How to cut basswood and chipboard with a Cricut

Which Cricut can cut wood

The Knife Blade needs the Adaptive Tool System, which only the Cricut Maker family has. Explore and Joy machines cannot drive it. An Explore with the deep point blade can cut thin items such as stiffened felt, magnet sheet and heavy card, but not basswood or 2 mm chipboard.

Cricut rates the Knife Blade for dense materials up to 2.4 mm (3/32 in) thick. Cricut lists basswood at 1/32 and 1/16 inch and balsa up to 3/32 inch, and recommends the Knife Blade for its own 2 mm chipboard. Thicker wood is a job for a scroll saw or a laser, see Cricut vs laser cutter.

Before you start: design tips

Wood has grain and chipboard has layers, so small pieces split more easily than in card. If you are unsure, cut a small sample of your design on scrap first. Knife Blade jobs can take a long time, and a test piece tells you whether the details survive before you commit a full sheet.

• Keep pieces larger than about 3/4 inch where you can; tiny details often break or tear.
• Avoid thin lines and sharp inside corners; the Knife Blade needs room to turn.
• Use simple fonts with thick strokes for wood lettering.
• Leave a margin of at least an inch around the design from the edge of the wood.
• Place the design so the wood grain runs the long way through narrow parts.

Step by step: cutting basswood or chipboard

1. 1

   If the Knife Blade is new, calibrate it in Design Space first; the app prompts you the first time.

2. 2

   Build the design, click Make, and choose the exact material, such as Basswood 1/16 in or Chipboard 2 mm.

3. 3

   Place the material on a clean StrongGrip mat and press it down firmly.

4. 4

   Tape all four edges to the mat with masking or painter's tape, keeping tape out of the cut area.

5. 5

   Slide the white star wheels on the roller bar all the way to the right so they do not dent the material.

6. 6

   Install the Knife Blade in clamp B, load the mat and press Go.

7. 7

   Let every pass run. Design Space shows the number of passes and the estimated time.

8. 8

   When it finishes, do not unload. Check the cut first.

Note.Keep fingers away from the carriage while the machine runs, and handle the Knife Blade by its housing. The blade is exposed and very sharp.

Check the cut before you unload

Look at the cut lines and gently press a piece with your finger or a weeding tool. If pieces lift free, unload the mat. If any piece is still attached, Design Space offers an option to add another pass while the mat is still loaded in the same position. Use it. Once you unload, you cannot line the mat back up precisely.

Free the pieces from the back by flexing the mat away from the wood, and use a craft knife to finish any thin spots that held. Light sanding cleans fuzzy basswood edges. Chipboard edges can be sealed with paint or glue if they will be handled often.

Common problems and fixes

For a full calibration walkthrough, see how to calibrate a Cricut Maker. If the Maker will not pull the mat in, Cricut Maker roller not feeding covers that. For other materials, the cut settings chart lists the blade and mat for each.

Is a Cricut the right tool for wood?

For thin craft wood, layered chipboard signs, ornaments and model parts, a Cricut Maker does the job well. For thicker hardwood, fast production or engraving, a laser cutter or saw is the better tool. If thick materials are your main project, our guide to cutting machines for wood, leather and chipboard compares the Maker with other options, and the Cricut machine guide explains the differences between Maker models.

See machines for thick materials →

Frequently asked questions

Can a Cricut Explore cut wood? No. Wood and 2 mm chipboard need the Knife Blade, which runs only on the Cricut Maker family. An Explore with the deep point blade handles thinner items such as heavy card and magnet sheet.

How thick of wood can a Cricut Maker cut? Cricut rates the Knife Blade for materials up to 2.4 mm (3/32 in). Cricut lists basswood at 1/32 and 1/16 inch and balsa up to 3/32 inch.

Why does the Knife Blade take so long? It cuts in many light passes rather than one deep one, which keeps the cut clean and protects the machine. Thick chipboard or a detailed design can take a long time.

Do I need to tape the material if I use a new StrongGrip mat? Yes. Cricut recommends taping dense materials because the many passes can shift even well-stuck material.