Gain metalworking experience by taking a shop class at your school. If your school doesn't offer it, try a community college or see if you can intern or interview someone at a local metal shop.

Take a metal shop class.

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.

Watch this video to learn more about the process of transforming raw materials into steel. Which part of the process do you find most interesting?

Learn more about the steelmaking process.

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel.

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

Third Interest High-Point

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

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

Second Interest High-Point

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

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Metal Furnace Operators, Tenders, Pourers, and Casters

Production Occupations

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers

Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.

Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.

Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales.

Record production data, and maintain production logs.

Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.

Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.

Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.

Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.

Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators.

Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes, or sprayers.

Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers.

Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur.

Sprinkle chemicals over molten metal to bring impurities to the surface.

Direct work crews in the cleaning and repair of furnace walls and flooring.

Scrape accumulations of metal oxides from floors, molds, and crucibles, and sift and store them for reclamation.

Air gauges

Anneal furnaces

Argon purging systems

Basic oxygen furnaces

Blast furnaces

Channel induction furnaces

Chemical protection goggles

Closed circuit television monitors

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Overview

Career

What Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders Do

Other Job Titles Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Overview

Career

What Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders Do

Other Job Titles Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Related Careers