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Wood Speeds & Feeds Calculator — CNC Router Feeds for Wood, Plywood, MDF & Acrylic

Router Presets, Chip Load Recommendations, Burn and Chip-Out Warnings, and Depth-of-Cut Guidance for CNC Woodworking

Free CNC router speeds and feeds calculator for woodworkers, sign makers, and CNC hobbyists. Select your workpiece material (hardwood, softwood, plywood, MDF, particle board, melamine, acrylic, HDPE, or Corian), tool type (straight, spiral upcut, spiral downcut, compression, V-bit, ball nose), and cutter diameter to calculate spindle speed, feed rate, and chip load. Includes router presets for popular trim routers (DeWalt 611, Makita RT0701C, Bosch Colt) and spindle motors. Warns you when settings will cause burning, chip-out, or excessive tool deflection.

Pro Tip: The number one CNC router mistake is running too fast on spindle speed and too slow on feed rate, which results in rubbing and burning. Most trim routers like the DeWalt 611 have a speed range of about 16,000-27,000 RPM, and at full speed with a 1/4" bit, you need a feed rate of at least 80-100 IPM to maintain proper chip load. If you're getting burn marks on hardwood, increase your feed rate before you decrease your spindle speed. For MDF, run a bit slower on the spindle to reduce dust (MDF doesn't burn the same way hardwood does).

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Wood Speeds & Feeds Calculator
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How It Works

  1. Select Material

    Choose your workpiece material from the list: hardwood (oak, maple, walnut, cherry), softwood (pine, cedar, poplar), plywood (Baltic birch, construction), MDF, particle board, melamine/laminate, solid surface (Corian), acrylic (cast or extruded), HDPE, and Delrin. Each material has different recommended SFM ranges, chip loads, and depth-of-cut limits.

  2. Choose Tool Type and Size

    Select your bit type: straight flute, spiral upcut, spiral downcut, compression (up/down), V-bit (60 or 90 degree), or ball nose. Enter the cutter diameter (common sizes: 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2") and number of flutes (typically 1 or 2 for wood, sometimes 3 for finishing passes).

  3. Select Router or Spindle

    Choose from built-in router presets: DeWalt DWP611 (16,000-27,000 RPM, 1.25 HP), Makita RT0701C (10,000-30,000 RPM, 1.25 HP), Bosch Colt (16,000-35,000 RPM, 1 HP), or enter custom spindle specs. The preset auto-fills the speed range and helps the calculator warn you if the recommended RPM is outside your router's range.

  4. Set Depth and Stepover

    Enter the axial depth of cut (DOC) and radial stepover (WOC). The calculator recommends maximum DOC as a multiple of cutter diameter (typically 1x for hardwood, 1.5x for softwood, 2x for foam). Stepover recommendations vary by operation: 40-50% for roughing, 10-15% for finishing, 100% for slotting.

  5. Review Results and Warnings

    See calculated RPM, feed rate (IPM), chip load per tooth, material removal rate, and estimated cut quality. Warning indicators flag conditions that cause burning (too slow feed, too fast RPM), chip-out (upcut bit on veneered plywood), excessive deflection (DOC too deep for small cutter), or tool breakage (chip load exceeds cutter limit).

Built For

  • CNC hobbyists with desktop routers (Shapeoko, X-Carve, MPCNC) finding safe starting feeds and speeds for their first projects
  • Sign makers optimizing V-bit carving parameters for clean lettering in hardwood and HDU sign foam
  • Cabinet makers programming CNC routers for dadoes, rabbets, and panel processing in plywood and MDF
  • Woodworkers cutting hardwood inlays and joints who need to avoid burning and tear-out at tight tolerances
  • Makerspaces and schools setting up CNC routers with safe, proven parameters for student use
  • CNC operators transitioning from metal machining to wood routing who need material-specific guidance

Features & Capabilities

Router Presets

Built-in speed ranges and power ratings for DeWalt DWP611/DW660, Makita RT0701C, Bosch Colt GKF125CE, and common water-cooled spindle motors (800W, 1.5kW, 2.2kW). Presets ensure the recommended RPM falls within your router's actual speed range.

Material-Specific Recommendations

Chip load, SFM, and DOC recommendations tuned for each material. Hardwoods need higher chip loads to avoid burning. MDF needs lower speeds to reduce dust generation. Acrylic needs specific chip loads to avoid melting. Plywood needs special attention for veneer chip-out.

