What SFM should I use for CA6NM Cast Stainless?

Lakeshore Carbide – General Purpose End Mill Speeds & Feeds lists 250–350 SFM for carbide end mills in the "Stainless Steel – Soft" row. Start at the low end and adjust for your machine.

What chip load for a 1/2" end mill in CA6NM Cast Stainless?

The published range for 3/8–1/2" carbide end mills is .0010–.0020" per tooth. At 250 SFM a 3-flute 1/2" end mill runs about 1910 RPM and 5.7 IPM.

Are these values for HSS tools, drilling or turning?

The end mill chart covers carbide end mills. The "Speeds by tool material" table adds published HSS, turning-insert and drilling rows for CA6NM Cast Stainless where a source lists them (LittleMachineShop, Sandvik Coromant).

CA6NM Cast Stainless Speeds and Feeds (Milling, Drilling, Turning)

Carbide end mills in CA6NM Cast Stainless: 250–350 SFM. Also called ASTM A743 CA6NM. Chart row used: “Stainless Steel – Soft” (Normalized and tempered).

Starting point: carbide end mills

RPM and IPM use the low end of the published range (250 SFM and the lowest chip load for each diameter range). RPM = SFM × 12 ÷ (π × D); IPM = RPM × flutes × chip load.

CA6NM Cast Stainless — inch end mills
Diameter	Chip load (in/tooth)	RPM	IPM · 2 flute	IPM · 3 flute
1/8"	.0005	7,639	7.6	11.5
1/4"	.0006	3,820	4.6	6.9
3/8"	.0008	2,546	4.1	6.1
1/2"	.0010	1,910	3.8	5.7
3/4"	.0018	1,273	4.6	6.9
1"	.0025	955	4.8	7.2

CA6NM Cast Stainless — metric end mills (inch chip-load range the size falls in)
Diameter	Chip load (in/tooth)	RPM	IPM · 2 flute	IPM · 3 flute
3 mm	.0005	8,085	8.1	12.1
6 mm	.0006	4,043	4.9	7.3
10 mm	.0010	2,426	4.9	7.3
12 mm	.0010	2,021	4.0	6.1
16 mm	.0018	1,516	5.5	8.2
20 mm	.0025	1,213	6.1	9.1

Full published chip-load ranges

1/32-1/8": .0005–.0008"
1/8-1/4": .0006–.0010"
1/4-3/8": .0008–.0015"
3/8-1/2": .0010–.0020"
1/2-3/4": .0018–.0040"
3/4-1": .0025–.0055"

Calculator — prefilled for CA6NM Cast Stainless

Results for Milling

Spindle RPM: 1,910
Feed: 7.6 IPM
Chip load: 0.0009 in

MRR: 0.29 in³/min
Power: — HP
Torque: — lbf·ft
Programmed fz: 0.0010 in
Actual SFM: 250
Spindle use: 16%

Pick a material in the library below to estimate spindle power and torque.

Operation Type

Milling

Turning

Material library

Auto-adjust cutting data

Material & condition

Cutting tool material

Tool coating

Tool & coating guidance

Grade, edge geometry and coating determine usable cutting data. Sharp polished edges can suit nonferrous work; substrate and geometry still govern. Coated vs uncoated carbide changes turning data only; no coating speed multiplier is inferred.

Tool & cut parameters

Manual values

SFM (Surface Feet/Min)

Cutter Diameter (in)

Number of Flutes

Axial depth of cut (in)

Feed per Tooth (in)

Machine RPM limit

Chip thinning & cutter body

Cutter body

Chip-thinning compensation

Radial engagement (% of diameter)

Entering angle KAPR (°)

Radial factor ×1.09Angle factor ×1.00Programmed fz 0.0010 inMax chip hex 0.0009 in

Fixed-angle peripheral estimate: hex = fz × radial factor × sin(KAPR). No radial correction at ≥50% engagement. Not a centered face-milling or ball-nose model. Sandvik geometry reference

Insert styles, guidelines & formulas

RPM = (SFM × 12) / (π × D) | Feed = RPM × programmed fz × effective zc | MRR = WOC × DOC × feed | HP = Kp × C × MRR × 1.1 ÷ 0.8 (Machinery's Handbook)

Milling Insert Styles

Square (SEMT/SNMG)

General purpose, 90° lead angle

Round (RPMW/RCKT)

Ramping, 3D contouring, high feed

Triangular (TPMX)

Light cuts, finishing

Octagonal (ONMU)

Face milling; HFM suitability is body-specific

Milling Guidelines

Start at 70% of max SFM, increase gradually
Chip load too low → rubbing & heat buildup
Use climb milling when machine rigidity allows
Radial engagement >50% → reduce feed per tooth
Round inserts: best for ramp-in and 3D surfaces

Open in the full calculator workspace

Speeds by tool material

Published starting ranges for CA6NM Cast Stainless by operation and tool material. Rows marked * are estimates.

CA6NM Cast Stainless — speeds by tool material
Operation	Tool	SFM	Feed	Source row
milling	Solid carbide end mill	250–350	0.0010–0.0020 in/tooth	Lakeshore Carbide · Stainless Steel – Soft
milling	Coated carbide (GC2030)	445–700	0.0020–0.0100 in hex	Sandvik milling (large engagement) · CMC 15.11 Cast stainless, ferritic/martensitic
milling	Cermet (CT530)	660–830	0.0040–0.0080 in hex	Sandvik milling (large engagement) · CMC 15.11 Cast stainless, ferritic/martensitic
turning	Coated carbide (GC2015)	550–820	0.0080–0.0240 in/rev	Sandvik turning · CMC 15.11 Cast stainless, ferritic/martensitic

Machinist tips

Chip thinning: At light radial engagement (under half the cutter diameter) the real chip is thinner than the feed per tooth. Raise the feed to keep the chip at the chart value, or the tool rubs and wears.
Climb vs conventional: On a rigid CNC, climb mill so each tooth starts thick and exits thin. Use conventional milling on machines with backlash or on hard scale skins.
Don't let it rub: Stainless work-hardens. Keep the tool cutting at a steady feed, avoid dwelling, and use flood coolant.

Common questions

What SFM should I use for CA6NM Cast Stainless?: Lakeshore Carbide – General Purpose End Mill Speeds & Feeds lists 250–350 SFM for carbide end mills in the "Stainless Steel – Soft" row. Start at the low end and adjust for your machine.
What chip load for a 1/2" end mill in CA6NM Cast Stainless?: The published range for 3/8–1/2" carbide end mills is .0010–.0020" per tooth. At 250 SFM a 3-flute 1/2" end mill runs about 1910 RPM and 5.7 IPM.
Are these values for HSS tools, drilling or turning?: The end mill chart covers carbide end mills. The "Speeds by tool material" table adds published HSS, turning-insert and drilling rows for CA6NM Cast Stainless where a source lists them (LittleMachineShop, Sandvik Coromant).

410 Stainless Steel · Hardened speeds and feeds 416 Stainless Steel · Hardened speeds and feeds 17-4 PH Stainless · H900 speeds and feeds