Feed Rate & Chip Load Charts

Feed rate and chip load (feed per tooth) for common shop materials, by end-mill diameter, with a live feed-rate calculator on every page.

Chip load by material and cutter diameter

Material	1/8″ in/tooth	3/16″ in/tooth	1/4″ in/tooth	3/8″ in/tooth	1/2″ in/tooth	3/4″ in/tooth
Non-ferrous
Aluminium 6061	0.001–0.002	0.0015–0.003	0.002–0.004	0.003–0.006	0.004–0.008	0.006–0.012
Brass (free-machining)	0.001–0.002	0.0015–0.003	0.002–0.004	0.003–0.006	0.004–0.008	0.006–0.012
Bronze	0.00075–0.0015	0.0011–0.0023	0.0015–0.003	0.0023–0.0045	0.003–0.006	0.0045–0.009
Copper	0.00075–0.0015	0.0011–0.0023	0.0015–0.003	0.0023–0.0045	0.003–0.006	0.0045–0.009
Cast iron
Gray cast iron	0.00075–0.0015	0.0011–0.0023	0.0015–0.003	0.0023–0.0045	0.003–0.006	0.0045–0.009
Steel
Mild steel (1018 / low-carbon)	0.00063–0.0013	0.00094–0.0019	0.0013–0.0025	0.0019–0.0037	0.0025–0.005	0.0037–0.0075
1045 medium-carbon steel	0.0005–0.0011	0.00075–0.0017	0.001–0.0022	0.0015–0.0034	0.002–0.0045	0.003–0.0067
4140 alloy steel	0.0005–0.001	0.00075–0.0015	0.001–0.002	0.0015–0.003	0.002–0.004	0.003–0.006
Tool steel (O1 / A2 / D2, annealed)	0.00038–0.00088	0.00056–0.0013	0.00075–0.0018	0.0011–0.0026	0.0015–0.0035	0.0023–0.0053
Stainless
304 stainless steel	0.0005–0.001	0.00075–0.0015	0.001–0.002	0.0015–0.003	0.002–0.004	0.003–0.006
316 stainless steel	0.00045–0.00095	0.00068–0.0014	0.0009–0.0019	0.0014–0.0029	0.0018–0.0038	0.0027–0.0057
Exotic
Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V)	0.00038–0.00075	0.00056–0.0011	0.00075–0.0015	0.0011–0.0023	0.0015–0.003	0.0023–0.0045

Chip load is per tooth, not per revolution. Feed rate is vf = n × f_z × z — spindle rpm times chip load times flute count. Going below these bands is the usual cause of rubbing, work hardening and a dead edge; small cutters take the low end because deflection, not the edge, is the limit. Open a material for the calculator.

Feed Rate & Chip Load Charts

Chip load by material and cutter diameter

One page per material

Non-ferrous

Cast iron

Steel

Stainless

Exotic