The present invention relates to a method for producing a single part piston (20) for an internal combustion engine from a piston blank (10), with a cooling channel (15) that is open in the downward direction running circularly inside a piston head (11), and an annular recess (16) built between the piston head (11) and a piston shaft (13), wherein the piston head (11) and the piston shaft (13) are connected to each other by means of a piston hub (14), and wherein the annular recess (16) and the cooling channel (15) are machined into the piston blank (10) by means of a cutting operation. According to the invention, it is provided that, for the cutting operation of the cooling channel (15), a tool (17) is moved into the area of the cooling channel (15) in an arc-shaped pivoting movement (A) through the recess (16), and that the cooling channel (15) is cut.