Apply wood finishes

Use a variety of techniques to finish wood. Paint, varnish and stain wood to improve its function, durability, or appearance.

applying wood finishes
use wood finishes
apply wood finish
administer wood finishes
employ wood finishes
undertake wood finishes

skill/competence

cross-sector

Apply wood finishes is an essential skill of the following occupations:

Staircase installer: Staircase installers put in place standard or custom designed staircases between the various levels in buildings. They take the necessary measurements, prepare the site, and install the staircase safely.
Carpenter: Carpenters cut, shape and assemble wooden elements for the construction of buildings and other structures. They also use materials such as plastic and metal in their creations. Carpenters create the wooden frames to support wood framed buildings.
Frame maker: Frame makers build frames, mostly out of wood, for pictures and mirrors. They discuss the specifications with customers and build or adjust the frame accordingly. They cut, shape and join the wooden elements and treat them to obtain the desired colour and protect them from corrosion and fire. They cut and fit the glass into the frame. In some cases, they carve and decorate the frames. They may also repair, restore or reproduce older or antique frames.
Wicker furniture maker: Wicker furniture makers choose and prepare materials such as softened rattan or willow branches in order to produce wicker furniture such as chairs, tables and couches. They use hand, power or machine tools to cut, bend and weave materials to create the desired objects. Finally, they treat the surface to ensure a finished look and protect it from corrosion and fire using waxes, lacquers and other coatings.
Basketmaker: Basketmakers use stiff fibres to manually weave objects such as containers, baskets, mats and furniture. They use various traditional techniques and materials according to the region and the intended use of the object.
Woodcarver: Woodcarvers manually shape wood into the desired shape using equipment like knives, gouges and chisels. Woodcarvers produce wooden products to serve as decoration, to be integrated into a composite product, as utensils or as toys.
Cabinet maker: Cabinet makers build cabinets or other pieces of furniture by cutting, shaping and fitting pieces of wood. They use different kind of power and hand tools, such as lathes, planers and saws.
Furniture finisher: Furniture finishers treat the surface of wood furniture using hand and power tools to sand, clean and polish. They apply wood coatings onto wooden surfaces by using different techniques such as brushing or using a spray gun. They choose and apply the right coatings with protective and/or decorative purposes.

Apply wood finishes is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this skill may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Concrete finisher supervisor: Concrete finisher supervisors monitor the concrete finishing process. They assign tasks to finishers and take quick decisions to resolve problems. They may also pass on their skills to apprentices.
Wood sander: Wood sanders smoothen the surface of a wooden object using various sanding instruments. Each applies an abrasive surface, usually sandpaper, to the workpiece to remove irregularities.
Planer thicknesser operator: Planer thicknesser operators use machinery to shave wood planks to a uniform thickness. The machine usually planes both sides of the plank in one operation. They feed the plank into the machine carefully to prevent excess planing at the edge known as ‘snipe’.
Cooper: Coopers build barrels and related products made of segments of wood, like wooden buckets. They shape the wood, fit hoops around them, and shape the barrel to hold the product, which contemporarily is usually premium alcoholic beverages.
Wood boring machine operator: Wood boring machine operators use milling machines or specialise boring jigs to cut holes in wood workpieces. Wood boring differs from routing mainly in that the main movement is into the workpiece as opposed to across its surface.
Wood products assembler: Wood products assemblers put together products from premade pieces of wood. They operate machines, often hydraulic, that bind the various elements of a product together using joints, glue or other fasteners. Assemblers put the elements in place, operate the machine and look out for problems.
Carpenter supervisor: Carpenter supervisors monitor carpentry operations in construction. They assign tasks and take quick decisions to resolve problems. They pass their skills on to apprentice carpenters.
Manufactured wooden building assembler: Manufactured wooden building assemblers put together wooden elements for use in construction. The elements, or modules, may consist of walls with windows and doors built-in, or may be as large as whole rooms. The assemblers put together the supporting structure, insulation materials, and covering, and fasten it together to obtain usable modules.
Woodturner: Woodturners use a lathe to remove superfluous material from wood. The lathe turns the workpiece around its axis, as shape tools are used to obtain the desired shape.

References

1. Apply wood finishes – ESCO