What actually goes into making a custom carbide cutting tool, and why do so many tooling decisions look great on paper but fall apart on the machine?

In this episode of Chips and Tips, Justin from Toolpath sits down with Dave Stanbach of Carbide Cutting Tools for a deep, practical conversation about carbide tooling in the real world. They dig into scrap carbide pricing and why it has surged, how custom tools are really quoted and tested, and why a simple sketch can be more effective than a fully detailed CAD model.

Dave shares hard-earned insight on flute count tradeoffs, helix versus shear geometry, edge prep, coatings, and why features like wipers often fail to deliver better finishes. The discussion also covers thread mills, roughers versus finishers, chip management, and how coatings impact not just tool life but also cutting noise, which matters more than most shops realize.

If you run CNC machines, order custom tools, or want to understand what actually drives tool performance on the shop floor, this episode delivers clear, experience-backed answers with no marketing fluff.