Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

What woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing do

Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.

Typical tasks

1. 1Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.
2. 2Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges.
3. 3Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
4. 4Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
5. 5Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.
6. 6Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
7. 7Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.
8. 8Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.
9. 9Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
10. 10Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.

Technology used

• Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe Creative Cloud software
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Photoshop
• Apple macOS
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint

How to become one

Education

The most common level among workers surveyed is a high school diploma (73%). Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Training

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.