# Carb-Tech 24 pc Forstner Bit Set?



## Tonto1 (Nov 10, 2016)

Hey guys, my neighbor is selling a 16 pc & 8 pc Forstner bit sets. I googled them and don't get anything about the quality of that brand. Anybody ever heard of this brand? He's asking $60 for all 24 pieces. Two sets (16 & 8), each in a nice box with dove tailed corners. Don't appear damaged, all have plastic blade guards that are very tight (? not removed much). 

Also has this 3.5 HP Craftsman Routher ($50) and a 6ft Craftsman Turning Lath ($150).

I worry about parts availability. Any thoughts.


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## Tonto1 (Nov 10, 2016)

That last picture is another Red Oak that I saw'd yesterday. The lady that is giving me the trees also has about an 8" and 22" diameter Cherry Tree that she says I can cut down if I want them. Planning on doing them today.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I found this...
https://www.terapeak.com/worth/new-...stner-bit-set-1-4-through-3-1-8/142273995722/


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## Tonto1 (Nov 10, 2016)

Ok guys, since this is a garage sale event & another guy just bought the lath and is asking about the bit sets, I pulled the trigger and gave him $45 for both sets. Now that I'm looking at them a bit closer, I don't see any chuck marks on any of the bits except the 3/4". And it is barely noticeable. 

A couple more pictures, and that is not rust on them. Looks like that sticky grease the factory puts on them.

Anyway, still curious if anybody has ever heard of this brands quality factor.


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## Tonto1 (Nov 10, 2016)

Thanks Mike, I found that page also. I live right across the street, so I came home and did a quick google search. It's links back to E-Bay. I did tell him about it. He called his dad to ask about them. His dad said not to sell them for < $100, that they were very high quality bits. 

Funny I can't find anything on the net about them other that a few online private sellers. Nothing on the company. I did find one set that the seller said was still in the factory packaging and even had the original sales receipt dated in 1958! My birth year!


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I think they will serve you just fine. I have a set from Harbor Freight. At some point, the 3/4 and the 7/8 and maybe one or two more just weren't cutting the mustard so I replaced them individually with Freud. Each time I would go to the local Woodcraft, I would pick up one or two.

Those big bits should come in handy.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I think Carb tech is more popular down under than here. I have a few router bits and they seem okay. The box and writing appears Chinese. I bought a cheap Chinese set at a woodworking show and they aren't very sharp. I can use them in a drill press okay but handheld is hard to get them to cut. I have been able to sharpen them and improve the cutting action but that takes time. Maybe your's are better than that. The sets are still worth having because you have a lot of sizes at your disposal for a small price compared to what a full set of high quality ones like Lee Valley's would set you back.

There are some other advantages of having a cheap set too. I was drilling out some cup holes last week for euro style hinges and these ones seemed to have a deeper cup than normal and by the time I had the hole deep enough the pint was showing through the other side of a 5/8" thick door. I have an expensive carbide bit for the job that is 35mm and 1 3/8 is almost identical in size. So I took the 1 3/8 one out of my set and ground the point off. Doing it on the cheap one didn't hurt a bit but doing that on my expensive one would have.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Tonto1 said:


> Hey guys, my neighbor is selling a 16 pc & 8 pc Forstner bit sets. I googled them and don't get anything about the quality of that brand. Anybody ever heard of this brand? He's asking $60 for all 24 pieces. Two sets (16 & 8), each in a nice box with dove tailed corners. Don't appear damaged, all have plastic blade guards that are very tight (? not removed much).
> 
> Some time ago I succumbed to the low price of these boxed sets of Chinese Forstner style bits and they were hopeless, several had to be sharpened before they would cut. I now have individually bought bits off Ebay, all but the BIG ones are Tungsten. Whilst they are still from China, I've never had a problem.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Not the most expensive out there for sure, and made in China. 
https://picclick.com/Carb-Tech-Code-no-YB7-High-Carbon-Steel-7-201599575330.html


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Tonto1 said:


> Ok guys, since this is a garage sale event & another guy just bought the lath and is asking about the bit sets, I pulled the trigger and gave him $45 for both sets. Now that I'm looking at them a bit closer, I don't see any chuck marks on any of the bits except the 3/4". And it is barely noticeable.
> 
> A couple more pictures, and that is not rust on them. Looks like that sticky grease the factory puts on them.
> 
> Anyway, still curious if anybody has ever heard of this brands quality factor.


