Software that reads your machine manuals, so you don't have to

Upload the manufacturer's PDF once. Then ask in plain words: how do I change the blade, how do I square the fence, why is the saw leaving burn marks. You get numbered steps, safety warnings first, with the exact page numbers from your own manual.

Part of Joinery Core shop management software. No card required.

How do I change the saw blade? Cite the page.
Isolate the machine from power first.

1. Lift the saw unit fully up (90°)
2. Lower lever (M) and open guard (N)
3. Fit pin (B) to lock rotation
4. Loosen nut (C) with a 24 mm wrench...

Check: does the new blade have the 30 mm arbor bore the manual requires?
Source: manual, pages 88-89, section "Fitting the saw blade"
Open manual (page 88)

How it works

Three steps. The first one you do once per machine, then the knowledge stays at hand for good.

1

Upload the manual

Open the machine's card in Joinery Core, go to Documents and upload the manufacturer's PDF manual. It must be the manual for exactly your model, not a similar one. No PDF? Your dealer or the manufacturer will usually email it the same day if you ask.

2

Ask in plain words

Blade changes, belt replacement, fence alignment, a strange noise, burn marks on the lumber. Ask in English, Spanish or any language your crew works in. The assistant reads the whole relevant chapter, not just one line.

3

Get steps with page numbers

Numbered steps, safety warnings first, tools named. Every answer from the manual ends with the page range and a button that opens the PDF on that exact page, so you can see the diagrams too.

Honest about what it is and isn't

Answers only from your manual

Repair procedures, torque values and part numbers come only from the PDF you uploaded. If the manual does not cover it, the assistant says so and points you to the manufacturer's service. It never invents a procedure.

Labeled general knowledge

For symptoms your manual does not cover, it can suggest common shop causes, always clearly marked as knowledge from outside your manual, with the reminder to lock out the machine before checking anything.

Knows your records too

Machine models and serial numbers, vehicle service dates, service history, small tools. It reads what you keep in Joinery Core's Equipment module, so "which truck is due for service" gets a straight answer.

Straight talk: Joinery Core is shop management software, not CAD. There is no 3D design, no cut lists, no CNC output. If you need those, keep your CAD tools; Joinery Core runs the business side: scheduling, estimating, inventory, crew, job costing, and now your machine manuals. Scanned manuals without a text layer cannot be read yet, and PDFs over 50 MB need compressing first.

Built on a shop floor, not in a software office

Joinery Core comes from a working woodworking shop in the UK. The tools exist because we needed them ourselves: job scheduling on a Gantt, estimating, inventory and supplier ordering, crew and time off, job costing per project, and now a machine assistant, because standing at a saw flipping through 300 pages for one nut got old. From what we have seen, no other cabinet shop software has this yet.

Questions shop owners ask

What does the AI machine assistant actually do?

You upload the manufacturer's PDF manual to a machine in Joinery Core. The assistant reads it and answers servicing questions in plain language: blade changes, adjustments, troubleshooting. Every answer based on the manual comes with page numbers and a button that opens the PDF on the cited page.

Does it work with my machine brand?

It works with any machine that has a PDF manual with a text layer: SawStop, Powermatic, SCM, Felder, Laguna, Grizzly and others. The manual must match your exact model. Scanned PDFs without a text layer cannot be read yet.

Is this CAD or CNC software?

No. Joinery Core is shop management software: scheduling, estimating, inventory, team and job costing. There is no 3D design, no cut lists, no CNC output. The machine assistant is about running and maintaining the machines you already have.

Will it make up answers if the manual does not cover something?

No. Repair procedures come only from your manual. For symptoms the manual does not cover, it can suggest common shop causes, clearly labeled as knowledge from outside your manual, and it always tells you to confirm with the manual or the manufacturer's service before any intervention.

How much does it cost?

It is included in Joinery Core. There is a 14 day free trial, no card required; current plans are on the pricing page. Paid plans include 50 questions per day per company, trial accounts 10 per day.

Put your first manual in today

Fourteen days free, no card. Upload the manual for your main machine, ask your first question, and the manual stops being a binder on a shelf.

Start Free Trial