What is a Wood Patternmaker?
Job Description: Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.
Wood Patternmaker Responsibilities
- Construct wooden models, templates, full scale mock-ups, jigs, or molds for shaping parts of products.
- Verify dimensions of completed patterns, using templates, straightedges, calipers, or protractors.
- Compute dimensions, areas, volumes, and weights.
- Finish completed products or models with shellac, lacquer, wax, or paint.
- Repair broken or damaged patterns.
- Mark identifying information such as colors or codes on patterns, parts, and templates to indicate assembly methods.
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What a Wood Patternmaker Should Know
Wood Patternmakers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Related Job Titles
- Apprentice Pattern Maker
- Forms Builder
- Wood Pattern Maker
- Model Maker
- Mold Forms Builder
Is There Going to be Demand for Wood Patternmakers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 1,800 jobs in the United States for Wood Patternmaker. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Wood Patternmaker. There will be an estimated 200 positions for Wood Patternmaker per year.

The states with the most job growth for Wood Patternmaker are North Carolina, Michigan, and Nebraska. Watch out if you plan on working in Pennsylvania, Nebraska, or Michigan. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Wood Patternmaker
The typical yearly salary for Wood Patternmakers is somewhere between $34,930 and $82,630.

Wood Patternmakers who work in Ohio, Michigan, or North Carolina, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Wood Patternmakers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
California | $56,990 |
Michigan | $68,910 |
North Carolina | $53,910 |
Ohio | $73,670 |
What Tools & Technology do Wood Patternmakers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Wood Patternmakers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Delcam PowerMILL
- Mastercam
How to Become a Wood Patternmaker
What education is needed to be a Wood Patternmaker?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Wood Patternmaker?

Wood Patternmakers Sector

Wood Patternmakers work in the following industries:

References:
Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Sadie Colbert via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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