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Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Mold, shape, form, cast, or carve products such as food products, figurines, tile, pipes, and candles consisting of clay, glass, plaster, concrete, stone, or combinations of materials.

Related: Cutting & Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders Extruding, Forming, Pressing, & Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders Foundry Mold & Coremakers Grinding & Polishing Workers, Hand Painting, Coating, & Decorating Workers

Industries: Manufacturing

Summary
Details

Patch broken edges or fractures, using clay or plaster.
Separate models or patterns from molds and examine products for accuracy.
Load or stack filled molds in ovens, dryers, or curing boxes, or on storage racks or carts.
Align and assemble parts to produce completed products, using gauges and hand tools.
Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts.
Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges.
Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage.
Operate and adjust controls of heating equipment to melt material or to cure, dry, or bake filled molds.
Remove excess materials and level and smooth wet mold mixtures.
Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products.
Select sizes and types of molds according to instructions.
Measure ingredients and mix molding, casting material, or sealing compounds to prescribed consistencies, according to formulas.
Load or stack filled molds in ovens, dryers, or curing boxes, or on storage racks or carts.
Align and assemble parts to produce completed products, using gauges and hand tools.
Withdraw cores or other loose mold members after castings solidify.
Operate and adjust controls of heating equipment to melt material or to cure, dry, or bake filled molds.
Bore holes or cut grates, risers, or pouring spouts in molds, using power tools.
Measure and cut products to specified dimensions, using measuring and cutting instruments.
Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced.
Verify dimensions of products, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, vernier gauges, or protractors.
Smooth surfaces of molds, using scraping tools or sandpaper.
Tap or tilt molds to ensure uniform distribution of materials.
Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts.
Bore holes or cut grates, risers, or pouring spouts in molds, using power tools.
Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws.
Repair mold defects, such as cracks or broken edges, using patterns, mold boxes, or hand tools.
Set the proper operating temperature for each casting.
Measure and cut products to specified dimensions, using measuring and cutting instruments.
Measure ingredients and mix molding, casting material, or sealing compounds to prescribed consistencies, according to formulas.

Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.

Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.

Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

More than 1 year on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

48100/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

23.12/hr

Currently Employed

1,300

Yearly Projected Openings

170

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cooperation
Self Control
Independence
Integrity

Adjustable wrenches
Belt conveyors
Blow molding machines
Blow torch
C clamps
Calipers
Casting machines
Cleaning scrapers
Core drying ovens
Dehydrating machinery
Desktop computers
Die casting machine
Floor or platform scales
Forklifts
Foundry crucibles
Foundry flasks
Foundry ladles
Foundry molds
Grease guns
Grinding machines
Hold down clamps
Injection molding machines
Mainframe console or dumb terminals
Metal band sawing machine
Micrometers
Protractors
Pulverizing machinery
Screwdrivers
Squares
Thickness measuring devices
Threading taps
Utility knives

Computer aided design CAD software
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
Electronic mail software
Inventory management software
Office suite software
Spreadsheet software
Time accounting software
Word processing software

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Statewide occupation search

Statewide occupation search

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

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