Most of the time the suggested speeds on the inserts from the manufacturer are not realistic with the small lightweight machines we have.
The speeds they show are for machines that weigh 10,000 lbs and can spin 8k rpm or more.
The circumference of a 1" round is 1 X 3.141200 SFM is a good place to start, at 1" this would be 750 RPM of the spindle
So what is the formula for this?
The speeds shown in charts and derived from formulae should be considered maximums, not targets. Unless you are in a production environment there is no need to aim for maximum. Why not continue to use your trial and error method based on chip formation, heat removal and finish?I think what I am more interested in is what rpm various types of metals need to be turned at.