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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Benchtop Machines > Working stainless steel with benchtop machines?
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noobCNC Working stainless steel with... 10-26-2011, 09:12 AM
RomanLini I've tried a little on my X2,... 10-26-2011, 09:56 AM
noobCNC Yeah I dont think these... 10-26-2011, 10:18 AM
Fastest1 I cant imagine the patience... 10-26-2011, 04:32 PM
DMF_TomB sherline mill and SS 10-26-2011, 09:18 PM
Fastest1 DMF, what kind of DOC's and... 10-27-2011, 04:31 AM
pete from TN Stainless.... 10-27-2011, 01:08 PM
Hans_G a few years ago I made some... 10-27-2011, 04:02 PM
DMF_TomB Sherline stainless milling 10-27-2011, 11:32 PM
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Working stainless steel with benchtop machines?

    Anyone do routine work with stainless steels (e.g. 304) with their lower stiffness benchtop machines like the Sherline or Taig (excluding the more rugged ones like the X2 etc)?

    I have some spare blocks lying around but the most I've done was fly cutting them to square it off. And even that was a bit nerve racking since it is really loud, and frankly Im afraid it will just stall the motor if I make a mistake by going too deep a cut or too high feed rate.

    Anyone tried CNC machining complicated stainless steel geometry parts with end mills on their benchtops?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    2392
    I've tried a little on my X2, but I would say it is BARELY capable of doing it. Maybe it's just my lack of machining skill but if I was to blame something it would be that the X2 is not really rigid enough.

    As far as machining something like "complicated geometry parts" from stainless 304 on a little Sherline, it sounds a bit far fetched to me, but like I said I'm not a machinist just a tinkerer.

  3. #3
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    Oct 2011
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    Yeah I dont think these benchtop machines are generally good enough due to their rigidity and the spindles having too little power. To get ideal proper cuts there needs to be a proper cutting depth due to the finite sharpness of the tool, but if the machine is not stiff and motors not powerful enough, it tries to dig into the material and will get stuck and stall everything. And if one were to keep using small depth cuts if the machine can handle it, there is the problem that the tool is wasted since you dull the tip but the rest is hardly used.

    In your case, what are the parameters you use to mill into the stainless?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    4415
    I cant imagine the patience it must take. I have a Sherline that was modified with every A2Z part available. It still isnt capable, not that I was trying to gain the ability to machine steels.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    292

    sherline mill and SS

    i machine stainless as well as other metals on a Sherline mill often.
    .
    i use it for small stuff because it is close to where i assembly large machines.
    .
    usually for SS i use a 3/16 carbide end mill.
    .
    i also on the 2000 mill added a aluminum bracket to help make it more stable

  6. #6
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    Nov 2009
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    4415
    DMF, what kind of DOC's and feed rates?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    2580

    Stainless....

    While my machine is not a taig or a Sherline, I have milled stainless on many occasions on my RF45 cnc. I do not see why you could not mill it with a small machine the real problem is that work hardening trait stainless has. You need to take enough of a cut to keep it from getting too hot. I ran it under full flood coolant. Just like on my bandsaw the typical fine cut teeth had a tendency to kinda grind the cut and heat it up work hardening the material and wearing out blades at an alarming rate. Switched to a more aggressive blade and the part stayed cooler and the cutting went much better. I would have to look up my settings on it as I cannot recall what endmill and feeds and speeds offhand but it is not really that bad once you find the right settings. I machined some tool steel on this machine recently to make some large disks and they were actually a bit harder to machine. Could have been the thinner plate I was using tho.. I dunno. I know I have seen lots of steel parts made on the smaller mills posted on the web so I doubt it would be impossible. I am sure it would be a light cut compared to a larger machine but the need to get beyond the work hardening remains the same. Good luck and peace

    Pete

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    162
    a few years ago I made some small universal joints out of 303 or 304 on my sherline. DOC was 0.010", spindle speed would've been ~1000-1400rpm (set the speed pot to 1/2 or less), hand cranking. 304 is actually easy to machine with a properly slow spindle speed.

    But like was said, if you need to remove a lot of 304, you either need to 1) love turning handwheels, 2) have a cnc'd sherline that you can turn the lights off and walk away from, or 3) get something bigger than a sherline.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    292

    Sherline stainless milling

    Quote Originally Posted by Fastest1 View Post
    DMF, what kind of DOC's and feed rates?
    i mill stainless with a 3/16" carbide 2 flute end mill. Depth of cut 0.010" and feed is hard to say as i am cranking by hand.
    .
    i have done so much milling i have had to make another feed nut for the main X axis. i am not saying you will remove as much metal per minute as a larger machine.
    .
    i have the Sherline because it is portable and small. i literally unbolt it from a metal table and pick it up and put it in a cabinet at the end of the day. normally i use it for small parts less than 2" long and often work on parts so small i wear a headband magnifier to see small stuff at the 0.005" level of detail.

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