Career summary

Details for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers


Description

Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, cakes, toys, books, or leather.

Tasks

  • Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.
  • Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.
  • Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
  • Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.
  • Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth.
  • Rinse, drain, or wipe coated workpieces to remove excess coating material or to facilitate setting of finish coats on workpieces.
  • Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.
  • Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.
  • Melt or heat coating materials to specified temperatures.
  • Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty.
  • Immerse workpieces into coating materials for specified times.
  • Cut out sections in surfaces of materials to be inlaid with decorative pieces, using patterns and knives or scissors.
  • Position and glue decorative pieces in cutout sections of workpieces, following patterns.

Interests

  • Realistic - 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.

Education, training, experience

  • Education - Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
  • Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
  • Experience - Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.

Knowledge

None found.

Skills

None found.

Related careers