I am very new to machining.
I have access to a metal lathe that was once part of a small commercial engineering workshop. The available spindle speeds are in the range 65 to 2000 r.p.m. The existing cutting tools are all replaceable insert tools, all carbide. I'm wanting to machine a piece of aluminum round bar 1 inch in diameter.
When I look at the recommended surface cutting speed for a high-speed steel tool, it is in the range 500 - 600 feet/minute, which converts (given the 1 inch diameter of the stock) to a spindle speed of 1910 - 2292 r.p.m, or, in other words, just at the upper limit of the available spindle speeds on the lathe. For a carbide tool, the recommended speed in around 2820 feet/minute, which converts (again given the 1 inch diameter stock) to a spindle speed in excess of 10,000 r.p.m., which is well above the capacity of the lathe.
What would be the typical way in which a commercial shop would deal with these limits? I can think of several possibilities but have no idea whether any of them are correct.
- Never machine small diameter aluminum
- Only use high-speed steel tools
- Use a kind of carbide of other tip that has specifications that fit within the capabilities of the lathe (Does such a thing even exist?)
- Something else?