Milling 304 Stainless with a Carbide End Mill | Speeds and Feeds Tool Test

Milling 304 Stainless Steel can stink if you aren't sure where to start. Even if you can, are you getting the most out of your end mills?

In this video, we cover how to find a speeds and feeds starting point and how to tweak the recipe to achieve your specific goals., whether it be maximizing tool life, process reliability, better surface finishes, OR higher material removal rates.

We'll use two different machines, the Tormach 770 and the Tormach 1100M. PLUS, we'll explore the impacts of coolant methods (fogbuster vs. flood) and other ways to push your tools further.

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Links for this video:

Helical & Harvey Tool Library Download

Helical 3 Flute, Corner Radius - Variable Pitch

Speeds and Feeds Basics on NYC CNC

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Manufacturing Entrepreneurship Resources:

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[DrunkenBobDole]

When working with small, short endmills like this having thru spindle coolant and an unsealed collet is a real life saver. Nothing can block the coolant if it’s coming from the tool.

[chrism]

hello from uk been an engineer for 12 years now on both sides of the technology front. for all those people who still using the old bridgport universal mills, a little trick i learnt to get get deep slotting in high carbon steel like en24t even with fairly rubbish hss 3 flutes end mill and two flute slot mills 4mm and below if set your rpm a little on the slow side 1500-1800 and keep your feed rate low 40-50 mm a minute or 1.8-2 ipm with a constant stream of coolant directly at the cutter. it doesn’t have to be high pressure just enough to wash the chips behind the tool and most important thing you want in a good holder side lock preferably, rigid as possible and it will just chug right on through I’ve got ten or so slots like this out one little hss end mill

[terry]

As a novice with a Chinese mill, I learnt a huge amount on this video. Thanks :)

[multiHappyHacker]

I've been slotting steel plates with a 3/16 endmill for the last week, Kennametal HPHV > Guhring Diver. 25 degree ramp, 5, 100 RPM, only 5 IPM ramp, 12-16 IPM slotting. Can't wait to try the new TE they came out with for slotting. Sounds like a provencut test extravaganza.
As for process reliability I am getting like 40 plates per tool with those feeds and speeds (10 gauge plate, ~0.130" thick), and believe me there is a lot of slotting involved--they are 5 inch circles with a 2 inch bore and like 15 smaller slots per part.



Here's to keeping it in-house.

[mythattak]

“Proven Cut”… what a great name! Super easy to remember, catchy, and informative! I’m gonna check it out right now…. Thanks John!

[travisguilbeau]

I run Helical in 304/304L everyday, full slotting as well. Nothing beats them. I love their products.

[YoDaPro]

5:14 I'd still go to move in the other direction so the chips get blown out to the free space your creating with the slot. Same goes if you only have coolant from 1 direction. I had that on a job. Same recipe, one direction was fine but the other one (as in your vid) caused the tool to recut all the chips and break.

[TimeWasted]

I've found the dual head fogbuster works so much better for slotting if you throw away the stock bases and get the nozzles down low and pointing in towards the tool more horizontally, rather than the standard mounts that have the nozzle tubes up high and having the collet nut be in the way.

[douro]

I really like Inco's hard-coated 4-flute mills for slotting and profiling tool steel. I used some at my first machinist job when I was making fixtures and I was very impressed by their performance compared to most other tools for hard metal milling.

[rickfinsta]

Gaaaah! I had no idea you could search by EDP number in those tool libraries. You just saved me a ton of time!

[kristianSilva]

GREAT VIDEO! Super informative, clear to see how much of a difference flood coolant makes—great advert for proven cut too. More content like this please

[chyraxion]

that last cut the coolant is also hitting the chuck holding it so it was gettin double blocked from being so low and the outside

[lwilton]

You didn't try a multi-pass cut for a deep slot. In that case a longer flute length might be beneficial so that the chips can flow up the shank and out of the cut.
I'd also be interested in the effect of a longer coolant pipe(s) that actually get down under the face of the collet or tool holder, right near the shank of the mill.

[OMY]

I always use through spindle coolant to these types of jobs, no worries about where the coolant nozzle is pointing.

[Jimmy-rysc]

At 150% axial depth of cut w/ mist cooling you were at about 230 sim and tool broke. However, when you went to compare to flood cooling you reduced the feed to 178 sim and it worked. That is not a valid comparison; you should have run with the flood coolant at the same parameters.Also, you were using an end mill from Helical (one of the best) at around $30.00. These details are important to me. I think that cutter would have made it thru if the 178sfm were used.
Great video!

[pcsmachineworks]

I would be curious to see what D.O.C. the tool can truly handle with TSC coming through the collet and around the tool.

[daffyf]

I'm a big fan of good solid endmill holders over the ER collets, especially for slotting as they are significantly more rigid. Also they have a smaller profile and are not as much in the way of the coolant.
I am surprised you want to aim the coolant at the back of the cut. I always figured that would push chips into the cut rather than away from it.
Also, have you considered a tip with a smaller hole on your coolant/fog buster nozzle to have a more direct and higher psi flow?

[michaelsalvo]

Super useful, concise, and well made video.

[mjshorty]

i mill 304 stainless plate, full slotting (profiling the outside of the part) .3125 deep with the Helical 4 flute 1/4" endmill at 400sfm and .0012ipt (6112rpm @ 29.33ipm) and get about 2 hours of in cut time out of it. not unhappy at all with it.

[icemanone]

Spindel cooling is a best way ! through tool holder .