Using wood for pattern, modelmaking and other engineering applications

URN: SEMPEO241
Business Sectors (Suites): Performing Engineering Operations Suite 2
Developed by: Enginuity
Approved on: 30 Mar 2017

Overview

This standard covers a broad range of basic hand and wood machining competences that will prepare you for entry into the engineering or manufacturing sectors, creating a progression between education and employment, or that will provide a basis for the development of additional skills and occupational competences in the working environment.

You will be expected to prepare for the pattern, modelmaking or engineering woodworking activities by obtaining all the necessary information, documentation, tools and equipment required, and to plan how you intend to carry out the cutting and shaping activities and the sequence of operations you intend to use. You will be required to select the appropriate hand tools and machinery, based on the operations to be carried out and the accuracy to be achieved.

The production of the components will involve roughing out the components using fixed or portable machine tools, and finishing them using hand tools. The components produced will be used to produce patterns for sand castings, moulds for composite manufacture, full size and scale models, frames, cases, storage units, furniture and other structures.

During, and on completion of, the cutting and shaping operations, you will be expected to check the quality of the workpiece, using measuring equipment appropriate to the aspects being checked and the tolerances to be achieved. You will need to be able to recognise material and cutting and shaping defects, to take appropriate action to remedy any faults that occur and to ensure that the finished workpiece is within the drawing requirements. On completion of the activities, you will be expected to return all tools and equipment to the correct locations, and to leave the work area in a safe and tidy condition.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with health and safety requirements and organisational policy and procedures for the woodworking activities undertaken. You will need to take account of any potential difficulties or problems that may arise with the activities, and to seek appropriate help and advice in determining and implementing a suitable solution. You will work under a high level of supervision, whilst taking responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.

Your underpinning knowledge will provide an understanding of your work, and will enable you to apply appropriate hand and wood machining techniques safely. You will understand the cutting and shaping process, and its application, and will know about the equipment, materials and consumables, to the required depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required specification.

You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the cutting and shaping activities, especially those for using woodworking machines and portable power tools. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.

Specific Standard Requirements

In order to prove your ability to combine different pattern, model or woodworking operations, at least one of the components produced must be of a significant nature, and must have a minimum of seven of the features listed in scope 8.


Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant guidelines
  2. plan the pattern, model or engineering woodworking activities before you start them
  3. obtain the appropriate tools and equipment for the operations, and check that they are in a safe and usable condition
  4. mark out the components for the required operations, using appropriate tools and techniques
  5. cut and shape the materials to the required pattern specification, using appropriate tools and techniques
  6. produce components to the required specification
  7. measure and check that all dimensional and geometrical aspects of the component are to the specification
  8. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control, and seek help and guidance from the relevant people if you have problems that you cannot resolve
  9. leave the work area in a safe and tidy condition on completion of the pattern, modelmaking or engineering woodworking activities

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. the health and safety requirements, and safe working practices and procedures required for the pattern, modelmaking or engineering woodworking activities undertaken (including the use of hand tools; working with machinery; operation of machine safety devices; dust extraction, stopping the machine in an emergency; closing the machine down on completion of activities)
  2. the importance of wearing appropriate protective clothing/equipment (PPE), and of keeping the work area safe and tidy
  3. the hazards associated with cutting and shaping wood and composite materials, and with the tools and equipment that is used, (such as use of hand power tools, trailing leads or hoses, dust inhalation, damaged or badly maintained tools and equipment, using tools with damaged or poor fitting handles, handling long or wide lengths of material), and how they can be minimised
  4. the procedure for obtaining the required drawings, job instructions and other related specifications
  5. how to use and extract information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate BS or ISO standards) in relation to work undertaken
  6. how to interpret first and third angle drawings, imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
  7. how to identify the materials that are to be used (to include colour, grain structure, size), and the common defects that occur in the wood to be used
  8. the types of defects that would render the materials unfit for use
  9. the material characteristics and process considerations to be taken into account when marking out wood (such as the importance of colour matching and grain convention when using wood and wood-based materials)
  10. the principles of marking out, and the types of equipment used (including the range of operations that the various items of marking out equipment are capable of performing)
  11. how to prepare the materials in readiness for the marking out activities, in order to enhance clarity, accuracy and safety (such as visually checking for defects, preparing the materials, removing sharp corners and edges)
  12. the use of marking out conventions when marking out the workpiece (including datums, centre lines, cutting guidelines, square and rectangular profiles, joints, circular and curved profiles, angles, holes which are linearly positioned, boxed and on pitch circles)
  13. how to select and establish suitable datums; the importance of ensuring that marking out is undertaken from the selected datums; and the possible effects of working from different datums
  14. the use of geometrical construction methods applied to marking out
  15. ways of laying out the marking out shapes or patterns to maximise the use of materials
  16. the various hand tools that are used to cut and shape the materials, and the range of operations they are capable of performing (such as rip saws, tenon saws, fret/bow saws; smoothing planes, jack planes, rebating planes; chisels and gouges; spokeshaves)
  17. how to check that the hand cutting tools are in a usable and safe condition; and the procedure for sharpening and adjusting these when required
  18. the various machines that are used in wood machining, and the range of operations they are capable of performing (such as sawing, planing, rebating, profiling)
  19. the importance of checking that the machinery used is complete and working correctly, that the cutting tools are undamaged and are in a safe and sharp condition, and the procedure for changing, sharpening and adjusting these when required
  20. the methods of setting up and operating the equipment and machinery, how to set up and use dust extraction equipment, and the importance of ensuring that this equipment is operating correctly
  21. the importance of ensuring that all machine and portable tools are used correctly, tested and within their permitted operating range
  22. the various methods used to hold the components that are being shaped, formed or dressed by hand
  23. why you need to consider grain direction and construction when cutting and shaping wood and composites
  24. the methods used to cut square, angular and circular/curved profiles
  25. how different materials require changes to the machining methods (such as roughing and finishing cuts, changes in feed or speeds)
  26. how to conduct any necessary checks to ensure the accuracy and quality of the components produced, and the type of equipment that is used
  27. when to act on your own initiative and when to seek help and advice from others
  28. the importance of leaving the work area in a safe and clean condition on completion of the woodworking activities (such as removing and storing power leads, isolating machines, cleaning the equipment, and removing and disposing of waste)

