AITakeover Tracker

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

SOC: 51-4194.00 · Job Zone 2 (Some preparation)

Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.

Wage & Employment (2024)

Median Wage

$48,970

per year

Mean Wage

$51,790

per year

Employment

6K

workers

Wage Range

$33,770 - $74,120

10th - 90th pct

Wage Distribution

$33,770Median: $48,970$74,120

Task Breakdown

18 tasks analyzed

Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.

Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.

Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.

Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.

Compute numbers, widths, and angles of cutting tools, micrometers, scales, and gauges, and adjust tools to produce specified cuts.

Turn valves to direct flow of coolant against cutting wheels and workpieces during grinding.

Set up and operate grinding or polishing machines to grind metal workpieces, such as dies, parts, and tools.

Dress grinding wheels, according to specifications.

File or finish surfaces of workpieces, using prescribed hand tools.

Perform basic maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating machine parts.

Remove finished workpieces from machines and place them in boxes or on racks, setting aside pieces that are defective.

Fit parts together in pre-assembly to ensure that dimensions are accurate.

Attach workpieces to grinding machines and form specified sections and repair cracks, using welding or brazing equipment.

Duplicate workpiece contours, using tracer attachments.

Inspect dies to detect defects, assess wear, and verify specifications, using micrometers, steel gauge pins, and loupes.

Remove and replace worn or broken machine parts, using hand tools.

Place workpieces in electroplating solutions or apply pigments to surfaces of workpieces to highlight ridges and grooves.

Straighten workpieces and remove dents, using straightening presses and hammers.

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