This Miller Mini Grant project supported the creation of the OER, Introduction to Woodworking Machines. This textbook supports beginning users in an educational wood shop. The text stresses the importance of creating a culture of safety and responsible making and includes videos, text, pictures, and pictorial graphics for different woodworking machines (drill press, 2 different band saws, 3 types of stationary sander, jointer, thickness planer, and table saw).
Current existing resources were not designed for student use; for example, the main goals of many videos on YouTube are entertainment and advertising – not education. Students are a notably different audience than professionals and hobbyists. The goal throughout was to keep information concise and create clear, consistent visuals throughout the video and graphics. Information was organized into different chapters focused on individual tools. Each individual chapter includes an overview of labeled machine anatomy and basic operation, “safety habits” for the machine tool, standard operating procedure with numbered steps, safety practices, and a short video of operation (2–11 min. depending on tool).
The first four chapters and videos show the creation of a simple, plywood push stick. I have used this project for several years in my introductory courses as a first, low-risk, practical exercise to introduce several machines and reinforce the foundation of beginning our learning experience with safety in mind.
Outcomes and Usage
The OER textbook was piloted in ART woodworking courses Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. It is fully integrated into courses for Fall 2026. Feedback was collected via Canvas surveys and in-person class forums. Overall, students rated the textbook quality of visuals and writing very high. When compared to traditional printed materials, they consistently rated the digital resource easy to access when needed. They also listed it as highly engaging and pertinent to the class, with a good balance of images and videos to text.
Review Processes
Existing PDF handouts, written SOPS, and Canvas modules were consolidated to create the text for the book. It was reviewed by Iowa State University College of Design Model Shop Supervisor Jeremy Thurlby, Iowa State University Occupational Safety Specialist Don Kelling, and University of Wisconsin-Stout Associate Professor and Program Director of Industrial & Product Design Daniel Neubauer. The feedback from the reviewers was very positive overall, and they offered great, actionable ideas for improvement. If I continue to develop more content, I’d like to add additional reviewers. I pursued several external reviewers who did not end up participating.
Citation: Scheidt, P. (Ed.). (2026). Introduction to woodworking machines. Iowa State University Digital Press. https://doi.org/10.31274/isudp.2026.209