Carbide Tools Ltd

26/08/2026

This is the kind of job we love getting stuck into.

A customer brought this tool back to us with a serious amount of aluminium build up on the cutting end. The apprentice had entered the wrong feed and speed and then stepped away from his machine and by the time someone realised, the tool had picked up a serious amount of aluminium build up.

It happens. Workshops are busy, machines are running, and sometimes a small mistake can turn into a much bigger problem pretty quickly.

The question was simple: Can this be saved?

Instead of writing it off, we cut it back, reground it, and brought it back to a clean, sharp, usable tool again.

That is one of the things we really enjoy about this work. Sometimes it is not about making a brand new tool. Sometimes it is about understanding what has happened, knowing what can be saved, and getting value back out of a tool that looked like it might be finished.

14/07/2026

Two custom carbide tools, designed to work together for one specialised aeronautical application.

We recently custom designed and manufactured this matched tooling set for machining composite material.

The first tool is a 7.85 mm four flute counterbore with a 4 mm pilot, R2.0 radius and 90° cutting face.

The second is a 4.18 mm four flute composite drill reamer with specialised front cutting geometry.

Both tools were designed around the component, material and required result, rather than trying to make an off the shelf cutter do a job it was never designed for.

That is where custom tooling makes the difference: better process control, fewer compromises and tooling built specifically for the application.

Designed and manufactured in house, here in New Zealand.

Learn more about our custom tooling capabilities:
https://carbidetools.nz/custom-designed/

24/06/2026

Meet the 'Feed Ripper'.

Built to cut fast, finish clean and outwork a standard compression router in the right application.

This cutter is running at 20,000 RPM, 19 metres per minute feed rate and full depth of cut.

Aggressive? Yes.

But we have had excellent real production results around 14 metres per minute in laminated wood and MDF, with strong performance in particle board, plywood and solid timber.

The high inside rake helps give a clean finish, and the tool was designed to be very regrindable so you can get more life out of it over time.

Available in: 8 mm, 9.5 mm, 10 mm and 12 mm 4 flute, and a 6 mm 3 flute version.

Fast feed rates. Clean finish. Built to be reground.

Made in New Zealand by Carbide Tools Ltd.

06/05/2026

We are heading to EMEX again in 2026.

Come and see Carbide Tools Ltd at Stand 3024 from 26 to 28 May at the Auckland Showgrounds.

We will be there to talk custom carbide tooling, precision regrinding, and New Zealand made cutting tools built for your material, machine and process.

Hope to see you there.

22/04/2026

The wrong cutting tool doesn’t usually fail straight away. It just quietly causes problems.

We see it all the time. Poor finish, tools not lasting, jobs taking longer than they should… and it often comes back to the same thing. The tool just isn’t right for the job.

A few things we’re constantly helping customers with:

• Getting the geometry right
Rake, helix and flute count make a big difference to how a tool actually cuts

• Matching the tool to the material
Aluminium, plastics, composites and steel all behave completely differently

• Making sure the setup isn’t working against the tool
Even a small amount of runout can knock tool life around

• Not relying on coatings to fix everything
They help, but they won’t make up for the wrong tool choice

We’ve put together a simple guide that walks through all of this properly, without overcomplicating it.

If you’ve ever wondered why a tool isn’t performing the way it should, this will help.

Full guide here: https://carbidetools.nz/carbide-cutting-tools-guide/

09/04/2026

Carbide prices are going up, but your tooling costs don’t have to.

Regrinding your carbide tools can:
-Extend tool life
-Restore cutting performance
-Reduce how often you need replacements
-Lower overall costs

It’s one of the simplest ways to get more out of the tools you already have.

If you’re feeling the pressure from rising costs, this is where to start.

Get in touch today: Call 0800 828 665 or click the button below to message us directly ↓↓↓

07/04/2026

Precision at work. Our spline cutter in action machining a custom V10 oil pump driveshaft. Every cut matters for high-performance engines.

Seeing our tools perform in real-world applications is why we exist: Helping manufacturers achieve accuracy, reliability, and efficiency.

Learn more about how premium carbide tooling can improve your workflow:
https://carbidetools.nz/custom-designed/

31/03/2026

Carbide prices are rising… but not for the reasons most people think.

This isn’t just inflation or supply delays.

The real pressure starts much earlier in the supply chain and it’s already changing how manufacturers operate.

We broke down what’s actually happening and where it’s heading.

Learn why tungsten carbide prices are rising. An inside look at the global pressures affecting tungsten carbide cutting tool supply. Explore price increases, global supply constraints, and what it means for manufacturers.

12/03/2026

Tool Spotlight: Omnicut_Maxi™ (The tool that is changing businesses)

This precision ground tungsten carbide cutting tool has delivered outstanding results when machining carbon fibre and other composite materials, particularly in marine and aerospace applications where surface quality and accuracy are critical.

Customers using the Omnicut_Maxi™ have seen cleaner edges, longer tool life, and significantly faster machining compared with conventional cutters. The result is less rework, more consistent parts, and valuable time saved in production.

What makes the Omnicut_Maxi™ even more unique is that it was specifically engineered to be reground. Unlike most composite cutting tools, which are discarded once worn, this design allows the tool to be professionally reground and returned to service. That means lower tooling costs and a more sustainable machining process, especially with the rapidly increasing cost of Tungsten Carbide.

Designed and manufactured in New Zealand by Carbide Tools.

If you work with carbon fibre or composite materials and want to improve your machining process, the Omnicut_Maxi™ is well worth a look.

04/03/2026

Back on the Tools: We’ve been busy building, and not posting about it.

It has been a busy couple of months behind the scenes.

While we have been quiet on here, the machines have not stopped... Custom tools, reamers, regrinds, problem solving jobs that needed to be turned around fast.

That is the reality of manufacturing. When customers need tools, the priority is getting them cutting again, not posting about it.

But we are back to sharing more of what happens inside our workshop. One post per week. Real jobs. Real solutions. Real New Zealand manufacturing.

If you are interested in what we do then make sure to follow along. There is a lot coming this year...