep, you might have to solder those holes. This procedure is meant only for a shallow hole.