Occupation: Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

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

51-4194.00 | 18 tasks | 8 job titles

Reported Job Titles

(8)
  • Cutter Grinder
  • Finisher
  • Grinder
  • Grinder Operator
  • OD Grinder Operator (Outer Diameter Grinder Operator)
  • Saw Filer
  • Tool and Cutter Grinder
  • Tool Grinder

Core Tasks

(12)
  • 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.
  • Remove and replace worn or broken machine parts, using hand tools.

Supplemental Tasks

(6)
  • 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.
  • 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.