What is your name and job title?

Tim Rolan, Wood Machinist

Describe job requirements and tools you are required to have:

Custom grind profile knives, setup and operate six head WEINIG moulding machines. Use an opti stand to measure radius and axial. Use of dial calipers for precise measurements. Weinig moulders, planners, jointers, sanders, table saws, radial arm saws, straight line saws, Weinig Opti Rip saw, nail guns, screw guns, wrenches, screw drivers, other hand tools.

What kind of experience do you have (training, on the job, military)? How much would you recommend others have?

High School grad. Small amount of Machinist, tool & Die experience, 3 years on the job machine set-up. 4 years of supervisory experience.10 years on the job training now. Others need at least 2 apprenticeship to obtain a comfort level with these machines.

What made you decide to enter your particular field of work?

The need to eat. I had always admired people who built things with their hands and I had the chance to enter this custom field and have been there since. Makes me happy and if a job isn’t fun you will not last long at it.

What kind of education is required or would you suggest?

Someone should be able to read, write, and able to do basic math to start off with. Able to learn fractions. Able to read a tape measure. The rest could be learned on the job.

How long did your trade education take to accomplish? Is continuing education required?

I thought I knew it all after 3 years, but you really never stop learning different methods or short cuts. Also the industry is always changing so we must keep up with it.

Are there special skills one needs to enter your field of work?

The ability to take criticism and learn from mistakes, to strive to do better. Math, fractions, metric to standard conversions are helpful.

Do you remember your first day on the job? Describe it for us.

Yes, Boy does he really think I can do all that and get it right too? What if I mess up that $200.00 piece of Mahogany and is it coming out of my check?

Briefly describe your typical day – hours worked, challenges, etc.

Clock in, Check the front office/boss for any urgent orders for the morning. Pick up the days cut sheets and begin setting up the cutter heads. Set the moulders to run selected profiles. Instruct my helper on what he needs to do for the day.Run material through the machines watching for defects and adjust accordingly .Days seem to change at the blink of the eye due to customer needs.

What was the best advice you received about your job and trade?

It’s just wood ,we’ll cut/buy more.

What advice would you give to someone interested in entering your trade?

Make sure it is for you, Can be dirty, hot, cold, slow, fast paste, hard labor.

What is the best thing about your job or what do you like the most?

Working with wood, the challenge of making a new profile to fit in with an architect’s design.