precious metals speeds and feeds

[grundig]

Hey,

Can anyone suggest a source for speeds and feeds for machining precious metals (gold, platinum, silver, etc.)?


-Thanks

[dfurlano]

I wish there was an answer to this question but there as so many variables that it isn't practical to try and figure out. I machine silver, copper, and bronze and I use cutters that are .02 to .125 and I crank the speeds very high, use coolant and adjust the feed rate as I watch the chips (usually with magnifiers).

With these materials you need to be careful that the cut material does not reform and clog what you are cutting. Also breaking the cutters is always a concern. Hope some one has a better answer but I don't.