CNC Plywood Feed Rate Guide: Speeds by Bit & Thickness

Maximize bit life and get chip-free edges when CNC milling plywood with our feed and speed calculation chart.

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Giang Nguyen

Wood Manufacturing Expert

CNC Feeds and Speeds for Plywood

Milling plywood on a CNC machine requires calculating the correct chip load. If your spindle RPM is too high and your travel feed rate is too slow, the bit will rub instead of cutting, generating friction heat that melts the glue and burns the bit.

Here is our quick-reference guide for milling 3/4" (18mm) Baltic Birch plywood using a standard wood router bit:

Bit Diameter	Bit Type	Spindle Speed (RPM)	Feed Rate (IPM)	Plunge Rate (IPM)	Depth of Cut (DOC)
1/8" (3.17mm)	Downcut Spiral	18,000 RPM	60 IPM	20 IPM	0.06" (1.5mm)
1/4" (6.35mm)	Compression	16,000 RPM	120 IPM	40 IPM	0.25" (6.3mm)
1/4" (6.35mm)	Upcut Spiral	16,000 RPM	100 IPM	35 IPM	0.20" (5.0mm)
3/8" (9.52mm)	Compression	14,000 RPM	180 IPM	60 IPM	0.375" (9.5mm)

Essential Bit Choice: Compression Bits

When CNC milling plywood, standard upcut or downcut spiral bits have drawbacks:

Upcut bits pull wood fibers upward, causing tear-out on the top veneer layer.
Downcut bits push fibers downward, causing tear-out on the bottom veneer layer.
Compression bits are the solution. The bottom 1/4" of the bit spirals upward, while the rest of the flute spirals downward. This pulls fibers into the center of the sheet, leaving perfectly clean, chip-free faces on both the top and bottom of your cut.

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