Jointer Training

The jointer is the second of the three most important machines in a woodworking shop. It enables the woodworker to produce flat and straight faces and edges on raw lumber, which always comes with some warp and twist. This video teaches you the basic function of the jointer, as well step by step for measuring, marking, and flattening a rough board.

Thickness Planer Training

The thickness planer is designed to produce a board of a constant thickness, depending on a movable table and a scale to set the thickness. The table adjusts in height to vary the distance between it and a cylindrical cutter head that is mounted above the table. As wood is fed into the planer it is picked up by a powered feed roller that presses it down and carries through the planer under the cutter head. Any part of that board that is thicker than the distance from table to cutter head will be machined off to produce a constant thickness.

Thickness planers cannot produce a flat board with no warp unless one face has already been flattened with a jointer.

Miter Saw Training

Miter saws are for “crosscutting” or cutting cutting across the grain of wood (or across the shorter direction if the material has no grain). Miter saws are designed to crosscut at an angle, which is called a miter cut. They are quick to use, and also capable of precision finish cuts. A miter saw would be the first choice for cutting a picture frame.

Panel saw training

The sliding panel table saw is essential for any for profit cabinet making shop. Panel saws of this type are equipped to cut a perfect straight edge up to 10’ long, then slice it into strips of various widths. Those strips are then crosscut to quickly produce all the parts for a cabinet or set of cabinets with high precision. Panel saws are equipped with a special scoring blade that eliminates unsightly surface tear out.

Band Saw Training

Band saws handle almost any full saw cut a woodworker might need to make. The band saw can be a workhorse when cutting lengthwise (ripping) and is capable of cutting all the way through a board held on edge (re-sawing). IsGood Woodworks has a band saw able to cut up to 24” of wood thickness.

Band saws are also capable of making tightly curved cuts, depending on the blade width. The tables can tip so that a bevel, or a combination of a curved cut with a bevel can be made. They are not a full substitute for a table saw, but if you are limited in budget and space, a band saw can cover a greater range of cuts.

Wide Belt Sander Training

Wide belt sanders have a wide sanding belt on a pair of rollers above a height adjustable feed table. Wood or other material is run between the bottom of the sanding belt and the top of the feed table with the space between set very slightly less that the wood thickness. Wide belt sanders produce a very flat smooth surface in a fraction of the time it takes to sand with portable sanders.