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What Are the Different Types of Woodworking Machinery?

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

When one thinks of woodworking, one may imagine hand tools such as chisels, carving knives, gouges, v-tools, and veiners. But woodworking machinery can also play a role in woodworking. Woodworking machinery includes two sorts of equipment, both of them types of power tools. Power tools are tools that are powered by electricity, a gasoline engine, or compressed air. On the one hand, this machinery includes a variety of hand-held and stationary power tools that are used in home workshops and small woodworking operations. On the other hand, it includes larger equipment used in large-scale manufacturing and in dealing with panels.

The larger equipment can be summarized as treating the surface or edge of the panels, boring the panels, or packing the panels. The smaller tools are somewhat diverse, including tools to cut, shape, grind, carve, smooth, flatten, join, and make holes in wood. These tools include saws, routers, rotary tools, biscuit joiners, jointers, planes, drills, nailers, and pinners, as well as lathes, mortisers, wood shapers, and bench grinders.

A power sander, which is used for woodworking.
A power sander, which is used for woodworking.

There are many types of wood machinery saws. Those that are handheld power tools include circular saws for cutting straight lines, chain saws or chainsaws for logging or for chainsaw art, jigsaws for cutting curves and stenciled designs, and miter saws for making crosscuts and miter cuts. Stationary saws include band saws mainly for irregular and curved cuts, radial arm saws for making long cuts as well as dado, rabbet, and half lap joints, scroll saws for creating ornamental scrollwork, and circular saws set up as table saws.

A hand-held power drill can be used for woodworking projects.
A hand-held power drill can be used for woodworking projects.

Other woodworking machinery in the form of hand-held power tools would be routers, used to cut, trim, and shape wood; rotary tools used for cutting, carving, sanding, and polishing; jointers and planes to produce a flat surface; biscuit joiners to make joints; drills to make holes; and nailers and pinners to fasten pieces of wood together. Other stationary machinery includes lathes for woodturning, and mortisers to create the mortise for a mortise and tenon joint. Wood shapers, also called spindle moulders, which function like stationary routers, and bench grinders, which can be used for polishing, are other types of woodworking machinery, as are drill presses, which are mounted drills, made stationary.

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to WiseGEEK about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

Learn more...
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to WiseGEEK about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

sirposo2

How can I identify the hazards in the carpentry workshops?

Ravellu

The primary difference between corded and cordless hand tools is the amount of power available for use. This is seen in the form of torque, or the force that allows the tool to do its job. Most power tools with a cord power tools have higher torque because of the steady availability of electricity. Cordless tools are more convenient, but have lower power capabilities due to the discharge of the battery. The use of newer, high capacity batteries and the higher gearing of many modern cordless tools have been able to compensate for the loss of torque.

StarBanobo

What are the differences between corded and cordless hand tools?

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    • A power sander, which is used for woodworking.
      By: Negaro Imaging
      A power sander, which is used for woodworking.
    • A hand-held power drill can be used for woodworking projects.
      By: Guzel Studio
      A hand-held power drill can be used for woodworking projects.
    • In woodworking, miter saws are used to make crosscuts and miter cuts.
      By: Dmitry Naumov
      In woodworking, miter saws are used to make crosscuts and miter cuts.
    • Half lap joints require a radial arm saw.
      By: Newsy Preservation Paris
      Half lap joints require a radial arm saw.
    • Chainsaws are used in a variety of applications.
      By: mavil
      Chainsaws are used in a variety of applications.
    • A bench grinder is typically used to sharpen metal tools.
      By: Eimantas Buzas
      A bench grinder is typically used to sharpen metal tools.