According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses. | 91% |
| Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel. | 90% |
| Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools. | 90% |
| Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration. | 90% |
| Use computer software to design patterns for engraving. | 89% |
| Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces. | 89% |
| Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures. | 88% |
| Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges. | 88% |
| Cut outlines of impressions with gravers, and remove excess material with knives. | 87% |
| Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved. | 86% |
| Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines. | 86% |
| Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving. | 86% |
| Transfer image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad. | 85% |
| Set reduction scales to attain specified sizes of reproduction on workpieces, and set pantograph controls for required heights, depths, and widths of cuts. | 84% |
| Observe actions of cutting tools through microscopes and adjust stylus movement to ensure accurate reproduction. | 84% |
| Print proofs or examine designs to verify accuracy of engraving, and rework engraving as required. | 84% |
| Position and clamp workpieces, plates, or rollers in holding fixtures. | 83% |
| Remove wax or tape from etched glassware by using a stylus or knife, or by immersing ware in hot water. | 83% |
| Guide stylus over template, causing cutting tool to duplicate design or letters on workpiece. | 83% |
| Start machines and lower cutting tools to beginning points on patterns. | 83% |
| Determine machine settings, and move bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates. | 82% |
| Remove completed workpieces and place them in trays. | 81% |
| Clean and polish engraved areas. | 80% |
| Insert cutting tools or bits into machines and secure them with wrenches. | 78% |
| Sandblast exposed areas of glass to cut designs in surfaces, using spray guns. | 74% |
| Sketch, trace, or scribe layout lines and designs on workpieces, plates, dies, or rollers, using compasses, scribers, gravers, or pencils. | 72% |
| Fill etched characters with opaque paste to improve readability. | 69% |
| Carve designs and letters onto metal for transfer to other surfaces. | 67% |
| Brush or wipe acid over engraving to darken or highlight inscriptions. | 65% |
| Select and insert required templates into pattern frames beneath the stylus of a machine cutting tool or router. | 62% |
