Toolpath
• 170 min
#5 Chips and Tips – Speeds and Feeds
Chips and Tips Podcast
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In this episode of Chips and Tips, the Toolpath Customer Success team dives into one of CNC machining’s most talked-about, but often misunderstood, topics: speeds and feeds.
Speeds and feeds episode summary
"Once I spotted the pattern — chip load scaling with tool diameter — it clicked. But until then? It felt like wizardry wrapped in decimals." - Tim Paul
Tim leads the pod, bringing 25 years of hands-on experience. The conversation breaks down how cutting parameters actually get set, why they matter, and what shops can do to make smarter decisions, without the guesswork.
Tim opens by reflecting on a memory from early in his career, standing in front of a machine with a quarter-inch endmill and no idea what numbers to plug in. His mentor handed him a spreadsheet of feed rates that just “worked.” That moment sparked a lifelong need to not just follow the numbers, but understand the why behind them. That same curiosity is what drives Toolpath’s approach today: turn experience into insight, and insight into action.
The team acknowledges what many machinists already know, every shop is different. There's no universal “right” answer for speeds and feeds. But that doesn’t mean we should settle for blind trial and error either. Instead, they talk about the core variables that impact cutting performance, like chip load, tool diameter, machine capability, and material properties — and how those interact in the real world. It’s less about rigid formulas and more about building systems that learn from what works on the shop floor.
Paul, Toolpath’s Customer Success Manager, shares how he sees feeds and speeds come up in nearly every customer conversation, especially when helping shops set up their tool libraries in Toolpath. The takeaway? Having trusted defaults is great, but giving your system the ability to evolve as you gain experience is where the real productivity gains come from.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever asked “What should I run this at?” and gotten back a shrug or a sticky note. Tim and the team don’t claim to have the answer, but they’ll help you ask better questions, so your shop can find your answer faster, with more confidence, and a lot less scrap.
