Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters — Career Decision Dashboard

Typical tasks

• Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications.
• Produce or assemble components of articles, such as store fixtures, office equipment, cabinets, or high-grade furniture.
• Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing.
• Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
• Cut timber to the right size, and shape and trim parts of joints to ensure a snug fit, using hand tools, such as planes, chisels, or wood files.
• Match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood.
• Set up or operate machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, or shapers, to cut, mold, or shape woodstock or wood substitutes.
• Establish the specifications of articles to be constructed or repaired, or plan the methods or operations for shaping or assembling parts, based on blueprints, drawings, diagrams, or oral or written instructions.