Patternmakers, Wood — Career Decision Dashboard

Typical tasks

• Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups.
• Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, and screws.
• Lay out patterns on wood stock and draw outlines of units, sectional patterns, or full-scale mock-ups of products, based on blueprint specifications and sketches, and using marking and measuring devices.
• Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.
• Divide patterns into sections according to shapes of castings to facilitate removal of patterns from molds.
• Verify dimensions of completed patterns, using templates, straightedges, calipers, or protractors.
• Correct patterns to compensate for defects in castings.
• Set up, operate, and adjust a variety of woodworking machines such as bandsaws and lathes to cut and shape sections, parts, and patterns, according to specifications.