How To Cut Wood With Cricut

Cricut machines are all the rage at the moment – and it’s easy to see why. They’re the perfect companion for any avid crafter, whether it’s just as a creative pastime or your own small crafting business.

Cricut machines are advanced cutting tools that can help you to perform precision cuts at the touch of a button, with very little effort. These machines can help you to make all sorts of crafty items such as signs, banners, vinyl inserts, stickers, and much more!

But did you know that a Cricut machine can help you to cut wood? That’s right! Cutting wood has never been easier thanks to this neat invention.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how the Cricut machine works effortlessly to perform intricate woodcuts, how to prepare your machine for cutting as well as what type of wood is best for these machines. Let’s jump in!

Get The Right Equipment

Before you get started on your Cricut wood cutting project, you’ll need to make sure that you have the following items to hand:

• Cricut Machine – Of course, you’re going to need your machine. In order to cut wood, you’ll need to get your hands on the Cricut Maker machine. Unfortunately, you can’t cut wood on Cricut’s smaller units such as the Cricut Joy and Explore air machines. The Cricut Maker now has new technology that allows you to swap out blades. Drive Housing is the name given to this cutting-edge technology. It has interchangeable blades and can generate up to 4kg of power.
• Cutting Mat – If you plan on attempting to cut BassWood, you’ll require a few specialized tools. To begin, you’ll need to utilize a cutting mat. Because the Standard Grip mat is insufficiently strong, you will need to use the strong grip pad to cut wood. This will help to prevent your work from slipping around as you cut it.
• Knife Blade – The knife blade is essential when slicing thick materials with your Cricut Maker. You won’t be capable of cutting wood unless you have this. The Knife Blade may also be used to cut suede, plywood, and other heavier substances. It’s a blade you’ll certainly like to keep on hand. Whether you are slicing a thick substance, the knife blade will create numerous runs: a light score pass, a heavier pass in the center, and finally a lighter pass near the end of the chopping. This ensures a good cut and replicates how you would cut if you’re doing it by hand. This varied pressure also contributes to the blade’s longevity.
• The wood of your choice – Next, you’re going to need some wood. Cricut sells some great cuts of wood that are designed specifically for their machines. However, you can get cheaper wood samples online or in your local craft store. Just make sure that it is Cricut compatible before you spend any money!
• Tape – This is to keep your project securely in place during the cutting process.

Prepare Your Machine

First, you’ll need to load the knife blade in your Cricut machine.

On Cricut machine’s roller bar, slide the white star wheels all the way to the right side. The wheels assist the material keep in place when cutting, although they might create track markings on harder materials. Make sure the black rubber wheels will move the mat, but don’t roll on the wood material itself.

When performing this for the first time, you’ll need to exert some force. Sliding the white wheels to the side will always result in a one-inch overlap on your board.

Not all Cricut machines are built to handle the toughness of wood, but for those that can, it opens up a whole new realm of creative possibilities. Let’s explore which Cricut models can cut wood and what types of wood they can handle.

Cricut Machines Capable of Cutting Wood

Cricut Maker Series

The Cricut Maker is the star when it comes to cutting wood. Its robust design and powerful cutting capabilities make it ideal for tackling various types of wood. The Cricut Maker comes equipped with a Knife Blade specifically designed to slice through thicker and denser materials, making it your go-to tool for woodcutting crafts.

Cricut Explore Series

While the Cricut Explore series isn’t as powerful as the Maker, it can still handle lighter wood projects. The Explore series can cut through thin wood materials like balsa wood or basswood, especially those that are under 1/16 inch thick. Just make sure to use the Deep Point Blade for the best results.

Types of Wood You Can Cut with Cricut Machiners

1. Balsa Wood:

Balsa is a soft, lightweight wood that is ideal for crafting with the Cricut machines. It’s perfect for creating delicate, intricate designs due to its fine grain. Balsa wood sheets typically come in thicknesses ranging from 1/32 inch to 3/32 inch, which are manageable for both the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Air with the right settings.

2. Basswood:

Basswood is another popular choice for Cricut projects. It’s a bit denser than balsa but still relatively soft compared to other woods, making it suitable for cutting with the Cricut Maker’s Knife Blade. For optimal results, stick to basswood sheets that are up to 1/16 inch thick.

3. Chipboard:

Chipboard is a type of paperboard that is denser and thicker than regular cardboard but lighter and more flexible than wood. It’s made from recycled paper that is compacted and bonded with a resin, which gives it a relatively sturdy and durable composition. The surface of chipboard is typically rough and uncoated, which can give projects a rustic or industrial aesthetic, though it can also be painted or covered with decorative papers to match different design needs.

