Careers > Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

$36.83K Median Salary 8.7K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 9.8% Job Growth

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About This Career

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.

Reported Job Titles

Boring Machine Operator, Cabinet Maker, Knot Saw Operator, Lathe Operator, Machine Operator, Molder Operator, Router Operator, Sander, Sander Operator

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Near Vision

Reaction Time

Control Precision

Manual Dexterity

Oral Comprehension

Multilimb Coordination

Problem Sensitivity

Static Strength

Trunk Strength

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Auditory Attention

Far Vision

Finger Dexterity

Perceptual Speed

Selective Attention

Visualization

Category Flexibility

Deductive Reasoning

Dynamic Strength

Extent Flexibility

Flexibility of Closure

Information Ordering

Oral Expression

Rate Control

Speech Recognition

Knowledge

Mechanical

Skills

Operations Monitoring

Operation and Control

Quality Control Analysis

Monitoring

Critical Thinking

Equipment Maintenance

Speaking

Troubleshooting

Technology Skills

Computer aided design CAD software

Video creation and editing software

Operating system software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Document management software

Development environment software

Desktop publishing software

Computer aided manufacturing CAM software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Object or component oriented development software

Time accounting software

Presentation software

Data base user interface and query software

Inventory management software

Industrial control software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Tools

Boring machines

Calipers

Planes

Cutting machines

Positioning jig

Sanding machines

Mainframe console or dumb terminals

Drilling machines

Hydraulic press frames

Acoustic ear muffs or defenders

Shaper cutter

Wood gouge

Hold down clamps

Horizontal turning center

Compasses

Squares

Hand sprayers

Milling machines

Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe

Protective gloves

Rulers

Power grinders

Paint brushes

Planing machines

Grinding machines

Wood chisels

Power nail guns

Adjustable wrenches

Saws

Power sanders

Claw hammer

Cheesegrater file

Power saws

Templates

Grease guns

Biscuit jointers

Safety glasses

Conveyor feeders

Height gauges

Protractors

Desktop computers

Pneumatic sanding machines

Power routers

Abilities

Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Knowledge

Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Skills

Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Technology Skills

Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Video creation and editing software: YouTube
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Development environment software: Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: 1CadCam Unigraphics; Geometric CAMWorks; Siemens NX
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java
Time accounting software: Timekeeping software
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Inventory management software: Assisi Software Assisi Inventory
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software

Tools

Boring machines: Boring bars; Computerized numerical control CNC boring machines; Line boring machines; Screw pocket machines
Calipers: Dial calipers; Digital calipers; Vernier calipers
Planes: Shapers; Spindle shapers
Cutting machines: Slitters
Positioning jig: Sharpening jigs
Sanding machines: Edge sanders; Wide belt sanders
Mainframe console or dumb terminals: Computer terminals
Drilling machines: Drill presses
Hydraulic press frames: Hydraulic hot presses
Acoustic ear muffs or defenders: Protective ear muffs
Shaper cutter: Shaping machines
Wood gouge: Hand lathes
Hold down clamps: Holding clamps
Horizontal turning center: Turning lathes
Compasses:
Squares:
Hand sprayers: Spray guns
Milling machines: Machining centers
Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe: Lathes
Protective gloves: Safety gloves
Rulers: Precision rulers; Steel rules
Power grinders: Underwater power grinders
Paint brushes: Paint application brushes
Planing machines: Planers
Grinding machines: Profile grinders
Wood chisels:
Power nail guns: Nailing machines
Adjustable wrenches: Adjustable hand wrenches
Saws: Multi-purpose saw sets
Power sanders: Power hand sanders
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Cheesegrater file: Wood files
Power saws: Chain saws
Templates: Machine templates
Grease guns:
Biscuit jointers:
Safety glasses: Protective safety glasses
Conveyor feeders: Gravimetric feeders; Polymer feed systems
Height gauges:
Protractors:
Desktop computers:
Pneumatic sanding machines:
Power routers: