Cutting Angles Recommended by Forest Products Laboratory for Hardwoods
| SPECIES | CUTTING ANGLE (°) |
| Ash | 15 to 25 |
| Basswood | 20 to 30 |
| Birch | 15 to 20 |
| Chestnut | 15 to 20 |
| Cottonwood | 5 to 10 |
| Elm soft | 15 to 20 |
| Black gum | 10 to 20 |
| Hackberry | 15 to 20 |
| Magnolia | 5 to 15 |
| Mahogany | 10 to 25 |
| Hard maple | 15 to 25 |
| Soft maple | 5 to 15 |
| Red oak | 10 to 20 |
| White oak | 10 to 20 |
| Pecan | 20 to 25 |
| Sweet gum | 10 to 15 |
| Sycamore | 10 to 15 |
| Black walnut | 15 to 20 |
| Willow | 15 to 20 |
| Yellow poplar | 10 to 20 |
| KILN DRIED
7" MOISTURE OR LESS | WET OR GREEN
MORE THAN 7" | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | B | CA | B | |
| Ash | 15 | 35 | 10 | 35 |
| Basswood | 10 | 30 | 20 | 30 |
| Beech | 10 | 35 | 15 | 35 |
| Birch | 10 | 35 | 15 | 35 |
| Cedar | 5 | 30 | 10 | 30 |
| Cherry | 10 | 35 | 15 | 35 |
| Chestnut | 5 | 35 | 10 | 35 |
| Cottonwood | 5 | 30 | 10 | 30 |
| Cypress | 5 | 30 | 10 | 30 |
| Elm Hard | 0 | 40 | 5 | 40 |
| Fir | 10 | 35 | 15 | 35 |
| Gum | 20 | 35 | 25 | 35 |
| Hemlock | 15 | 35 | 20 | 35 |
| Hickory | 5 | 40 | 10 | 40 |
| Mahogany | 10 | 35 | 15 | 35 |
| Maple | 5 | 40 | 10 | 40 |
| Oak | 10 | 40 | 15 | 40 |
| Oak Qtd. | 10 | 40 | 15 | 40 |
| Pine Yel. | 20 | 35 | 25 | 35 |
| Pine White | 25 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Pine Ponderosa | 25 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Poplar | 30 | 30 | 35 | 30 |
| Redwood | 5 | 30 | 15 | 30 |
| Spruce | 20 | 35 | 25 | 35 |
| Sycamore | 5 | 35 | 10 | 35 |
| Walnut | 5 | 35 | 10 | 35 |
| Elm Soft | 5 | 40 | 10 | 40 |
CA is cutting angle. B is grinding bevel.
| Kind of wood | Defect-free pieces at cutting angle of-- | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5° | 10° | 15° | 20° | 25° | 30° | |
| Percent | Percent | Percent | Percent | Percent | Percent | |
| Ash | 69 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 79 | 53 |
| Basswood | -- | -- | 52 | 65 | 68 | 65 |
| Birch | -- | -- | 71 | 63 | 55 | -- |
| Chestnut | -- | -- | 81 | 76 | 65 | 34 |
| Cottonwood | 40 | 37 | 25 | 27 | 12 | 31 |
| Elm, soft | 24 | 24 | 48 | 33 | 19 | 18 |
| Blackgum | 42 | 52 | 47 | 53 | 43 | 37 |
| Hackberry | 37 | 47 | 75 | 93 | 54 | 20 |
| Magnolia | 87 | 78 | 78 | 56 | 62 | 61 |
| Mahogany | 77 | 88 | 76 | 77 | 87 | -- |
| Hard Maple | -- | -- | 56 | 56 | 51 | 17 |
| Soft Maple | 43 | 61 | 57 | 33 | 34 | 18 |
| Red Oak | 66 | 96 | 95 | 92 | 87 | 65 |
| White Oak | 74 | 98 | 95 | 93 | 74 | 37 |
| Pecan | 78 | 82 | 76 | 92 | 95 | 57 |
| Sweetgum | 35 | 66 | 54 | 51 | 49 | 44 |
| Sycamore | 25 | 39 | 26 | 23 | 18 | 18 |
| Black walnut | -- | 64 | 73 | 50 | -- | |
| Willow | 32 | 46 | 50 | 59 | 46 | 10 |
| Yellowpoplar | 66 | 75 | 75 | 67 | 67 | 48 |
For each cutting angle shown the test pieces were planned under two different conditions: (1) At 36 feet per minute feed and 3,600 r.p.m. and (2) on the opposite side at 54 feet feed and 5,400r.p.m. The moisture content was 6 percent for this entire series of tests.
