All of the pictures and information about machinery shown below is a rough guide to show some of the most common and useful machines used in woodwork.

There are pictures to show each machine but not to show the different types available of the same machine because it is only a guide. Some machines have been left out because I am focusing on ones that are specifically used or can be used for woodwork.

Band Saw:
What it's used for:
A bandsaw is a piece of machinery that is used to cut angled or curved shapes on a piece of wood. The band saw has the same function as a jigsaw only it is much larger and instead of moving the saw to cut the wood like on a jigsaw you move the wood around the blade.

Parts it consists of:
A bandsaw actually has a continuous metal blade inside its casing that is rotated around with wheels. Because of this when the blade is damaged a new band needs to be bought and installed which is a bit more difficult than installing separate blades.

A bandsaw has a base which supports the timber when cutting and the user can either free cut or run their timber along a rail which is used to cut timber at the same width.

Disc Sander:
What it's used for:
A disc sander is machinery that is used to sand the end grain of a piece of timber. It uses a circular sanding motion to sand the wood which is why it is only good for end grain because it makes deep scratches on faces or edges that are sanded with the machine.

Parts it consists of:
Disc sanders use a large sanding disc to sand the end grain of timber and it spins at high speeds in a circular clockwise motion which prevents the timber from flying out of your hands.

If a piece of timber is sanded on the wrong side of the sanding disc it will be very hard to hold and will probably come loose from your grip.

Drop Saw:
What it's used for:
Drop saws are one of the most common machines that people buy for cutting timber because they are versatile and easy to use.

The drop saw replaces the hand saw because it is much quicker and can cut or trim large piece of timber and the blade can also be turned at an angle for cutting things like mitre joints.

Drop saws come in a range of sizes and prises but usually the more expensive models are the larger and more advanced ones.

Parts it consists of:
The drop saw cuts with a circular blade like on a table saw and they can be a range of different sizes. A drop saw is used by placing a piece of timber on its base and pulling the handle down while pressing the trigger to cut.

Almost all drop saw machinery now come with the feature of being able to turn the blade on an angle for angled cuts with another handle or button at the base of the machine. The drop saw also has a retractable plastic guard to prevent accidents when cutting.

Linisher:
What it's used for:
A linisher is the machine version of a portable belt sander and it works exactly the same way as one. This machine is the opposite to a disc sander which is only for end grain where the linisher is for the edges and faces of a piece of timber.

Because the linisher is used to sand the edges and faces of timber you have to make sure you are sanding with the grain or the linisher will leave deep scratches on your timber.

Parts it consists of:
The linisher works like a portable belt sander which is with some drums that are turned at high speed causing a sanding belt that is mounted on the drums to turn at high speed as well.

Mortising Machine:
What it's used for:
A mortising machine is a special type of machine that has a special drill bit which can bore out square holes.

Mortising machinery is designed specifically to make mortises for mortise and tenon joints and they are much more quick and easy to use than making the joint with a mallet and chisel.

Parts it consists of:
A mortising machine is really just a bench mounted pedestal drill that can only make square holes. There are only a few different sized mortising drill bits and the machine is operated the same way as a pedestal drill.

Pedestal Drill:
What it's used for:
Pedestal drills are like a much larger version of a cordless drill only they are either bench mounted or they stand on the floor.

Pedestal drills are much more accurate than any other drilling method because the user has the ability to clamp down what they are drilling and they can drill holes in larger materials.

Parts it consists of:
Pedestal drills also use a motor to rotate a drill bit at high speed and they can take any sized drill bit.

Instead of a trigger operation pedestal drills work with a button and the user then pulls the handle down to lower the drill bit so it is a good idea to secure the object down with a vice or clamp.

Scroll Saw:
What it's used for:
This machinery is very similar to jigsaws and band saws only they are used for cutting much smaller and thin pieces of timber that are too hard or difficult to cut with a bandsaw or jigsaw.

The scroll saw sounds a bit like a waste of money but it is used to cut more intricate curves and shapes that cannot be achieved with a bandsaw or jigsaw and take too long with a cooping saw.

Parts it consists of:
The scroll saw also has a base like a band saw where the wood is fed to the blade only it is more compact than a band saw and the blade isn't as long.

The scroll saw also does not have a continuous blade like a band saw it uses individual blades like a jigsaw which means they are easier to change and are usually cheaper.

Table Saw:
What it's used for:
Table saws are one of the most versatile and useful pieces of machinery used in woodwork because they can cut large pieces of timber or manufactured boards with ease. Table saws can also cut angles and they are able to trim or square off the ends of timber.

Parts it consists of:
A table saw has a height adjustable circular blade that comes out of the base of the machine. Most table saws have two runners and one slides up and down the base to give the user extra support and stability when cutting.

Table saws are usually more expensive machinery because they are very versatile, quite large and contain mostly all metal components.

Thicknesser:
What it's used for:
A thicknesser is used to smooth rough timber or reduce its thickness and it is the machine equivalent for a hand planer or electric planer only it can plane much larger pieces of timber much quicker than the other two planers.

A thicknesser can be easily adjusted to suit different thicknesses and it has an almost limitless choice of thicknesses.

Parts it consists of:
A thicknesser works with two rollers that feed the timber into the blades and then push it out after it has been thicknessed.

In the middle of this machinery is a height adjustable set of blades which are used to remove certain amounts of timber depending on the adjustment settings of the machine.