CNC routing unlocks a world of wood cutting possibilities. Each species brings its own personality to the machine table: softwoods that carve like butter, hardwoods that fight back with stubborn grain, and engineered boards that demand a careful balance of speed, tooling, and technique. A successful project isn’t just about uploading a file and pressing go. It’s about understanding how maple chips under pressure, why birch loves a sharp bit, and what makes walnut smoke when feeds and speeds aren’t dialed in. Mastering those nuances turns a CNC router from a generic cutter into a precision instrument that respects the nature of every board it touches.
Router Bits
First off, let’s dive into some of the most common wood cutting bits:
- Compression Bits: Made with both an upcut and downcut portion in order to minimize material fraying
- Downcut Spirals: Great for profiles (when not cutting all the way through)
- Upcut Spirals: Great when fraying is not an issue and chip removal is important
- Bradpoint Drills: For creating partial holes for dowel pins
- Through-Hole Drills: For drilling holes completely through wood
- V-Grooves: For beveling edges or engraving designs
Feeds / Speeds
There could be an article written on the feeds/speeds for each type of wood, so I’ll provide some basics. Feel free to reach out to me for further information, recommendations, and tips/tricks.
Compression Bits are your most common tools for cutting wood. They are specifically designed to eliminate fraying, increase feed rates, and extend tool life. The 3/8″ Compression tool is the most common, so here are a few feeds/speeds by material that I would recommend (assuming that you are using an industrial CNC router) with a 3/8″ Compression. My most sold 3/8″ compression bits are XC2023 and mortise version XC2023-M. If you need a coated version (for longer tool life or laminated wood), then the 60-124MC is great.
| Material | Feed Rate | Spindle Speed | Per Pass |
| Solid Wood | 450-550 IPM | 18,000 RPM | 3/4″ or less |
| HPL / HDF | 500-600 IPM | 18,000 RPM | 3/4″ or less |
| MDF | 550-620 IPM | 18,000 RPM | 3/4″ or less |
| Plywood | 550-650 IPM | 18,000 RPM | 3/4″ or less |
| Melamine | 600-700 IPM | 18,000 RPM | 3/4″ or less |
Now that you see the different feed rates that are needed for each wood material, I’m sure that you can imagine how much they will change as we get into upcuts, downcuts, drills, and v-grooves. Again, feel free to reach out if you’d like me to go through your entire project or operation. As long as you get tools through me, I’m happy to help.
One last note that I’d like to make on feeds and speeds is that drilling operations act very different. Drills, whether brad point or through-hole drills are plunging, not cutting side to side. Because of this, low RPM’s are VERY important. The same way you start a fire in the woods by spinning a stick in place, this can happen on your CNC router bed. I’ve seen it happen and helped CNC operators work through the mess of repairing their burned machine. Common feeds and speeds for drilling holes is often in the range of 4,000 – 8,000 RPM at a plunge rate of 100-200 IPM. Pecking motions in and out of the wood can also help remove chips and in turn heat buildup.
Left-Hand vs. Right-Hand Tooling
Left-hand versus right-hand tooling matters far more in CNC wood routing than most newcomers expect. Hardwood fibers behave like tiny stubborn soldiers, and the direction your bit spins determines whether you’re slicing them cleanly or going against the grain and in turn removing chunks of material. Right-hand tools dominate the industry, spinning clockwise to pair with the standard router motor rotation while evacuating chips efficiently upward or downward depending on flute geometry.
Left-handed tools sneak into hardwood routing for several smart, practical reasons, almost like the secret agents of the tool rack. Hardwood likes to fight back, and sometimes flipping the cutting forces is the only way to keep the peace. A standard right-hand bit may try to lift the work off the table or peel grain in the wrong direction, while a left-hand bit pushes the part down instead, keeping clamps and vacuum hold-downs happy. Some setups also need chips traveling the opposite direction for cleaner extraction, cooler cutting, and less scorching on wood that already resents heat. When machining both sides of a component or working in mirrored operations, left-hand tools keep edge quality consistent where the grain would otherwise splinter. They’re not common, though when hardwood starts misbehaving, a left-hand spiral suddenly becomes the hero.
Material Hold-down
Vacuum hold-down is crucial when CNC routing wood. It’s like giving your material an invisible bear hug so the router can hog out large amounts of material quickly. Vacuum tables spread suction across the entire sheet, perfect for large panels and nested projects. Vacuum cups, on the other hand, elevate smaller parts or projects needs side profiles (like doors), gripping specific areas with concentrated force so edges, profiles, and pockets stay crisp without tabs or tape. Hardwood can be slippery and determined to wander when cutting forces ramp up, so choosing between a full vacuum table and precision cups depends on part size, surface area, and how dramatic that wood plans to be during machining. A stable hold means cleaner cuts, safer routing, and no surprise airborne souvenirs. Here are a few materials that you can use as a sacrificial board “Spoilboard” on a vacuum table that will allow air to flow through and assist material hold-down.
- Standard MDF (Mill both the top and bottom layer before using)
- LDF (more porous equals more airflow)
- Ultralight MDF (even more porous equals more airflow)
Mastering the art of CNC wood routing isn’t just about knowing your machine, it’s about understanding the character and behavior of every board that lands on the table. From selecting the right bit geometry to dialing in feeds and speeds that respect the density of each species, every choice influences the outcome. Vacuum hold-down keeps parts grounded, while the often-overlooked balance between left- and right-hand tooling ensures grain and chip flow stay on your side. Once these fundamentals click, your CNC router becomes less of a power tool and more of a creative partner, transforming raw wood into precise, polished work worthy of its natural origins.
Greg Smolka (Author)
CNC Tooling & Applications Manager
Here to help with tooling recommendations (bits, knives, collets, tool holders, maintenance kits, torque stations, etc.) and applications (feeds/speeds, tips/tricks, # of passes, etc.).
Contact Info: greg@cnctoolingshop.com | (616) 502-7277 | LinkedIn