Scope/range


Scope Performance

  1. Carry out all of the following during the cutting and shaping activities:

    1. obtain all the necessary information to carry out the cutting and shaping activities (drawings, specifications)
    2. check that the equipment to be used are fit for purpose, and is in a safe, tested and usable condition (such as hand tools, machines and machine cutting tools)
    3. ensure that the work area is free from hazards
    4. ensure that all machine guards and safety devices are correctly positioned
    5. check that dust extraction equipment is functioning correctly
    6. set and adjust the machines to produce the components to the required specification
    7. use safe and approved hand and machine shaping techniques at all times
    8. maintain the cutting tools in a serviceable condition
  2. Identify and isolate any materials that have defects, to include all of the following:

    1. structural                
    2. dimensional
    3. cosmetic                                                  
    4. distortion
  3. Use marking out methods and techniques, including:

    1. direct marking, using instruments

Plus one more of the following:
2. use of templates             
3. tracing/transfer methods
4. other specific method

  1. Use a range of marking out equipment, to include all of the following:

    1. pencil    
    2. rule or tape
    3. square        
    4. dividers, compass or trammels
    5. marking knife 
    6. straight edge
    7. protractor or sliding bevel 
    8. marking gauge
  2. Mark out material, to include all of the following features:

    1. datum and centre lines    
    2. cutting detail       
    3. hole centring and outlining
    4. square/rectangular profiles
    5. circles

Plus two more from the following:
6. angles        
7. joints  
8. curved profiles
9. assembly positions

  1. Use hand tools to cut and shape materials, to include all of the following:

    1. rip saws         
    2. chisels/gouges  
    3. drills/braces
    4. tenon saws               
    5. jack or smoothing planes   
    6. sanding blocks/paper

Plus two more from the following:
7. fret/bow saws     
8. spokeshaves  
9. portable powered hand tools
10. rebating planes          
11. files/rasps      
12. other specific hand tools

  1. Use fixed and portable machines, to include all of the following:

    1. circular saw                            
    2. planer/thicknesser  
    3. bench or pedestal drill

Plus two more from the following:
4. band saw                
5. morticer/tenoner 
6. spindle moulder (single or double)
7. sander (such as face, belt, bobbin)
8. combing machine   
9. lathe
10. router               
11. other special purpose machine

  1. Produce components which combine different features and cover all of the following profiles:

    1. flat faces        
    2. angular/tapered faces  
    3. drilled holes
    4. parallel faces             
    5. curved profiles    
    6. countersunk/counterbored holes
    7. square faces

Plus six more from the following:
8. plain diameters      
9. tenons     
10. concave profiles
11. stepped diameters
12. mortices    
13. convex profiles
14. tapered diameters
15. half lap joints    
16. dovetail joints
17. slots/grooves       
18. combed joints
19. rebates              
20. other specific joints/profiles

  1. Produce components made from four of the following materials:

    1. soft woods    
    2. blockboard
    3. hard woods   
    4. hardboard
    5. plywood       
    6. fibreboard (MDF)
  2. Use appropriate measuring equipment and tools to check all of the following:

    1. dimensions          
    2. angles/taper
    3. profile
    4. flatness              
    5. alignment      
    6. distortion/straightness
    7. squareness           
    8. position
  3. Produce components which meet all of the following requirements:

    1. components to be free from false tool cuts, and material defects
    2. the shape and general tolerances meet the drawing or specification requirements with some dimensional tolerances within +/- 1mm or +/- 0.040"
    3. flatness and squareness 0.25mm per 25mm or 0.010″ per inch
    4. angles within +/- 2 degrees
    5. interlocking components (joints) are secure
    6. components have an appropriate surface texture

Scope Knowledge


Values


Behaviours

​Additional Information

You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:

  • strong work ethic
  • positive attitude
  • team player
  • dependability
  • responsibility
  • honesty
  • integrity
  • motivation
  • commitment

Skills


Glossary


Links To Other NOS


External Links


Version Number

3

Indicative Review Date

31 Mar 2020

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

Semta

Original URN

SEMPEO2-41

Relevant Occupations

Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

SOC Code

5221

Keywords

engineering; engineering operations; wood; pattern; modelmaking; engineering applications; wood machining; manufacturing; machine tools; hand tools