Foundry Pattern Maker

Steeltech LLC.; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 28,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

Steeltech is seeking a detail-oriented craftsperson for our pattern shop to build tooling for casting production. If you have hands-on woodworking experience and an eye for precision, you’ll translate blueprints into wood and composite patterns, learning foundry-specific skills on the job.

This role fits cabinetmakers or furniture builders seeking steady shop hours and opportunities to grow into a skilled trade with long-term demand.

Qualifications

• Hands-on woodworking experience in cabinetmaking, furniture, or fine-woodworking trades.
• Able to read blueprints/CAD drawings and translate dimensions into patterns with proper shrink allowances.
• Capable of lifting up to 50 lbs and standing for extended periods in a shop environment.
• Strong eye for tight tolerances and precise joinery; patterns must fit and finish well.

Responsibilities

• Read blueprints, CAD drawings, or 3D models and translate dimensions into wood/composite patterns with correct shrink allowance.
• Build patterns, core boxes, and match plates using standard shop equipment.
• Cut and fit joints with tight tolerances; glue laminated blanks and true up surfaces.
• Add draft angles to vertical surfaces so patterns pull cleanly from sand molds.
• Sand, seal, and finish patterns for repeated use in molding process.
• Repair and modify existing patterns and tooling as designs change or wear occurs.
• Check finished work against drawings using calipers, squares, and precision tools.
• Collaborate with molders, engineers, and quality staff to troubleshoot defects.

Skills

Woodworking experience

Blueprint reading

Precision & tolerances

Physical endurance

Education

Woodworking apprenticeship or trade school

Tools

Table saw

Bandsaw

Jointer

Planers

Calipers

Squares

Job description

Steeltech is looking for a detail-oriented craftsperson to join our pattern shop and help build the tooling that makes every casting possible. A foundry pattern is the master shape — usually built in wood — that molders use to form a mold cavity in sand. If you've spent years at a table saw, a bandsaw, or a shaper building furniture, cabinets, or fine joinery, you already have the hand skills, the patience, and the eye for precision this job depends on. We'll teach you the foundry-specific parts: draft angles, shrink rules, core prints, and match-plate work.

This is a great fit for a cabinetmaker or furniture builder who wants steady shop hours, a chance to apply their craft to industrial and engineering work, and room to grow into a skilled trade with long-term demand.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Read blueprints, CAD drawings, or 3D printed models and translate dimensions into a wood or composite pattern, applying the correct shrink allowance for the metal being cast.


• Build patterns, core boxes, and match plates using table saws, bandsaws, planers, shapers, drill presses, and sanders — the same core toolkit used in a cabinet or furniture shop.


• Cut and fit joints with tight tolerances, glue up laminated blanks, and true up surfaces so parting lines and core prints seat correctly.


• Add draft angles to every vertical surface so the pattern pulls cleanly from the sand mold without tearing it.


• Sand, seal, and finish patterns so they hold up to repeated use in the molding process.


• Repair and modify existing patterns and tooling as designs change or wear occurs.


• Check finished work against drawings using calipers, squares, and other precision measuring tools.


• Work with molders, engineers, and quality staff to troubleshoot casting defects traced back to pattern design or fit.


• Keep an organized, safe shop — maintaining tools, storing patterns properly, and following all shop safety practices.

What We’re Looking For

• Hands-on woodworking experience — furniture building, cabinet making, millwork, boatbuilding, or a similar fine-woodworking trade.


• Comfortable and safe operating standard woodshop machinery: table saw, bandsaw, jointer, and planers


• Strong blueprint-reading skills, or a demonstrated ability to work from detailed drawings and shop plans.


• An eye for tight tolerances and clean, precise joinery — patterns are only as good as their fit and finish.


• Basic math skills, including fractions and decimals


• Patience and problem-solving instincts for one-off, custom work — every pattern is a little different.


• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand for extended periods in a shop environment.


• A reliable, self-directed work style with pride in craftsmanship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior exposure to foundry, tooling, or pattern-shop work.


• Familiarity with epoxy, urethane, or composite pattern materials in addition to wood.


• A formal woodworking apprenticeship, trade school training, or equivalent hands-on experience.