Career Details :: Sawing Machine Operators and Tenders
Description
Operate or tend wood-sawing machines, such as circular saws, band saws, multiple-blade sawing machines, scroll saws, ripsaws, equalizer saws, power saws, and crozer machines. Duties include: sawing logs to specifications; cutting lumber to specified dimensions; sawing curved or irregular designs; trimming edges and removing defects from lumber; or cutting grooves, bevel, and miter according to specifications or work orders.
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.
Tasks
- Adjusts saw blades by turning handwheels, pressing pedals, levers, and panel buttons, or using wrenches and rulers.
- Sharpens blades or replaces defective or worn blades and bands, using hand tools.
- Moves machine table to specified angle and height by turning handwheels, cranks, or knobs.
- Guides workpiece against saw or saw over workpiece or operates automatic feeding device to guide cuts.
- Measures workpiece to mark for cuts and to verify accuracy of cuts, using ruler, square, or caliper rule.
- Unloads and rolls logs from truck to sawmill deck or to carriage or moves logs in pond, using pike pole.
- Operates and tends saws and machines to cut stock and to adjust machine speed and tension, moving levers and handwheels.
- Positions and clamps stock on table, conveyor, or carriage, using hoists, guides, stops, dogs, wedges, and wrench.
- Determines sawing blade, type and grade of stock needed, and cutting procedures, according to work order or supervisor's instructions.
- Observes approaching lumber on conveyor to determine cut that will produce highest grade.
- Lubricates and cleans machines, using wrench, grease gun, and solvents.
- Counts, sorts, and stacks finished workpieces and disposes of waste material.
- Mounts and bolts sawing blade or attachments to machine shaft and turns handwheels to set blade tension.
- Trims defects from stock or workpiece to straighten rough edges of lumber, using circular power saw.
- Inspects stock for imperfections and estimates grade or quality of stock or workpiece.
- Unclamps and removes finished workpiece from table.
- Clears machine jams, using hand tools.
- Turns knobs, handwheels, setscrews, and panel controls, or uses hand tools to position and adjust cutting stops and guides.
- Operates panel board of saw and conveyor system to cut stock to specified dimensions and to move stock through process.
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- Welding Machine Setters and Set-Up Operators
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Monitor Processes, Material, Surroundings
- Implementing Ideas, Programs, etc.
Important Skills
- Operation and Control
- Product Inspection
- Equipment Selection
- Equipment Maintenance
- Operation Monitoring
Frequent Work Context
- Degree of Automation
- Hazardous Equipment
- Hazardous Situations
- Hazardous Equipment
- Consequence of Error
Related Majors
| Major | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|
| Wood Design |  [ add ] |
| Wood/Furniture | [ add ] |
| Woodworking/Furniture Design | [ add ] |
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.