Quenten, look at it this way, if they are no good you really haven't lost that much. Surely you will get use out of some of them.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Quenten, I think you'll get your money's worth out of them. I have two cheapie sets and have used them dozens of times and as Chuck said, you can replace the most often used ones (if necessary) with something better.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

TenGees said:


> Quenten, I think you'll get your money's worth out of them. I have two cheapie sets and have used them dozens of times and as Chuck said, you can replace the most often used ones (if necessary) with something better.



I bought a cheapy set to use occasionally in the drill press. I found that the shanks are out of round with the cutters. I found that if I rotate them around and chucked them up that when I found the spot that they were chucked up to grind the cutters,I marked a spot on the chuck and the shank of the bit with a sharpie to always reference the position for future set ups. It has worked well for me. I too bought a set of diamond files for sharpening the bits to touch up the cutters and they are working OK now.
Herb


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## Tonto1 (Nov 10, 2016)

Thanks fellows, you guys always have great advice. If they don't cut right, there is a sharpening company that Freud recommends in Ocala, FL that does Forstner bits. I'll call them for an estimate...I can only imagine what that may cost! Even is it is only $5 to $10/bit, there are 24 bits! We sill see.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Herb Stoops said:


> I bought a cheapy set to use occasionally in the drill press. I found that the shanks are out of round with the cutters. I found that if I rotate them around and chucked them up that when I found the spot that they were chucked up to grind the cutters,I marked a spot on the chuck and the shank of the bit with a sharpie to always reference the position for future set ups. It has worked well for me. I too bought a set of diamond files for sharpening the bits to touch up the cutters and they are working OK now.
> Herb


Harbor Freight has a set of 12 different shape small files that are actually decent files and those will sharpen them too but take a little longer. My brother bought them for me but I think they are only about $4 a set. Diamond files are faster. But I also use a Dremel type tool with a diamond grinding wheel to sharpen them with and that's even easier and faster but you have to be a bit more careful. But that's true about any power tool compared to the hand tool that it replaces.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I popped some years ago for a 16 bit set from Rockler. HSS, and work like a champ. Bought diamond sharpening sticks in several grits, but do occasional touch ups rather than allowing them to get dull. Really nice to have them for the drill press, but I'm not able to hold them steady enough to use freehand. Anyone have any suggestions for some kind of plunge type device to steady the drill in hand held situations?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

DesertRatTom said:


> I popped some years ago for a 16 bit set from Rockler. HSS, and work like a champ. Bought diamond sharpening sticks in several grits, but do occasional touch ups rather than allowing them to get dull. Really nice to have them for the drill press, but I'm not able to hold them steady enough to use freehand. Anyone have any suggestions for some kind of plunge type device to steady the drill in hand held situations?


I was talking to Stick about throwing together a jig for using Forstner's. I'll do it sometime today and post the results.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

DesertRatTom said:


> XAnyone have any suggestions for some kind of plunge type device to steady the drill in hand held situations?


