Watch clips from "How It's Made" to see how objects like artificial limbs, nails, footballs, mustard, and more are made. Choose a few to watch--which one surprised you most?

Watch how the objects all around us are made.

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Grind, sand, or polish, using hand tools or hand-held power tools, a variety of metal, wood, stone, clay, plastic, or glass objects. Includes chippers, buffers, and finishers.

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Second Interest High-Point

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

First Interest High-Point

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed

Crushing, Grinding, Polishing, Mixing, and Blending Workers

Production Occupations

Other Production Occupations

Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools.

Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery.

Move controls to adjust, start, or stop equipment during grinding and polishing processes.

Remove completed workpieces from equipment or work tables, using hand tools, and place workpieces in containers.

Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met.

Transfer equipment, objects, or parts to specified work areas, using moving devices.

Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment.

Repair and maintain equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools.

File grooved, contoured, and irregular surfaces of metal objects, such as metalworking dies and machine parts, to conform to templates, other parts, layouts, or blueprint specifications.

Mark defects, such as knotholes, cracks, and splits, for repair.

Study blueprints or layouts to determine how to lay out workpieces or saw out templates.

Sharpen abrasive grinding tools, using machines and hand tools.

Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools.

Fill cracks or imperfections in marble with wax that matches the stone color.

Record product and processing data on specified forms.

Select files or other abrasives, according to materials, sizes and shapes of workpieces, amount of stock to be removed, finishes specified, and steps in finishing processes.

Apply solutions and chemicals to equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools.

Clean brass particles from files by drawing file cards through file grooves.

Spread emery powder or other polishing compounds on stone, or wet stone surfaces with hoses, and guide buffing wheels over stone to polish surfaces.

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Overview

Career

What Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand Do

Other Job Titles Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Overview

Career

What Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand Do

Other Job Titles Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Related Careers

Related Leaders