A short while ago I had a need to drill a steel plate with several holes located precisely on it. I don’t dare use my machine to side mill the steel plate, but I did find it was great for center drilling the holes accurately!
The CNC saved me from having to lay out all the holes manually, and I’m sure the results were more accurate than I could achieve with a scribe and punch. It was easy-peasy over at the drill press afterwards… aside from the big slot, which really put my jigsaw to the test.
I ran it at 6000 rpm, 15ipm, dabbing 0.050" below the surface. I’m sure the feeds and speeds would be pretty forgiving for a quick touch off. I ran the mist coolant, but I don’t think it was necessary. The center drills are pretty cheap too.
If someone is using their machine for full blown steel drilling, boring, or milling, please chime in with your results! Would love to know what these machines are capable of in mild steel.
