Shapers

• Wood shapers are a necessary component of many hobbyist and commercial woodworking shops. Woodworkers use shapers to create straight and curved edges on lengths of board stock. A worker feeds the board onto a table containing the shaper's cutting apparatus. He pushes the board along, keeping it flat, while a vertical spinning cutter slices the stock. A woodworker should use machine safety guards and constant vigilance to prevent serious injury.
  
  

Routers

• Woodworkers rely on routers to execute shapes such as rounded corners, curves and specialty patterns. Routers use quickly spinning router bits to make the cuts, as opposed to conventional saws. A woodworker varies the bits according to the shapes he requires. Router tables provide a base from which to operate the router safely, and router jig attachments enable the woodworker to perform additional custom cutting tasks.
  
  

Scroll Saws

• Scroll saws occupy an essential niche in the wood shaping machine market. Operators use these compact saws to create precise cuts and intricate details. The operator guides the saw blade through a predetermined pattern as the blade moves rapidly up and down through wood up to 2 inches thick. Scroll saws create beautiful detail work for custom furniture and musical instruments, as well as inlaid wood designs for jewelry boxes and artwork.
  
  

Wood Lathes

• Wood lathes represent a departure from conventional wood shaping machines, as the lathe operator performs most of the shaping work without a cutting tool. The operator uses a saw to rough-cut a desired piece of wood, and then secures the wood on a rapidly turning wood lathe. As the lathe spins, the operator shapes the wood using lathe tools. He positions the tools at different angles to create items such as vases, bowls and serving platters. Wood turning is a well-known name for this shaping process.