Burn & Chip-Out Warnings

Real-time warnings when your settings create conditions that cause burning (low chip load in hardwood), chip-out (upcut bit on veneered surface), melting (too much heat in acrylic), or fuzzing (dull bit in MDF). Warnings include specific recommendations for fixing the problem.

Tool Type Guidance

Recommendations for upcut versus downcut versus compression bits. Upcut for chip evacuation in deep pockets, downcut for clean top surfaces, compression for double-sided laminate. V-bit angle selection for sign carving font sizes.

Depth-of-Cut Limits

Maximum DOC recommendations based on cutter diameter, material, and machine rigidity class (hobby, mid-range, production). Prevents tool breakage and excessive deflection on light-duty CNC routers. Adaptive roughing DOC recommendations for aggressive material removal.

Feed Rate Optimization

Calculates optimal feed rate from chip load, RPM, and flute count. Shows the feed rate range between minimum (below which burning occurs) and maximum (above which chip load causes tearout or tool breakage). Helps you find the sweet spot for your setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Burning happens when the cutter rubs instead of cutting, generating friction heat. The most common cause is feed rate that's too slow relative to spindle speed, resulting in a chip load below the minimum threshold. The fix is usually to increase feed rate, not decrease spindle speed (though you can do both). Other causes include dull bits, excessive spring passes over already-cut surfaces, and slotting cuts where chips can't evacuate. For hardwoods like maple and cherry, chip loads below 0.003" per tooth almost guarantee burning.
Upcut spirals pull chips upward and out of the cut, providing excellent chip evacuation for deep pockets and through-cuts, but they can cause chip-out (fuzzy edges) on the top surface. Downcut spirals push chips downward, leaving a clean top surface but potentially packing chips in deep cuts and causing heat buildup. Compression bits have an upcut section at the tip and a downcut section above, giving clean edges on both top and bottom surfaces — ideal for plywood, melamine, and double-sided laminates.
For most CNC router woodworking, 2-flute bits are the standard. They produce a faster feed rate at the same chip load and RPM compared to 1-flute, giving a smoother finish. Use 1-flute bits when chip evacuation is critical: deep slotting cuts, soft/gummy materials (HDPE, pine with sap), and situations where your machine can't feed fast enough to maintain proper chip load with 2 flutes. A 2-flute bit at 20,000 RPM with 0.005" chip load needs 200 IPM feed rate — many hobby CNC routers max out around 100-150 IPM.
Acrylic requires specific feeds and speeds to avoid melting. Cast acrylic is more forgiving than extruded. For 1/4" single-flute O-flute bit in cast acrylic: RPM 16,000-18,000, feed rate 60-80 IPM, chip load 0.004-0.005". Use single-flute O-flute bits designed for plastics — the large flute valley clears chips better and reduces recut. Never use standard 2-flute wood bits in acrylic; they pack chips and create heat. Leave a protective film on the acrylic during cutting to prevent surface marring.
Maximum depth of cut depends on cutter diameter, material, and machine rigidity. General guidelines: 1x cutter diameter for hardwood, 1.5x for softwood, 1x for plywood and MDF, 0.5x for acrylic. On hobby-class CNC routers (Shapeoko, X-Carve), reduce these by 50% until you know your machine's limits. A 1/4" bit in hardwood should typically cut no deeper than 1/4" per pass. Taking lighter passes at higher feed rates is almost always better than deep passes at slow feed rates — it produces less heat, less deflection, and a better finish.
Disclaimer: Speeds and feeds recommendations are general guidelines for CNC router woodworking. Optimal parameters depend on machine rigidity, workholding, tool condition, specific wood species, grain direction, and moisture content. Always start conservative and increase feed rate gradually. Wear eye and ear protection, and use dust collection when routing wood and engineered sheet goods. ToolGrit is not responsible for tool breakage, workpiece damage, or injuries resulting from CNC router operation.

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CNC Router Speeds and Feeds for Wood: Complete Setup Guide

How to set feeds and speeds on a CNC router for wood, plywood, MDF, acrylic, and composites. Covers chip load, DOC, tool selection, burn prevention, and router-specific settings for DeWalt 611 and Makita routers.

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