How to become Patternmakers, Wood in 2024

Patternmakers, Wood Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.

Patternmakers, Wood is Also Know as

In different settings, Patternmakers, Wood is titled as

  • Mold Maker
  • Pattern Engineer
  • Pattern Maker
  • Patternmaker
  • Wood Pattern Maker
  • Wood Patternmaker
  • Wood Shop Moldmaker
  • Woodshop Worker

Education and Training of Patternmakers, Wood

Patternmakers, Wood is categorized in Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Patternmakers, Wood

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Education Required for Patternmakers, Wood

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Degrees Related to Patternmakers, Wood

Training Required for Patternmakers, Wood

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Patternmakers, Wood in different industries are

What Do Patternmakers, Wood do?

  • Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups.
  • 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.
  • Construct wooden models, templates, full scale mock-ups, jigs, or molds for shaping parts of products.
  • Compute dimensions, areas, volumes, and weights.
  • Mark identifying information such as colors or codes on patterns, parts, and templates to indicate assembly methods.
  • Finish completed products or models with shellac, lacquer, wax, or paint.
  • Glue fillets along interior angles of patterns.
  • Select lumber to be used for patterns.
  • Repair broken or damaged patterns.
  • Maintain pattern records for reference.
  • Inventory equipment and supplies, ordering parts and tools as necessary.
  • Estimate costs for patternmaking jobs.
  • Divide patterns into sections according to shapes of castings to facilitate removal of patterns from molds.
  • Issue patterns to designated machine operators.
  • Collect and store patterns and lumber.

Qualities of Good Patternmakers, Wood

  • Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
  • Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
  • Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
  • Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
  • Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
  • Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
  • Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
  • Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
  • Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Tools Used by Patternmakers, Wood

  • Adjustable hand wrenches
  • Automatic lathes
  • Bandsaws
  • Benchtop drill presses
  • Carpenters' hammers
  • Cleaning scrapers
  • Computer numerically controlled CNC routers
  • Cordless power sanders
  • Digital bench scales
  • Digital calipers
  • Digital micrometers
  • Hand planers
  • Measuring tapes
  • Milling machines
  • Mini hacksaws
  • Multipurpose screwdrivers
  • Power grinders
  • Protractors
  • Punch sets
  • Roughing gouges
  • Slip joint pliers
  • Socket sets
  • Straight-edges
  • Table saws
  • Woodworking chisels

Technology Skills required for Patternmakers, Wood

  • 3D Systems Geomagic Design X
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Computer aided design CAD software
  • Delcam PowerMILL
  • Mastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook