What Do Wood Patternmakers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Wood Patternmakers plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings. They also read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups.

Other tasks include:

• 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.
• Verify dimensions of completed patterns, using templates, straightedges, calipers, or protractors.
• 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.
• Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.
• Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, and screws.
• Correct patterns to compensate for defects in castings.

We asked Wood Patternmakers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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61% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Wood Patternmakers read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups. They select lumber to be used for patterns.

A typical day for a Wood Patternmaker will also include:

• Issue patterns to designated machine operators.
• 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.
• 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.
• Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, and screws.
• Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.

We asked some Wood Patternmakers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	14% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	31% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	75% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	3% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	14% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	19% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Wood Patternmakers also inventory equipment and supplies, ordering parts and tools as necessary. They may also compute dimensions, areas, volumes, and weights.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Wood Patternmakers Glue fillets along interior angles of patterns. They might also Issue patterns to designated machine operators.

In addition, they Verify dimensions of completed patterns, using templates, straightedges, calipers, or protractors.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Finish completed products or models with shellac, lacquer, wax, or paint.

To some Wood Patternmakers, it is also their responsibility to Select lumber to be used for patterns.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Wood Patternmaker, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/production/woodworkers.htm