Cutting stainless with X1?

[Memran]

I have some profiles to cut from 2mm stainless steel sheet.

Can the little X1 handle this?

I've not yet attempted any test cuts or anything, because I'm running low on cutters!

I'm thinking of using 6mm 4 flute cutter @ 1000rpm, 100mm/min and 0.25mm doc with mist coolant, as a first trial.
Does this seem like a good starting point?

I'd love to hear of other people who have successfully cut stainless with their mini mill!

[sansbury]

I cut a little bit of 303 on my X1, and it was as much fun as cleaning a toilet. If you tighten everything up good, lock the head and quill, it might work. The problems you're going to run into are that light DOC cuts lead to work hardening, and anything deeper will push the mill's rigidity and torque to the limit. I might try getting a slightly smaller cutter to reduce the torque. Either way I would bet money you're going to make some scrap and break a couple endmills figuring it out :P

[bogiestl]

I'd choke up as much as you can on the end mill... Can you go faster with more coolant?

[Mad Welder]

I have some profiles to cut from 2mm stainless steel sheet.

Can the little X1 handle this?

Hi there Memran, what dimension is the stainless sheet and what dimensions are the profiles? the reason I ask this is 2mm stainless can buckle quite easily under pressure too....I would use a solide carbide two flute endmill here too and speed isn't any main concern as you will reduce RPM and feeds cutting Stainless, and as I'm unsure of the X1's motor size but at a guess is it around a 1HP motor? and I'd also use shallow cutting passes .2mm or 0.007"....the biggest real problem is the fixture if the profiles are small it shouldn't be a real problem but if your profiles are large you may have to pause the GCode during the programe to reposition fixture clamps......

[Memran]

The profile to be cut is approx 300mm x 100mm (irregular shape), with some inner cuts too.
The X1's motor is tiny! 150W! (1/5 hp)

Well my stock didn't arrive before the weekend, so I'll have to wait until next weekend to start trying, but that gives a bit more time to research and prepare.

[Mad Welder]

The profile to be cut is approx 300mm x 100mm (irregular shape), with some inner cuts too.
The X1's motor is tiny! 150W! (1/5 hp).........

300mm X 100mm, I take it your X1 has that table travell, me I would use a 1/2" to 3/4" plywood sheet to fix the stainless to....the plywood fixed solid to the machine table and the stainless fixed to the plywood....and as you say inner profiling too you could easily pause the GCode after some or all the inner profiles to add fixtures and then cut the external profile.....hopefully this will point you in the right direction...!