Drilling Speed & Feed — Stainless 304

HSS drill RPM, feed and time-per-hole for Stainless 304 from handbook cutting data.

Drill diameter D (mm)Cutting speed Vc (m/min)HSS starting value for this materialFeed per rev (mm/rev)Hole depth (mm)

Spindle speed (rpm)

Plunge feed (mm/min)

Time per hole (s)

In 304 the drill must never rub: positive feed pressure from the first contact or the hole bottom work-hardens into a glass-hard skin. Cobalt (M35/M42) drills outlast plain HSS several times over here.

Formula

n = 1000·Vc/(π·D) · vf = n·fr · t = depth/vf

References: Machinery's Handbook, 31st ed. — Speeds and Feeds; Kalpakjian & Schmid, Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, 7th ed., ch. 21

Note: Catalog starting values only — always confirm against your tool maker's data sheet and cut a test part. Machine rigidity, coolant and workholding shift real-world numbers.

HSS drill RPM, feed and time-per-hole for Stainless 304 from handbook cutting data. A free cnc machining: speeds, feeds & tool wear tool — no sign-up, no upload, instant results in your browser.

About Drilling Speed & Feed — Stainless 304

Drilling Speed & Feed — Stainless 304 computes the governing relationship n = 1000·Vc/(π·D) · vf = n·fr · t = depth/vf live as you type. In 304 the drill must never rub: positive feed pressure from the first contact or the hole bottom work-hardens into a glass-hard skin. Cobalt (M35/M42) drills outlast plain HSS several times over here. Defaults are pre-filled with realistic values for this exact scenario, and the worked example substitutes your numbers step by step so the math is never a black box.

How to use Drilling Speed & Feed — Stainless 304

1Enter your values — Drill diameter D, Cutting speed Vc, Feed per rev, Hole depth (sensible defaults are pre-filled).
2Read the live results: Spindle speed, Plunge feed, Time per hole.
3Check the "with your numbers" line to see n = 1000·Vc/(π·D) · vf = n·fr · t = depth/vf substituted step by step.
4Adjust inputs until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.

Why use Drilling Speed & Feed — Stainless 304?

✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs client-side in your browser; nothing is uploaded
✓Built on the stated formula n = 1000·Vc/(π·D) · vf = n·fr · t = depth/vf with authoritative sources cited on the page (Machinery's Handbook, 31st ed. — Speeds and Feeds; Kalpakjian & Schmid, Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, 7th ed., ch. 21)
✓In 304 the drill must never rub: positive feed pressure from the first contact or the hole bottom work-hardens into a glass-hard skin.
✓SI ⇄ Imperial toggle converts your inputs in place, so you can work in the units your drawings use

Frequently asked questions

What formula does the drilling speed & feed — stainless 304 use?+

It evaluates n = 1000·Vc/(π·D) · vf = n·fr · t = depth/vf, exactly as published. Sources: Machinery's Handbook, 31st ed. — Speeds and Feeds; Kalpakjian & Schmid, Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, 7th ed., ch. 21. The substituted worked example on the page lets you verify every step against the textbook.

How should I read the result — and how far can I trust it?+

In 304 the drill must never rub: positive feed pressure from the first contact or the hole bottom work-hardens into a glass-hard skin. Catalog starting values only — always confirm against your tool maker's data sheet and cut a test part. Machine rigidity, coolant and workholding shift real-world numbers.

When is this calculator the right tool for the job?+

HSS drill RPM, feed and time-per-hole for Stainless 304 from handbook cutting data. A free cnc machining: speeds, feeds & tool wear tool. Cobalt (M35/M42) drills outlast plain HSS several times over here. For neighbouring scenarios, the related tools below cover the same engine with different presets.

Does it support both metric and imperial units?+

Yes — the SI ⇄ Imperial toggle converts the values already in the fields, preserving the physical quantity, so you can flip mid-calculation without re-entering anything.

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