SAWING MACHINE OPERATOR AND TENDER

Job Definition:

Job 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.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Trims defects from stock or workpiece to straighten rough edges of lumber, using circular power saw.
• 2) Operates and tends saws and machines to cut stock and to adjust machine speed and tension, moving levers and handwheels.
• 3) Adjusts saw blades by turning handwheels, pressing pedals, levers, and panel buttons, or using wrenches and rulers.
• 4) Determines sawing blade, type and grade of stock needed, and cutting procedures, according to work order or supervisor’s instructions.
• 5) Positions and clamps stock on table, conveyor, or carriage, using hoists, guides, stops, dogs, wedges, and wrench.
• 6) Counts, sorts, and stacks finished workpieces and disposes of waste material.
• 7) Unloads and rolls logs from truck to sawmill deck or to carriage or moves logs in pond, using pike pole.
• 8) Lubricates and cleans machines, using wrench, grease gun, and solvents.
• 9) Inspects stock for imperfections and estimates grade or quality of stock or workpiece.
• 10) Sharpens blades or replaces defective or worn blades and bands, using hand tools.
• 11) Unclamps and removes finished workpiece from table.
• 12) Clears machine jams, using hand tools.
• 13) Measures workpiece to mark for cuts and to verify accuracy of cuts, using ruler, square, or caliper rule.
• 14) Moves machine table to specified angle and height by turning handwheels, cranks, or knobs.
• 15) Mounts and bolts sawing blade or attachments to machine shaft and turns handwheels to set blade tension.
• 16) Observes approaching lumber on conveyor to determine cut that will produce highest grade.
• 17) Turns knobs, handwheels, setscrews, and panel controls, or uses hand tools to position and adjust cutting stops and guides.
• 18) Guides workpiece against saw or saw over workpiece or operates automatic feeding device to guide cuts.
• 19) Operates panelboard of saw and conveyor system to cut stock to specified dimensions and to move stock through process.

Activities:

• 1) Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• 2) Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• 3) Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• 4) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 5) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Abilities:

• 1) Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• 2) Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• 3) Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• 4) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 5) Rate Control — The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
• 6) Trunk Strength — The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without ‘giving out’ or fatiguing.
• 7) Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
• 8) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 9) Wrist-Finger Speed — The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.

Knowledge:

• Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Building and Construction — Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.