Hi Stonker,
For end mills I think the default stepover is 40%. Reading through the Vectric forum and I've been using 20-30% as my start point. Particularly for pockets/flat bottoms.
For ball nose 3D carving I use 8% stepover - again from reading Vectric forum and talking with folks at the last Vectric User Group meeting in Memphis.
This post -
http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=263 - also has a few good references to use to actually calculate this as a fully trained machinist would. I've done that a couple of times to get a better sense of recommended starting points as I don't have 40 years of life experience.
The other big difference as you move from foam to wood will be the plunge and feed rates. Again, the reference provides some of this info. I've found that if I have a project I'm going to cut in two very different wood densities, I still use one project, then I use the Feed Rate Override (FRO) slider on the basic panel to adjust the settings as I run the project.
You could do a little research, and/or then run your project on wood with the FRO set at like 35% and then bump it up until you start getting poor cuts. Once you determine the best settings range, it will all be quicker. Unfortunately, beyond the reference I mentioned, I haven't found any cook books.
One thing I have seen regardless of the wood density is that sometimes it is a good idea to set the FRO to less than 100% so that the initial plunge and cut have no "pressure" and a maximum opportunity to get to the right spot and make that initial cut. This is true for either a rough or finish cut in my case. If you think about it, it makes sense as with the first/initial cut, the entire bit is chomping at the material. The "next pass" is typically only making contact along a single edge of the tool. After a minute or two of cutting, I crank the FRO back to 100%.
Lastly, be sure not to get the FRO below 30-35%. There is a reported bug in the basic panel when the FRO is below that - so best not to confirm or deny the bug yourself.
