Job Description:

• 1) Operates routing machine with free moving head to cut excess metal from nonprinting areas of electrotype, stereotype, and photoengraved printing plates: Clamps plate face onto routing machine table.

• 2) Selects cutter bit and installs bit in chuck of routing spindle.

• 3) Depresses pedal to start machine and moves hand guides to control direction of rotating cutter bit along outlines of design or letters set off by chemically darkened etching.

• 4) Depresses pedal to raise cutter bit to avoid cutting printing areas of plate.

• 5) Bevels edges of plates to form nailing surface for mounting plates to wood or synthetic blocks, using router or beveling machine.

• 6) Mounts curved plates on saddle device in order to cut metal from nonprinting areas.

• 7) May mount finished printing plates on wood, synthetic, or metal blocks to raise them to printing height, by hand or using automatic plate-mounting equipment.