machining 304 stainless steel

[jvaldivia]

Hello everyone , im new to this site, but i need some recommendations on machining 304 stainless steel on a lathe. machine rpm max on the machine is 5000 rpm. any speeds, feeds and tooling companies would be appreciated. if you have any past experiences to share that would be great also. thank you in advance.

 

[Houdini]

Your a machine shop supervisor at a aerospace shop and you don't know how, or the tooling to machine 304 stainless?

 

[Donkey Hotey]

If you're really without any idea at all of where to start, buy your tooling here:

Shop Haas Tooling

Welcome to Haas Automation’s online tooling store. All Haas Tooling products have been thoroughly tested by Haas machinists on Haas machines, and will be delivered directly to your shop with the click of a button!

www.haascnc.com

Select your material and whatever cutter you decide on. They'll have recipes they've already worked for each individual product.

 

[plastikdreams]

304 will not illicit experiences, they will be war stories fraught with hardships and heartbreak...only the determined will come out alive.

 

[Northman Ind.]

theres this thing called the Machinery's handbook... its got speeds and feeds in it.

read them first 3 pages of that chapter though... they are kinda important

 

[DMF_TomB]

Hello everyone , im new to this site, but i need some recommendations on machining 304 stainless steel on a lathe. machine rpm max on the machine is 5000 rpm. any speeds, feeds and tooling companies would be appreciated. if you have any past experiences to share that would be great also. thank you in advance.

most cutting tools like inserts list recommended feeds and speeds
.
obvious tool holder (length stick out) , part, machine vibration effects things.
.
304 varies widely from annealed to fully work hardened. like 300 to 600% faster if
annealed and much longer tool life
.
not as much as tool steel can vary in hardness but still 304 can vary a lot

 

[Orange Vise]

Cool thing about 304 is that you can have all your parameters dialed in perfectly.

Then when the next batch of material comes in, it all goes to shit.

Keeps life exciting.

 

[plastikdreams]

Cool thing about 304 is that you can have all your parameters dialed in perfectly.

Then when the next batch of material comes in, it all goes to shit.

Keeps life exciting.

Or halfway through the bar

 

[cnctoolcat]

Substitute 303 if possible. You will pay more per pound, but it's night and day machining it versus 304.

ToolCat

 

[Crowne]

Cool thing about 304 is that you can have all your parameters dialed in perfectly.

Then when the next batch of material comes in, it all goes to shit.

Keeps life exciting.

What is to blame for this behavior?
Inconsistent hardness from batch to batch?

 

[Crowne]

Substitute 303 if possible. You will pay more per pound, but it's night and day machining it versus 304.

ToolCat

OP, do this if at all possible.

 

[dkmc]

Carpenter steel, don't think they exist anymore, used to make their type of 304, that machined better/nicer than 303.

 

[Northman Ind.]

Cool thing about 304 is that you can have all your parameters dialed in perfectly.

Then when the next batch of material comes in, it all goes to shit.

Keeps life exciting.

maybe i'm spoiled lots of aerospace stuff round here 304 is purdy consistent, there is ht condition to contend with though


as for subing 303, do this ONLY if you have enginerding approval, thet are not the same in many rather important aspects. chemically they are nearly identical close enough an xray can't tell but 304 is much harder and tougher then 303

 

[crossthread82]

maybe i'm spoiled lots of aerospace stuff round here 304 is purdy consistent, there is ht condition to contend with though


as for subing 303, do this ONLY if you have enginerding approval, thet are not the same in many rather important aspects. chemically they are nearly identical close enough an xray can't tell but 304 is much harder and tougher then 303

Get 316, machines better than 304 and is better than 304 in almost every physical property there is.

 

[Northman Ind.]

aga

Get 316, machines better than 304 and is better than 304 in almost every physical property there is.

again, substitutions without enginerding approval are bad m-kay

this is basic machining 101 stuff, and all ya'll should know better

 

[crossthread82]

aga


again, substitutions without enginerding approval are bad m-kay

this is basic machining 101 stuff, and all ya'll should know better

No shit sherlock. I think (or hope) every shop knows not to make a sub without prior authorization.

What I'm saying is if you're going to make a suggestion for a substitution to the customer, 316 is the better choice.

Tbf not sure why OP is asking this question if he is who he says he is...

 

[Houdini]

No shit sherlock.

He's new.

again, substitutions without enginerding approval are bad m-kay

this is basic machining 101 stuff, and all ya'll should know better

These are commercial forums, not hobby forums, pretty much everyone knows unless stated or obvious their new.

 

[Donkey Hotey]

These are commercial forums, not hobby forums, pretty much everyone knows unless stated or obvious their new.

You'd be shocked how often it happens.

 

[Houdini]

Biggest factor I usually run into as others I'm sure is our 304 parts are to be welded into something, So no 303
So yeah could suggest 316, but fuq it, getter done.

 

[Houdini]

You'd be shocked how often it happens.

On here you/I shouldn't be shocked of anything