Is there any place where we can find a good starting point for speeds and feeds on the net?
Have you seen this doc mentioned elsewhere in the forum? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_WRXjA6vBs_S9UgIOEO2wtbqvcLWxgHOPgzzNYFg8u4/edit?usp=sharing
@Treadwm no I didn’t. I did a search for feeds and speeds but this didn’t come up. Thank you.
This is more for traditional machining but understanding it has been a big help. I bought an older version of this book at a garage sale 30 years ago for $2.
http://www.nashua.edu/paradisem1/Machinery's%20Handbook%2027th/27_Mach_06A.pdf
@Colin_Kaminski Thx for sharing that!
@Colin_Kaminski yes thank you very much. This will help tremendously as I just got a job operating a cnc at a bearing manufacturing plant.
If I was starting a career in a machine shop I would by this book and spend a year reading it cover to cover. My edition is from the ‘50s and it is amazing what we knew then. It talks about things that seem impossible now like cutting gears.
@Colin_Kaminski well I should have time to read it. They want to train me for the next 4 months then put me on my own machine. Thanks again.
My priority would be to read about materials first so you know the difference between 2024 and 5052 aluminum. And the difference between O1 and O2 steel as examples. Then read about milling operations. I have been able to make things from large sanding drums to custom profile router bits from simply following the advice in the book and borrowing mills and lathes. Now I have the R7 and a lathe. I still have access to much larger equipment but it has been years since I have needed them.
@Colin_Kaminski thank you again. I have a lathe also but for wood. I’m a carpenter at heart.
I am a Luthier so all my metal working is for tooling. 
@Colin_Kaminski do you build acoustic and electric. I have 5 guitars. I would love to get a Paul Reed Smith. Maybe I will build one.
An R7 would make quick work of a carved top electric. I make Kasha inspired acoustics.
I have an Alvarez acoustic that I love playing. I would love to get a carbon fiber guitar like a Rain song I have never played one or heard one but I love the principle that humidity doesn’t effect it.
I played some of the first ones in the 90’s. Then they pretty cold sounding.
That stinks. My Alvarez has a warm sweet sound and nice tone. I enjoy playing it. Most people who have played it love it. It’s just easy to play.
@Colin_Kaminski do you have a site to check out your guitars?
After visiting a bunch of pages (which I do not have any more), I figured out the following feeds/speeds which work like a charm:
Contour cuts in most woods/ acrylics 3000mm/min, 18,000 rpm spindle speed (300 on the spindle console), 4mm two flute compression end mill.Use a single or two flute up cut for acrylic. As a rule of thumb, your cut/pass depth shouldn’t exceed twice the diameter of your end mill…That was gleaned from CNC cookbook’s website. I’m sure others hold a different opinion. With that said, I’ve never attempted an 8mm cut depth with a 4mm end mill, although it’s likely to work fine in plywood or mdf.
Drilling in most kinds of wood: Use a standard drill bit and set the spindle rpm to 4200 (70 on the spindle console). This works great for peck drilling. I usually drill incrementally at 2mm.
Drilling in acrylic: 18,000 rpm with single or two flute up cut.
I’m not that familiar with cutting aluminum but for a dry cut, I figured that 2540mm/min, 18,000 rpm spindle speed, 1.3mm depth/pass, 1/4"/4mm 1-2 flute up cut. These settings were taken from a video on buildyourcnc.com…I searched for the video again, but couldn’t find it.
The other folks in the R7 community can offer more about the aluminum cutting than I can. I believe Brandon created a spreadsheet cataloguing various feeds and speed recommendations from the R7 community.
Happy CNC’ing!