Cutters and Trimmers, Hand — Tasks
Task statements
- Mark or discard items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes.
- Trim excess material or cut threads off finished products, such as cutting loose ends of plastic off a manufactured toy for a smoother finish.
- Cut, shape, and trim materials, such as textiles, food, glass, stone, and metal, using knives, scissors, and other hand tools, portable power tools, or bench-mounted tools.
- Position templates or measure materials to locate specified points of cuts or to obtain maximum yields, using rules, scales, or patterns.
- Read work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations, and quantities to cut.
- Mark cutting lines around patterns or templates, or follow layout points, using squares, rules, and straightedges, and chalk, pencils, or scribes.
- Mark identification numbers, trademarks, grades, marketing data, sizes, or model numbers on products.
- Unroll, lay out, attach, or mount materials or items on cutting tables or machines.
- Separate materials or products according to size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade.
- Fold or shape materials before or after cutting them.
- Replace or sharpen dulled cutting tools such as saws.
- Lower table-mounted cutters such as knife blades, cutting wheels, or saws to cut items to specified sizes.
- Stack cut items and load them on racks or conveyors or onto trucks.
- Adjust guides and stops to control depths and widths of cuts.
- Count or weigh and bundle items.
- Clean, treat, buff, or polish finished items, using grinders, brushes, chisels, and cleaning solutions and polishing materials.
- Route items to provide cutouts for parts, using portable routers, grinders, and hand tools.
- Transport items to work or storage areas, using carts.
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.