Mill 304 stainless steel with a solid carbide end mill at about 200 SFM: 1,528 RPM for a 1/2 inch cutter, 4 flutes, about 0.0030 inch per tooth.
What RPM and feed for 304 stainless steel?
| Cutter | Ideal RPM | Chip load (in/tooth) | Flutes | Feed at ideal RPM (IPM) | Feed if capped at 2500 RPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.125" | 6,112 | 0.0008 | 4 | 18.3 | 7.5 |
| 0.1875" | 4,074 | 0.0011 | 4 | 18.3 | 11.3 |
| 0.25" | 3,056 | 0.0015 | 4 | 18.3 | 15.0 |
| 0.375" | 2,037 | 0.0023 | 4 | 18.3 | 18.3 |
| 0.5" | 1,528 | 0.0030 | 4 | 18.3 | 18.3 |
| 0.75" | 1,019 | 0.0045 | 4 | 18.3 | 18.3 |
Tools for cutting 304 stainless steel
How does 304 stainless steel machine?
304 work hardens the moment a tool rubs instead of cuts. Never let a drill or tool dwell, use a positive feed, sharp tooling and cutting oil, and expect slower speeds than any carbon steel.
Why a solid carbide end mill?
Solid carbide wants roughly three times the surface speed of HSS, which small cutters rarely get on a benchtop mill capped near 2,500 RPM. Carbide still earns its price in hard or abrasive material, but only in a rigid setup: it chips on chatter where HSS would just dull.
Adjust speeds with the RPM calculator and milling feeds with the feed rate calculator. The cutting speed chart compares every material.
Frequently asked questions
What SFM for 304 stainless steel?
A starting surface speed of 50 SFM with HSS and 200 SFM with carbide, and 40 SFM for HSS drills. These are conservative for hobby machines; raise them in steps if the chips come off clean and the tool stays cool. 304 stainless steel rates poor (about 45%) for machinability.
What happens if my machine cannot reach the RPM?
Run at your top speed. Running below the ideal surface speed only makes the job slower; it does not damage the tool. For milling and drilling, keep the chip load per tooth or feed per revolution the same so the edge keeps cutting instead of rubbing, which lowers the feed in inches per minute in proportion.
Other tools in 304 stainless steel
Other materials with a carbide end mill
- 6061-T6 aluminum
- 7075-T6 aluminum
- 360 free-machining brass
- 932 bearing bronze
- 110 copper
- 12L14 leaded steel
- 1018 cold rolled steel
- 1045 medium carbon steel
- All