Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Also known as: Adzing and Boring Machine Operator, Artificial Log Machine Operator, Automatic Clipper (+283 more)
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.
Take the free 15-minute assessment to compare this role with your profile, your current fit, and nearby alternatives
What You'll Do
- Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
- 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.
- Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
- Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
- Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.
- Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications.
- 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.
- Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.
- 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.
Essential Skills
Career Fit Overview
Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.
Top passions
- Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
- Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
- Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
Common styles
Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness, Achievement Orientation, Stress Tolerance
Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.
Key Abilities
This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:
Technologies & Tools
Work Environment & Strengths
Common Strengths for This Career
- Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.69/5)
- Dependability (High importance: 4.44/5)
- Cautiousness (High importance: 4.26/5)
- Achievement Orientation (High importance: 3.58/5)
- Stress Tolerance (High importance: 3.55/5)
Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?
Take Free 15-Min Assessment →How to Become One
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.
Similar Careers to Explore
Insulation Workers, Mechanical
100.0% similar profile
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
100.0% similar profile
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
100.0% similar profile
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
99.9% similar profile
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
99.9% similar profile
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
99.9% similar profile
Continuous Mining Machine Operators
99.9% similar profile
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
99.9% similar profile
Also Known As
This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:
Career Fit FAQs
Is this career a good fit for me
This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.
Can this help if I want to stay in my field
Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.
What should I compare first
Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.
Ready to Compare This Career to Your Profile?
Use the assessment to compare your current role, inspect nearby options, and see whether this career is a stronger fit for how you work.
Take Free Assessment (15 min) →