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Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

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.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas.
    • Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.
    • Push or hold workpieces against, under, or through cutting, boring, or shaping mechanisms.
    • Inspect pulleys, drive belts, guards, or fences on machines to ensure that machines will operate safely.
    • Control hoists to remove parts or products from work stations.
    • Secure woodstock against a guide or in a holding device, place woodstock on a conveyor, or dump woodstock in a hopper to feed woodstock into machines.
    • Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
    • Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
    • Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications.
    • Secure woodstock against a guide or in a holding device, place woodstock on a conveyor, or dump woodstock in a hopper to feed woodstock into machines.
    • Inspect and mark completed workpieces and stack them on pallets, in boxes, or on conveyors so that they can be moved to the next workstation.
    • Set up, program, or control computer-aided design (CAD) or computer numerical control (CNC) machines.
    • Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
    • Clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas.
    • Remove and replace worn parts, bits, belts, sandpaper, or shaping tools.
    • Grease or oil woodworking machines.
    • Examine 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.
    • Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.
    • Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
    • Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.
    • Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
    • Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.
    • Remove and replace worn parts, bits, belts, sandpaper, or shaping tools.
    • Trim wood parts according to specifications, using planes, chisels, or wood files or sanders.
    • Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.
    • Attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, using hand tools.
    • Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
    • Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.
    • Start machines and move levers to engage hydraulic lifts that press woodstocks into desired forms and disengage lifts after appropriate drying times.
    • Inspect and mark completed workpieces and stack them on pallets, in boxes, or on conveyors so that they can be moved to the next workstation.
    • Attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, using hand tools.
    • Operate gluing machines to glue pieces of wood together, or to press and affix wood veneer to wood surfaces.
    • Unclamp workpieces and remove them from machines.
    • Clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas.

    Skills

    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    Knowledge

    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    50170/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    24.12/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    2,260
    Yearly Projected Openings
    200

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness

    Tools

    • Acoustic ear muffs or defenders
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Biscuit jointers
    • Boring machines
    • Calipers
    • Cheesegrater file
    • Claw hammer
    • Compasses
    • Conveyor feeders
    • Cutting machines
    • Desktop computers
    • Drilling machines
    • Grease guns
    • Grinding machines
    • Hand sprayers
    • Height gauges
    • Hold down clamps
    • Horizontal turning center
    • Hydraulic press frames
    • Mainframe console or dumb terminals
    • Milling machines
    • Paint brushes
    • Planes
    • Planing machines
    • Pneumatic sanding machines
    • Positioning jig
    • Power grinders
    • Power nail guns
    • Power routers
    • Power sanders
    • Power saws
    • Protective gloves
    • Protractors
    • Rulers
    • Safety glasses
    • Sanding machines
    • Saws
    • Shaper cutter
    • Squares
    • Templates
    • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
    • Wood chisels
    • Wood gouge

    Technology

    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Industrial control software
    • Inventory management software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Time accounting software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Word processing software