[DFason]

Yesterday was my first cuts on my machine. And man was it slow! I want to make sure I wont screw my machine up and the person I bought it from said to run it at 2 IPM. Needless to say it took an entire day to cut a few simple pockets.

I am using an HSS 3/16" endmill running at 2000RPM with the X1. What IPM should I be running this with? I feel as if 2 IPM is WAY to slow.

Thanks in advance!

-Dave

[photomankc]

You'd be running something like 0.0002" feed per tooth or two tenths of a thousandth. I'd think you'd be rubbing the living crap out of the tool. You'd need 10 IPM to get to even 0.001 feed per tooth and I'd think you'd want to go a little faster than that.

Unless you plan to grow old watching it pocket stuff I would start cranking up the speed a little towards the 10 IPM side and see how it handles it. Bigger endmills (within reason) can take even more feed and would be 'closer' to ideal at the RPM you have. Use the bigger ones to get the majority of the metal out and use the small ones to get the details.

[DFason]

OK great. This makes me feel 100% better. Can I cut down 1/16" to 1/10" per pass too?

-Dave

[photomankc]

Rule of thumb is 1/2 of cutter diameter for depth but that depends on a lot. You can break the small ones easy so I would stick with a 1/16 or so and slowly ramp up and see what you can do without chatter.

I'm not that experienced though so I will let others with more comment there. I tend to stick to 1/3 diameter myself to keep it safe but I'm also running manual so I can feel the cut and tell when it's taking too much force to move through it.

[DFason]

Thanks for your help. I just did the same pocket in an hour!

-Dave