Engineering Patternmaker
What the work is
Constructs full-size engineering models, usually made out of timber, which are used in manufacturing to produce metal castings, copy models, vacuum form tooling, and tooling for automotive, aircraft or fibreglass industries.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Interprets engineering drawings to determine pattern requirements
- Prepares materials for pattern construction
- Tests and modifies patterns for desired results
- Creates moulds and core boxes for casting processes
- Constructs engineering models using woodworking tools
- Maintains and repairs patterns
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small locksmith and key-cutting shop with a work van, in a fictional suburban shopping strip. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A stuck lock opens, a relieved person walks in and you are the one who made it happen
- A new lock fits perfectly and turns smoothly on the first try
- A tricky key cut by hand that works the first time
Hard days
- A call-out late at night to a stranger in a stressful situation
- Being asked to open something and having to check carefully that the person has a right to it
- A lock that has been forced or damaged and a customer who is upset about it
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 332331, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.