Lumber graders inspect and grade lumber according to specific company and industry standards. They are employed by sawmills, planning mills and other wood processing plants.
What you do as a lumber grader is extremely important to the successful operation of a sawmill or wood processing plant. You are responsible for inspecting each piece of milled or rough- sawed lumber and determining its quality. Your decision affects whether a piece of lumber is acceptable and if it will be processed further.
As a lumber grader, you stand at a table or conveyor belt and carefully examine each board after it has been sawed. In some mills you have to flip each piece of lumber. In other mills, the lumber is flipped automatically.
Lumber graders measure boards using calipers, gauges and tape measures to ensure that the lumber meets the specifications of thickness, width and length. In some mills, lumber thickness is checked by computerized optical scanners.
You inspect the ends, edges and each side of the lumber, looking for knots, stains, rot, worm holes, unsatisfactory milling and other defects. You classify and sort the lumber according to specific industry standards and stamp it to indicate the wood type and grade. The lumber is then further trimmed and processed, depending on the grade you give it.
You do not have to be physically strong to be successful as a lumber grader. There may be some physical work involved in flipping boards or removing them, but it's a job that a reasonably fit person can perform. You will, however, need a fair amount of stamina to spend long hours standing at a table or conveyor belt to inspect the lumber.
The job can be mentally tiring and stressful at times. You must be physically and mentally coordinated to flip, inspect and grade rapidly moving boards. Lumber may be going past you at the rate of forty boards a minute. You must be able to make correct decisions quickly and you are required to keep accurate inspection records.
The job can also be somewhat noisy and dirty, since you work in a saw mill and handle lumber.
Generally, you work in shifts and are paid a good hourly wage. On-the-job training is provided by the employer and courses are offered by recognized lumber associations.
You will do well as a lumber grader if you are a quality-minded person who can make fast decisions. There is a lot of lumber coming quickly past you. The quality of the end products depends upon you skill in inspecting and grading each piece correctly.
Good mathematical skills are also an asset to you on this job. You are required to do a fair amount of measuring and calculating.
You work with others at a grading table or on a conveyor line and you need to be able to get along well with other people since you work as part of a team. Good communication skills will help you, especially since you are required to keep accurate reports of your daily activities.
Since you are working in an industrial setting, you should be ready to work in noisy conditions surrounded by large machinery.
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