51-7042.00Apprenticeship

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders

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.

Career Cluster:Advanced Manufacturing
Job Family:Production
Job Zone:Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Industry:Manufacturing
Build Resume

Technology Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopApple macOSAutodesk AutoCADDassault Systemes SolidWorksMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPoint

Key Tasks

  • 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.
  • 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, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
  • Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
  • Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.
  • Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
  • Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.
  • Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.
  • Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.
  • Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
  • Push or hold workpieces against, under, or through cutting, boring, or shaping mechanisms.
  • 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.
  • Remove and replace worn parts, bits, belts, sandpaper, or shaping tools.
  • 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.
  • Inspect pulleys, drive belts, guards, or fences on machines to ensure that machines will operate safely.
  • Attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, using hand tools.
  • Clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas.
  • Trim wood parts according to specifications, using planes, chisels, or wood files or sanders.
  • Start machines and move levers to engage hydraulic lifts that press woodstocks into desired forms and disengage lifts after appropriate drying times.
  • Unclamp workpieces and remove them from machines.
  • Set up, program, or control computer-aided design (CAD) or computer numerical control (CNC) machines.
  • Operate gluing machines to glue pieces of wood together, or to press and affix wood veneer to wood surfaces.
  • Grease or oil woodworking machines.
  • Control hoists to remove parts or products from work stations.

Skills

Operations Monitoring
66%
Operation and Control
63%
Quality Control Analysis
56%
Monitoring
53%
Troubleshooting
50%
Speaking
50%
Equipment Maintenance
50%
Critical Thinking
50%
Repairing
47%
Equipment Selection
47%
Active Listening
47%
Judgment and Decision Making
47%
Time Management
44%
Reading Comprehension
44%
Complex Problem Solving
44%
Active Learning
38%
Mathematics
35%
Social Perceptiveness
31%
Learning Strategies
31%
Coordination
28%
Systems Evaluation
25%
Instructing
22%
Operations Analysis
22%
Persuasion
22%
Installation
22%
Management of Personnel Resources
22%
Writing
22%
Negotiation
22%
Service Orientation
22%
Technology Design
22%
Management of Material Resources
19%
Systems Analysis
19%
Programming
19%
Management of Financial Resources
16%
Science
13%

Knowledge

Mechanical
57%
Production and Processing
49%
Mathematics
48%
Public Safety and Security
38%
Building and Construction
34%
Education and Training
34%
Design
33%
English Language
32%
Administration and Management
25%
Transportation
24%
Engineering and Technology
23%
Customer and Personal Service
20%
Computers and Electronics
20%
Chemistry
18%
Sales and Marketing
17%
Personnel and Human Resources
16%
Physics
14%
Administrative
10%
Medicine and Dentistry
10%
Psychology
9%
Communications and Media
7%
Economics and Accounting
7%
Biology
5%
Therapy and Counseling
5%
Telecommunications
4%
Philosophy and Theology
3%
Foreign Language
3%
Law and Government
3%
Sociology and Anthropology
2%
Geography
1%
Food Production
1%
History and Archeology
0%
Fine Arts
0%

Build a Resume for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders

Create a professional, ATS-optimized resume tailored to this career path.

Create Resume

Abilities

Near Vision
66%
Reaction Time
66%
Control Precision
63%
Manual Dexterity
63%
Oral Comprehension
60%
Problem Sensitivity
56%
Static Strength
56%
Multilimb Coordination
56%
Trunk Strength
56%
Perceptual Speed
53%
Auditory Attention
53%
Far Vision
53%
Visualization
53%
Arm-Hand Steadiness
53%
Finger Dexterity
53%
Selective Attention
53%
Deductive Reasoning
50%
Extent Flexibility
50%
Category Flexibility
50%
Speech Recognition
50%
Oral Expression
50%
Flexibility of Closure
50%
Information Ordering
50%
Dynamic Strength
50%
Rate Control
50%
Speech Clarity
47%
Depth Perception
47%
Inductive Reasoning
47%
Written Comprehension
47%
Speed of Closure
44%
Speed of Limb Movement
41%
Wrist-Finger Speed
41%
Response Orientation
41%
Visual Color Discrimination
41%
Hearing Sensitivity
38%
Stamina
38%
Number Facility
35%
Gross Body Coordination
35%
Time Sharing
31%
Gross Body Equilibrium
28%
Fluency of Ideas
25%
Mathematical Reasoning
25%
Written Expression
25%
Memorization
25%
Originality
25%
Explosive Strength
22%
Sound Localization
19%
Spatial Orientation
19%
Peripheral Vision
16%
Dynamic Flexibility
16%
Glare Sensitivity
13%
Night Vision
10%

