Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 2
TOOLS AND MACHINES IN WOODWORK INDUSTRY
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TOOLS AND MACHINES IN WOODWORK INDUSTRY
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Applied Technology
Class: SHS 2
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 6
Grade code: 2.4.1.LI.3
Strand code: 4
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 2.4.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 2.4.1.LI.3
Theme: WOOD TECHNOLOGY
Subtheme: TOOLS AND MACHINES IN WOODWORK INDUSTRY
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Welcome, future innovators and artisans! In Ghana, from the beautiful carved stools in our chiefs' palaces to the strong wooden frames of our homes and the desks in our classrooms, woodwork is all around us. For generations, we have used hand tools. However, to work faster, more accurately, and create modern designs, the woodwork industry now relies heavily on machines. Understanding these machines is the first step to becoming a skilled, efficient, and safe modern woodworker. This lesson will move you from simply knowing about tools to understanding the power and precision of machines that shape our world.
This section breaks down the essential machines you will find in a typical woodwork workshop. We will group them by their main function: Sawing (cutting) and Planing (smoothing and sizing). Part A: Sawing Machines (Machines for Cutting Wood)
Sawing machines are used to cut wood into smaller, manageable pieces, either along its length (ripping) or across its width (cross-cutting). The Circular Saw (Table Saw) This is often the heart of the workshop. It consists of a circular blade that protrudes through a flat metal table. Primary Uses: Ripping: Cutting a piece of wood along the direction of the grain (e.g., making a wide board narrower). Cross-cutting: Cutting a piece of wood across the grain (e.g., cutting a long board to the correct length). Cutting grooves and simple joints. Key Parts: Table: The flat surface that supports the wood during cutting. Blade: The toothed circular disc that does the cutting. It can be raised or lowered to adjust the cutting depth. Rip Fence: A guide that is parallel to the blade. You press the wood against it to ensure a perfectly straight rip cut. Miter Gauge: A sliding guide used to push wood past the blade at a specific angle, typically for cross-cutting at 90 degrees or other angles. Blade Guard: A safety cover (usually clear plastic) that sits over the blade to prevent accidental contact. On/Off Switch: The control to start and stop the machine. Ghanaian Context Example: A carpenter in Accra needs to cut large sheets of plywood to make kitchen cabinets. The circular saw is the fastest and most accurate machine for this job, using the rip fence to ensure all the cabinet sides are exactly the same width. The Band Saw This machine uses a long, continuous band of a toothed blade that runs over two large wheels. Primary Uses: Cutting Curves: Its thin blade makes it perfect for cutting irregular or curved shapes. Re-sawing: Slicing a thick piece of wood into thinner slabs. Key Parts: Upper and Lower Wheels: These wheels hold and drive the blade. Blade: The long, flexible loop of toothed metal. Table: Supports the wood. It can often be tilted for angled cuts. Blade Guides: Small blocks or bearings above and below the cutting area that keep the blade from twisting. Ghanaian Context Example: An artisan in Aburi wants to make the curved legs for a traditional "Sankofa" chair. The band saw is the ideal machine to cut these intricate curves from a block of Odum wood. The Crosscut Saw (Mitre Saw) This is a specialised saw where a circular blade is mounted on a swinging arm. Primary Use: Making very precise crosscuts and angled cuts (mitres). It is not used for ripping. Ghanaian Context Example: When building the roof frame for a new house, carpenters need to cut many pieces of wood to the exact same length and at precise angles to fit together perfectly. The crosscut mitre saw is the best machine for this repetitive and accurate work. Part B: Planing Machines (Machines for Flattening, Smoothing, and Sizing)
Raw timber from the sawmill is rarely perfectly flat, straight, or of uniform thickness. Planing machines are used to prepare the wood for joinery and finishing. This is a two-step process. The Surface Planer (also called a Jointer) This machine is used to create one perfectly flat face and one perfectly straight edge on a piece of wood, with the edge being exactly 90 degrees to the face. Primary Use: To flatten and straighten wood. It is the first machine you use on rough lumber. Key Parts: Infeed Table: The table where you place the wood to start the cut. It is set slightly lower than the cutterhead. Outfeed Table: The table that receives the wood after it has been cut. It is set at the exact same height as the cutterhead. Cutterhead: A rotating cylinder with sharp knives that shaves off the wood. Fence: A guide, set at 90 degrees to the table, against which you press the edge of the wood to make it square to the face. Guard: A safety feature that covers the cutterhead. How it Works (Step-by-Step): Place the concave (curved-in) side of the board down on the infeed table. Push the board firmly down and forward over the cutterhead. The knives shave off the high spots, and the newly flattened surface rests on the outfeed table. Repeat until one entire face is perfectly flat. This is your reference face. Then, press this flat face against the fence and run an edge over the cutterhead. This creates a reference edge that is perfectly square (90°) to the reference face. The Thicknesser (or Thickness Planer) After using the surface planer, you use the thicknesser. It makes the second face of the board parallel to the first and brings the wood to a consistent, desired thickness. Primary Use: To make a board a uniform thickness. How it Works (Step-by-Step): Place the board on the machine's table with the reference face (the flat side you made on the surface planer) facing down. The feed rollers will pull the board through the machine. A cutterhead located above the board shaves off wood from the top surface. The result is a board with two perfectly parallel faces and a precise thickness. Key Difference: A Surface Planer *creates* a flat surface. A Thicknesser *copies* a flat surface to the opposite side to make it parallel and to a specific thickness. You cannot use a thicknesser to flatten a warped board.
Combined Planer-Thicknesser: Many smaller workshops in Ghana use a combination machine that performs both surfacing and thicknessing functions to save space and cost. Part C: Modern Machines