Processes Used
to Separate Wood
Materials
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21
Chapter Highlights
• Most processes used to separate wood use
edge-shaped tools.
• Sawing is a chip-producing separating process
where each succeeding tooth on the saw blade
removes a chip of material.
• Holes are often made using many different
types of drills and cutters, mortising machines,
and boring machines.
• Planers and surfacers are used to produce
parallel, smooth surfaces on wood.
• Jointers are used to true the surfaces of boards.
Background
Most consumers have a working familiarity
with many different types of edged tools that are
used to separate wood stock. We know that some of
these processes, such as drilling or sawing, produce
chips. Others can separate the material with no chip
being generated at all. The edged tools responsible
for all of this may be used in both hand- and power-
operated equipment. These tools—generally knives,
saw blades, drills, and chisels—are used to cut
pieces of wood apart, make holes of various shapes
in the wood, smooth the wood’s surface, or reduce its
dimensions.
There are nine major types of processes used in
manufacturing to separate wood:
• Planing
• Jointing
• Shaping
• Routing
• Turning
• Sawing
• Drilling
• Boring
• Mortising and tenoning