Off-hand, this is all I came up with without my coffee. I believe you could also make one somewhat similar, but out of wood.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...CIMEA&linkId=8a53319edbb22bc72e9a1e3414580046

I never buy sets of bits or the like. I prefer to just buy the one I want, then later buy whatever else I want, one at a time.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Got curious, so started googling. Found this. Simple, and looks like it would work.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

If you remember the plumbers years ago used the Greenly bits on a Milwaukee right angle drill motor to drill all the holes for the pipes to go thru the studs.
Herb


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Dunno how it would work, not tried it, but did just read that using a brace with Forstner bits is quite successful.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Wow, ask and ye shall receive. Thanks for the alternatives.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

When I first had the idea I thought it was going to be really simple but then I found out that all three sets of Forstners I have have metric sized shanks and I don't have a set of metric sized bits but it was a fairly quick work around to solve that. I used 3/4" ply and the ply is thicker than the Forstner rim is high and that is a requirement for making the jig. The bit I made the jig for has a 15mm shaft which is slightly smaller than 5/8" so I drilled a 5/8" hole through one thickness of the ply and then took it over to the cut off saw and roughly cut it through the middle of the hole. Then I drilled another piece of the ply with the bit I made the jig for. (Not sure what size it was, I never looked). With bit still in the DP and lowered into the hole it made I used some hot melt glue to stick the two other pieces of ply tight against the bit shaft. All that's left to do is clamp it in place. If you need a precise location then dimple the spot where it needs to go and you'll be able to feel when it's in place. The hole I drilled is as far as it would go without removing the jig and getting rid of the chips but it's no issue to relocate the jig to the same spot to drill deeper. The pictures tell the rest of the story.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Could someone please explain to me why a jig is needed when using a Forstner style bit.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

free drilling w/o a DP and maintaining straight or angled for that matter...


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I just finished building a vanity for a downstairs bathroom Harry where the drain pipe had to come out the side into the toilet's pump tank (macerator). I measured the location as accurately as I could but when I went to install the vanity I found it didn't fit flush against the wall which put the hole about 6mm / .25" off. I was using a hole saw but it is basically a continuous rim like the Forstner so the same type jig works. I clamped it onto the vainity and was able to enlarge the hole to where it needed to be. It would have been impossible to do that free hand.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

For that unusual job I fully agree, but when used in a drill press (what they intended to be used in) I have never found any difficulty drilling multiple holes vertically and in the correct spot.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

In my early post I forgot to mention that a few years ago I bought this set of sawtooth Forstner style bits off Ebay, I can't remember what they cost but I do remember that it was cheap! Unlike the much earlier smaller set from Carbar-tec which were hopeless, these work extremely well but even so if I have a Carbide tipped one of the same size required, then that is what I use.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Harry, that set looks very much like one of my cheap sets, only mine came in a fancy wooden box with plexi windows. Mine came with the 'Mastercraft' (Canadian Tire) brand name. I like them but then I've never experienced 'good' bits.

That set of stepper bits also looks identical to my 'Mastercraft' cheapies... great for drilling plexi.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

harrysin said:


> For that unusual job I fully agree, but when used in a drill press (what they intended to be used in) I have never found any difficulty drilling multiple holes vertically and in the correct spot.


Harry I was going to reply back when I saw this that 99% of the time I also use a drill press when I use a Forstner. A few times I've used them freehand, for drilling plug holes I think. However, getting them started without the bit skating around on the surface, especially the larger sizes, can be quite tricky. That jig is just another weapon in the arsenal to get jobs done. If someone needed to make a very accurate hole in a location where a drill press is impractical then they now have the idea for a quick and cost free jig that will get the job done for them.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

JOAT said:


> Off-hand, this is all I came up with without my coffee. I believe you could also make one somewhat similar, but out of wood.
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...CIMEA&linkId=8a53319edbb22bc72e9a1e3414580046
> 
> I never buy sets of bits or the like. I prefer to just buy the one I want, then later buy whatever else I want, one at a time.


I have one of these. Not the best but it did help me guide the bit.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

For a jig, I simply cut a hole in a piece of 2x material (on the drill press) that I could clamp in place. Might not work for every situation, but it did help guide the bit.

Note: Check out the picture. I was repairing a goof up.:surprise: I had lost focus and pulled the router out of the hole while it was running, and before retracting the plunge! It quickly tore up the hole and broke the bit. :frown:

The repair worked great.


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