DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
51-9194 Etchers and Engravers
Occupational Description:
Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers. Photoengravers are included in "Prepress Technicians and Workers" (51-5111).| Percentiles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| Minnesota | 90 | 38 | $16.01/hr | $0.82/hr | $10.71/hr | $13.72/hr | $16.44/hr | $18.12/hr | $19.77/hr |
| U S | 8,610 | 448 | $14.72/hr | $0.22/hr | $9.15/hr | $10.90/hr | $13.83/hr | $17.59/hr | $22.01/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change 2010 - 2020 | |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 7,900 | $18.49/hr | 18.0% |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 2,870 | $16.49/hr | 5.6% |
| Sewing Machine Operators | 1,880 | $11.78/hr | -5.0% |
| Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 1,200 | $14.78/hr | 16.2% |
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | 1,090 | $13.59/hr | 12.8% |
| Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | 430 | $15.06/hr | 12.8% |
| Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | 430 | $15.77/hr | -8.8% |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | 240 | $19.08/hr | 5.5% |
Tasks for Etchers and Engravers
- Engraves or cuts lettering, design, or characters in workpiece surface, using hand tools and engraving tool.
- Sketches, traces, or scribes layout lines and design on workpiece, plates, dies, or rollers, using compass, scriber, graver, or pencil.
- Determines machine settings and moves bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates.
- Operates machine to engrave design into steel rollers or plates.
- Trims precut designs or cuts around design to remove undesirable part, using graver.
- Reviews sketches, diagrams, blueprints, or photographs to determine design to be cut or engraved.
- Measures and computes dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.
- Prints proof or examines design to verify accuracy and reworks engraving as required.
- Sketches original design or pattern for use in printing or engraving.
- Transfers design from sleet or film to die or roller by decimal staining.
- Casts male die from engraved female die for use in seals.
- Positions and clamps workpiece, plate, or roller in holding fixture.
- Scrapes plate or die to remove imperfections and smooth surface.
- Sharpens and forms cutting edge of gravers or cutter grinder.
- Polishes and oils surface of plate or die, or brushes with acid proof paint.
- Holds workpiece against outer edge of wheel and twists and turns workpiece to grind glass according to marked design.
- Carves design on workpiece, using electric hand tool.
- Cuts outline of impression with graver and removes excess material with knife.
- Selects and mounts wheel and miter on lathe, and equips lathe with water to cool wheel and prevent dust.
- Prepares workpiece to be engraved or carved, such as glassware, rubber, or plastic product.
- Dresses and shapes cutting wheels by holding dressing stone against rotating wheel.
- Attaches engraved workpiece to mount, using cement.
- Suggests original designs to customer or management.
- Polishes engravings using felt and cork wheels.
- Traces, sketches, or presses design or facsimile signature on workpiece by hand, or by using artist equipment.
- Immerses waxed ware in hydrofluoric acid to etch design on glass surface.
- Sandblasts exposed area of glass, using spray gun, to cut design in surface.
- Removes wax or tape, using stylus or knife, to expose glassware surface to be etched.
- Immerses ware in hot water to remove wax or peels off tape.
- Coats glass in molten wax or masks glassware with tape.
- Positions pattern against waxed or taped ware and sprays ink through pattern to transfer design to wax or tape.
- Starts machine and guides stylus over template, causing cutting tool to simultaneously duplicate design or letters on workpiece.
- Positions and secures work piece, such as nameplate, stamp, seal, badge, trophy, or bowling ball, in holding fixture, using measuring instruments.
- Inserts cutting tool or bit into machine and secures with wrench.
- Sets reduction scale to obtain required reproduction ratio on workpiece.
- Sharpens cutting tools on cutter grinder.
- Examines engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving.
- Verifies conformance to specifications, using micrometers and calipers.
- Brushes acid over designated engraving to darken or highlight inscription.
- Observes action of cutting tool through microscope, and adjusts movement of stylus to ensure accurate reproduction.
- Selects and inserts letter or design template beneath stylus attached to machine cutting tool or router, according to work order.
- Adjusts depth and size of cut by adjusting height of worktable or adjusting gauge on machine arms.
- Sets stylus at beginning of pattern.
- Exposes workpiece to acid to develop etch pattern, such as designs, lettering, or figures.
- Prepares workpiece for etching by cutting, sanding, cleaning, or treating with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
- Fills etched characters with opaque paste to improve readability.
- Transfers image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad.
- Measures and marks workpiece, such as plastic, fiberglass, epoxy board, metal or glass, using measuring and calibrating equipment.
- Inspects etched work for uniformity, using calibrated microscope and gauge.
- Compares workpiece design, such as lettering, trademark, numerals, or lines to sample to verify development of pattern.
- Reduces artwork, using reduction camera.
- Positions and secures workpiece to be etched on setup board.
- Prepares etching solution according to formula.
- Neutralizes workpiece to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water or solvents.
- Cuts grooves of specified depth and uniformity into printing roller following lines of design impression.
- Presses sketch on copper printing roller to produce impression of design.
- Cuts strip of engraving gum (two- or three-ply rubber, cemented to cloth backing) using knife.
- Refers to sketch to ensure that lines of only one printing color are engraved into each roller.
- Punches holes in plate to fasten plate to press, using hand tools.
- Glues rubber or linoleum pattern to wood block.
- Inspects designs for defective engraving and re-engraves to meet specifications.
- Prepares additional rubber plates for jobs requiring colors by omitting different portions of design or lettering on each plate.
- Traces pattern of design and letters in reverse on linoleum or two-or three-ply rubber, using ruler, pencil, drawing instruments, or cutting tools.
- Cuts around drawn pattern leaving raised design or letters, using cutting tools.