Work Activities

Controlling Machines and Processes
75%
Handling and Moving Objects
73%
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
70%
Getting Information
65%
Performing General Physical Activities
63%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
60%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
56%
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
54%
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
51%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
51%
Processing Information
51%
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
47%
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
44%
Thinking Creatively
42%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
41%
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
40%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
39%
Documenting/Recording Information
37%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
36%
Training and Teaching Others
36%
Analyzing Data or Information
34%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
34%
Developing and Building Teams
34%
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
32%
Coaching and Developing Others
30%
Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
28%
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
26%
Developing Objectives and Strategies
26%
Assisting and Caring for Others
26%
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
25%
Working with Computers
25%
Scheduling Work and Activities
24%
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
23%
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
22%
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
21%
Monitoring and Controlling Resources
20%
Selling or Influencing Others
12%
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
11%
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
8%
Performing Administrative Activities
8%
Staffing Organizational Units
7%

Work Context

Exposed to Contaminants

How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?

100%

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams

How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?

96%

Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable

How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?

95%

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

95%

Spend Time Standing

How much does this job require standing?

94%

Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled

How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?

92%

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment

How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?

89%

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

85%

Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions

How much does this job require making repetitive motions?

84%

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets

How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?

83%

Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?

80%

Time Pressure

How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

74%

Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body

How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?

71%

Freedom to Make Decisions

How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

69%

Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals

How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?

68%

Duration of Typical Work Week

Number of hours typically worked in one week.

67%

Importance of Repeating Same Tasks

How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?

67%

Contact With Others

How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

66%

Frequency of Decision Making

How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

65%

Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures

How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?

63%

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?

60%

Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers

How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?

60%

Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings

How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?

59%

Health and Safety of Other Workers

How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?

58%

Spend Time Walking or Running

How much does this job require walking or running?

58%

Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities

How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?

55%

Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment

How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)

54%

Physical Proximity

To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?

51%

Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions

How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?

50%

Consequence of Error

How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?

45%

Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People

How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?

44%

Exposed to Hazardous Conditions

How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?

42%

Level of Competition

To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?

41%

Telephone Conversations

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

40%

Conflict Situations

How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?

40%

Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling

How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?

39%

Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions

How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?

36%

Deal With External Customers or the Public in General

How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?

32%

Degree of Automation

How automated is the job?

28%

Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection

How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?

25%

Written Letters and Memos

How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?

23%

Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance

How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?

19%

In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment

How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?

18%

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions

How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?

18%

Exposed to High Places

How often does this job require exposure to high places?

15%

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?

15%

E-Mail

How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?

14%

Public Speaking

How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?

14%

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment

How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?

11%

Outdoors, Under Cover

How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?

10%

Spend Time Sitting

How much does this job require sitting?

10%

Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles

How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?

8%

Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People

How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?

6%

Exposed to Whole Body Vibration

How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?

6%

Work Schedules

How regular are the work schedules for this job?

5%

Exposed to Disease or Infections

How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?

1%

Exposed to Radiation

How often does this job require exposure to radiation?

1%

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

73%

Less than high school diploma

21%

Post-secondary certificate

5%

Interests

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t

100

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum

53

Investigative

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f

24

Artistic

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,

3

Social

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

3

Enterprising

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis

1

Work Styles

Attention to Detail
84%
Dependability
72%
Cautiousness
63%
Achievement Orientation
29%
Stress Tolerance
27%
Integrity
25%
Perseverance
25%
Self-Control
25%
Adaptability
18%
Self-Confidence
17%
Intellectual Curiosity
13%
Cooperation
12%
Initiative
9%
Sincerity
1%

Work Values

Support
78%
Independence
39%
Relationships
33%
Working Conditions
33%
Achievement
22%
Recognition
22%

Ready to pursue a career as Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders?

Create a professional resume that highlights the right skills and experience for this role.

Build Your Resume Now