Wood Machinist

A Sculptor of wood, a Wood Machinist trades chisel for power saw to cut and shape wooden pieces. Wood Machinists build door frames, cabinets, and even fence posts for home improvement stores and Builders.

Constructing the finest fencing or sturdiest window frames in town requires someone with a steady hand and the best equipment. Shapers, planers, jointers — as a Wood Machinist, you use and maintain them all. From oiling moving parts to replacing a saw blade, you know your way around your tools. You also take the necessary safety precautions to prevent injuries.

Before you can power up your tools, you need to know what you’re building. Whatever the project, you sketch it out by hand or use computer drafting software to design and print the blueprints. It’s crucial to check and recheck your measurements and angles unless you want lopsided doors and wonky cabinets.

When you’ve cut all the pieces, you move on to assembly and finishing. Pieces need gluing, nailing, polishing, and painting. It’s not enough to simply match pieces together. You must align them by the grain of the wood and watch out for knots.

Your finished products may or may not be painted and decorated, depending on your clients’ needs. Some want bare-bones pieces to customize, while others want detailed designs in the wood itself. Your talent with your tools lets you carve out the most intricate patterns for a unique, finished piece.