Woodworking Machinery Basics

The correct woodworking machinery can improve your company's product and yield

Woodworking machinery is a necessity for most companies that work with wood. Although hand tools still work best for some jobs, the vast majority of woodworking is usually done with general woodworking machinery, like electrical saws, drills and other important power tools. These machines are often computer operated, allowing you to program in the design and let the computer controlled woodworking machine take over.

You can generally get woodworking machinery basics at tool shops specializing in woodworking machinery sales, or woodworking machinery auctions. Some places will sell used woodworking machinery for a fraction of the cost you'd pay for new.

1. Most drill presses will need their drill bits replaced every now and then. Like all woodworking machinery, how often you must replace the parts depends on how often you use the machine and the quality of the parts.

2. When buying panel saws, check to make sure that the model can handle the size of wood you want to cut.

3. Always make sure replacement parts and blades are available for any woodworking machinery you buy. This can be difficult if the manufacturing company goes out of business or retires the model.

Choose a selection of saws when selecting basic woodworking equipment

Basic woodworking machinery generally includes several different types of saws. These include ripsaws and panel saws, which are special types of saws used to cut wood. Ripsaws have coarse teeth designed to cut in the same direction as the wood's grain. Panel saws allow you to cut large flat sheets of wood quickly and easily. These tools are essential for almost any woodwork, and can often be purchased cheaply from places that sell surplus woodworking machinery, or an online woodworking machinery auction.
NC State University's Ripsaw Guide.

Use a drill press in addition to your general woodworking machinery

A drill press is used to drill holes in wood at almost any angle, and can also function as a spindle sander, pocket hole machine or mortise machine. Drill presses are one of the most basic woodworking tools. They come in floor or bench-top models and with various horsepower. Generally speaking, the more speeds a drill press comes with, the more control you'll have over the size of hole it creates. You'll also want a model with a tilting table for better control.
MIT's Drill Press Guide, or buy one from MSC Industrial Supply.

Buy industrial woodworking machinery for high-volume production

If your company needs to produce a large volume of product in the shortest possible time, then your company needs commercial woodworking machinery. Commercial woodworking machinery is often computer-operated, but also has the ability to cut, carve and shape wood more quickly than general woodworking equipment. This cuts down production time, making it easier for your to manufacture high volume orders. Industrial woodworking machinery tends to be more expensive than general woodworking machines, mainly because of the speed they provide.

• Take all necessary safety precautions when working with woodworking equipment. This includes wearing gloves and safety goggles when appropriate, as well as keeping your hands clear of all moving parts when operating power tools. Failure to follow safety guidelines during woodworking can result in eye, hand and face injuries.

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