Woodworking factory products are innumerable, and a choice of occupation can be made so that you will find the work interesting, if you have any liking for the trades at all.
In these trades the worker leads an active life and he is not generally exposed to severe weather conditions. The work is not usually heavy, and practically all of the men employed work indoors.
The industries are bound together by the use of common materials and machines and related operations, while their products, as noted below, cover a wide range; many of the operations are similar, whether the product is furniture, interior finish, boxes and crates, truck bodies, or musical instruments.
PLAN No. 928. CLASSES OF WORKERS AND WHAT THEY DO
Workers in these trades may be grouped as in the following tabulation:
| Classes of workers. | What the men do. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Yardmen | - | Prepare raw material and keep machines and tools in order. | |
| Dry kiln men | |||
| Lumber inspectors | |||
| Swing-saw men | |||
| Planer and resaw men | |||
| Filers | |||
| Millwrights | |||
| Machine operators | - | Operate machines and prepare stock for assembling. | |
| Off-bearers | |||
| Gluers | |||
| Carvers | |||
| Turners | |||
| Cabinetmakers | - | Assemble prepared pieces of stock into built-up products. | |
| Chair makers | |||
| Frame, sash, and door makers | |||
| Interior wood finishers | |||
| Assemblers | |||
| Box, crate, and basket makers | |||
| Toy makers | |||
| Men who apply stain and filler | - | Apply finishing materials and prepare the product for sale. | |
| Rubbers | |||
| Varnishers | |||
| French polishers | |||
| Upholsterers | |||
| Packing-room employees | |||
| Foremen | Direct labor. | ||
Plan No. 928. Industry Makes All Things Easy
Many employees in woodworking establishments are common laborers, some of whom have learned to do the simpler operations by watching other men at work. They may finally learn to run machines. Boys who are taken on as off-bearers get into positions as machine operators in this way.
Other men of a somewhat higher grade, operate machines, work at the bench assembling parts, and in the finishing room apply the finishing materials.