[patnok]

Cutting & drilling 110 copper, good carbide cutters .375 & .5. 2-flutes, No cadcam here programing manual on a brand new HAAS VF2SS from old school paper draftsmen prints. I need help with the feed & speed (IPM & RPM) looking for good tool life as opposed to maxing it out. Main issue is drilling.....getting chips wrapped around drill using carbide TSC drills. Thanks

pat

[awerby]

Try using a peck drill cycle, where it backs out every so often instead of drilling continuously. This breaks the chips. Use lubrication with copper, since it tends to be gummy. Here's a speeds/feeds chart: Harvey Tool - Speeds and Feeds Guide | General Machining Guidelines

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[microcnc]

So you are using .375 & .5 endmills, what depth of cut do you want to take and width( side cutting or slotting op)? Then what drills are you using. You'll want to use coolant, and even then copper is one of those fun materials that can cold harden. So interrupted cuts and even wrong rpm can work harden the material in the right condition. You shouldn't have too much trouble with end mills but drilling can be a challenge sometimes, especially if you are going to tap. Use good cobalt drills or carbide and check hole size before you tap. Copper tends to wear the sides of the drills as well as the leading cutting edge which can lead to under sized holes.