What's a "patternmaker"

[Bob Johnson2]

Yes I feel dumb asking but I keep running into "patternmakers vise" and am wondering what it's used for. Looks like it'd be good for carving but there must be a real reason for it. A google search on it turns up someone who makes patterns for use in metal working, as in sand castings.

thanks

[Jim Hinze]

Yes I feel dumb asking but I keep running into "patternmakers vise" and am wondering what it's used for. Looks like it'd be good for carving but there must be a real reason for it. A google search on it turns up someone who makes patterns for use in metal working, as in sand castings.

thanks

That's right. My grandfather was a pattern maker for both Ford and GM when they did patterns out of wood (today they use styrofoam). They would model all kinds of stuff, large stamping die castings, individual parts, etc.. then they would cast them out of iron.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

Patternmaking has been described as "woodworking done to metalworking tolerances." While that's not completely accurate (precision metal parts will get additonal machining steps after casting), it considered one of the most technically demanding trades.

The patternmaker's tools I've heard of are vises (which tilt and swivel for shaping 3-dimensional forms), rasps, and rules (slightly overscaled to allow for shrinkage of metal parts after casting).

[Bob Johnson2]

Thanks guys, I learn something every day.

[Chris Damm]

I was a patternmaker for 33 years (3rd generation). There is very little woodworking done in patternmaking anymore (at least in the automotive side). It is mostly highly machined metal and plastic. A patternmaker makes the equipment needed by the foundry business to make castings. As Kent said we use specialized tools but mostly computers. When I started there were no computers in the shop. When I retired 95% of the machines had at least one computer running it. Our 70 man shop had about 100 computers!
When my dad started in the '40s 1/2 the shop was wood, When I retired we had 1 woodman and he worked about 1/2 the time.

[Dev Emch]

As has been stated, a patternmaker is a highly precise woodworker who makes the original pattern from which the foundary casts the metal versions. Clearly things have changed in the pattern trades but that is most likely not why you asked the question.

Pattern shops were at one time equiped with some of the finest woodworking machines ever built. Companies like Oliver and Kindt Collins routinely supplied pattern shops with machines. And often, generic woodworking machines evolved into specialized versions which often got the name PATTERNMAKER.

For example, a jointer known as a Patternmaker is a jointer that can ROLL its infeed table relative to the cutter head to joint draft angle onto stock. The most prolific of the patternmaker jointers was the Oliver Model 12. This is not the spring joint feature that allows for concave and convex cuts!

Then you have the lathe known as a patternmaker. A patternmaker lathe is a woodlathe that is a cross between a regular wood lathe and a metal lathe. They have hand driven tool carriages and can machine precise wooden turnings. Some of my favorate patternmaker lathes would have to be the wadkin, the zimmerman and of course, the oliver model 20.

Then you have the patternmaker vise. This vise can articulate itself into almost any position. Some have mentioned it looks good for carving. Yes indeed because often the patternmaker had to do unique carving.

Pattern shops were not known for production. They were known for quality and uniquness. As a result, your not going to find many tannewitz machines but the machines you do find are often in fantastic condition. They were taken care of and not used all that hard. Tannys on the other hand were the mainstay of the furniture industry and often are beat when you get them. Prepare for a full assault restoration on these.

About 6 years ago, we used to get notifications for pattern shop auctions all the time. And not just tiny hole in the wall shops... major shops with tons of oliver, wadkin and kindt collins. But that has changed. I personally think we may have exhusted the supply of older pattern shops getting rid of the woodworking side of the business. Some just went out of business and others hog stuff out of solid metal using CNC Gene Haas machines. At any rate, this has made sourcing pattern shop machines all that much harder.

[Bill Simmeth]

As a result, your not going to find many tannewitz machines but the machines you do find are often in fantastic condition.Now, now. I have been to several pattern shop auctions and a majority of them had at least one Tannewitz band saw, plus many Tanny table saws in the mix. Yes, Tanny's were prevalent in industry, but were also worthy of patternshops.

[Dev Emch]

Now, now. I have been to several pattern shop auctions and a majority of them had at least one Tannewitz band saw, plus many Tanny table saws in the mix. Yes, Tanny's were prevalent in industry, but were also worthy of patternshops.

I most certainly agree! And the larger pattern shops with military connections often had some of all the top makers. Often they had two or three of each machine and often of differing makes. I have seen oliver 12 jointers working aside newman 60 jointers helping out northfield HD jointers. Boy were those the days!

[Chris Damm]

Our shop had 3 36" Tannewitz band saws, 1 18" table saw, a 24" planer (Monarch I think), 1 18" jointer, and a lathe that you could turn 96" on the outboard side. It was sad that for the last few years the lights were hardly ever on in the woodshop.