It’s important to ensure that your Knife Blade is sharp and your machine’s firmware is up-to-date to handle the detailed cuts required for chipboard effectively. A few passes may be necessary to cut through the chipboard completely, so patience is key. Always check the recommended settings in the Cricut Design Space for the specific type of chipboard you’re working with to get the best results.

4. Wood Veneers:

Wood veneers are thin slices of wood, usually less than 2 mm thick, making them ideal for detailed and intricate crafts. They provide the beauty of real wood with more flexibility and less bulk, perfect for inlays, fine art, and decorative crafts. When working with wood veneers, it’s important to choose those that are smooth and without too many knots or irregularities to ensure a cleaner cut and help avoid damaging your blades (or your machine).

Tips for Cutting Wood with Cricut

• Ensure Proper Blade Installation: Make sure your Knife Blade or Deep Point Blade is correctly installed and calibrated for precise cuts.
• Don’t cut too small: The length of your cuts should not be smaller than the diameter of a pencil.
• Use Strong Grip Mats: To keep the wood firmly in place during the cutting process, use a Strong Grip mat and secure the edges with tape if necessary.
• Perform Test Cuts: Always do a test cut with a small piece of the wood you plan to use. This helps you adjust the settings and ensures that the cut depth and pressure are perfect for your project.
• Be Patient: Cutting wood takes longer than other materials, whether using narrow or wider width of cuts. Be prepared for multiple passes and slower cutting speeds to achieve clean cuts without damaging the wood or the machine.
• Examine the Grain of the Wood: As you’re cutting wood with your Cricut, make sure you note the direction of the grain of the wood relative your your cutting direction. Jams and splits can occur if you’re cutting across the grain too fast or too deep on your first cutting pass.
• Check the flatness of the wood: You want minimal bow in any sheet of wood you cut with your Cricut machine. A warp in your wood, whether balsa, basswood or a veneer can cause havoc with your cuts if those warps impact the path of the machine, even if you’re using a deep cut blade.

Start Cutting

You will begin cutting the board in this stage. This entails making a pass centered on the cutting files. Following the completion of the pass, the Design Space application will plan and prepare to cut the wood. As previously stated, your Cricut will slice the wood in many passes.

Right before your Cricut cuts the final pass, it will ask you to take a look at the sheet to determine if it is completed or if an additional pass is required. If you can quickly remove the board with a special tool, or if you notice the wood moving up/away, it’s completed.

However, your material may be finished cutting multiple passes before you come to this stage. Just keep a close eye on the wood and your mat. If you’re able to lift the wood sheet easily off the mat, it’s done. All you have to do is stop the cut on your computer in Cricut Design Space.

When you’re absolutely certain that the machine has finished the cutting process, it’s time to eject the mat from your Cricut machine.

Take a quick look before you do this to ensure that the blade has managed to cut all the way through your wooden board. If so, you can remove the tape and your cut is complete.

What If The Knife Blade Doesn’t Cut Through The Wood?

Do not retrieve the pad from your Cricut Maker machine until all passes have been completed. Releasing the mat would end the project and prevent you from doing any subsequent cut passes if necessary.

Verify that all cuts look good and that you don’t need to put the wood through again. You can examine your cuts by gently picking at the cut places with a weeding tool.

Check if the cuts have made it all the way through into the board. If you discover that a section needs to be sliced more carefully using a tiny hand tool, try clicking the Go icon in Design Space to start additional passes.

Be aware that cutting too deeply will cause your mat to rip, so use your own best judgment to determine whether or not another pass is required.

If only a tiny quantity of material remains attached all along cut slits, manually finishing off the cuts with an X-acto knife tool may be quicker.

What Wood Should I Use In A Cricut Machine?

The most common varieties of wood to use in a Cricut machine are basswood and Balsa wood. They are both extremely lightweight and are utilized in a wide range of handicraft and modeling tasks.

Balsa is extremely strong for its weight so it may be bent by immersing it in moisture and then keeping it in position as it dries. It’s worth noting that basswood can flex and doesn’t need to be soaked in water.

Balsa is the cheapest option of the two materials and is widely available at craft and specialty stores. Because you want to minimize knots in your wood, it’s better to look at balsa in person prior to purchasing it.

Or, at the very minimum, research how it works and check out some of the online reviews.

Basswood is much thicker and more robust than balsa and is less prone to warping. It is less delicate than balsa and cannot be broken nearly as quickly. The Cricut Knife Blade works really well basswood’s clean, consistent wood grain.

The Cricut Maker machine can cut both types of wood. Whatever you choose, be sure it is free of knots. If a piece has a knot, ensure that the knife blade does not must go through the knot when carving your pattern.

Fortunately, Cricut offers a range of 1/16-inch basswood with a gorgeous finish that is specifically developed for knife blades. And because it’s Cricut-brand basswood, you’re you know it will work well with a Cricut cutting machine.