Patternmakers, Wood
Production
Patterns are laid out from blueprints: outlines go onto wood stock, then sections are cut and shaped on bandsaws, lathes, and other woodworking machines. Surfaces are planed, filed, scraped, and sanded by hand, and dimensions are checked with templates, straightedges, calipers, or protractors. Parts are assembled with glue, nails, dowels, bolts, or screws, then divided into sections so the pattern can be pulled from a sand mold. If a casting comes out wrong, the pattern is corrected to compensate. The work suits people who like reading drawings, solving fit problems, and holding wood to exact sizes so castings come out right.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$49'630
Median Wage Market Position
$49'630
What you might do
- Make wooden patterns used in sand molds
- Study blueprints to size each pattern piece
- Draw pattern outlines onto selected wood stock
- Cut and turn pattern sections on bandsaws and lathes
- Section patterns so they pull free of the mold
- Adjust patterns when castings come out flawed
Skills that matter
- Building foundry patterns from blueprint specs
- Laying out pattern outlines on wood stock
- Sectioning patterns so they leave sand molds
- Correcting patterns after defective castings
- Cutting pattern sections on bandsaws and lathes
- Using math to check pattern dimensions
AI & the future of this role
Traditional wooden patterns face pressure as digital design plus CNC or additive tooling handle more layout and fabrication. Complex one-offs may still need craft judgment, but routine patternmaking is likely to shrink as foundries automate.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details