A professional who tends machine that shrinks woven or knitted cloth to predetermined size. Respnsibilities include:

• Mounts roll of cloth on machine, using chain hoist.
• Threads end of cloth through tension bars, guide and feed rollers, and through shrinking elements.
• Observes flow of cloth through machine onto takeup roll, or guides cloth onto shrinking elements to prevent wrinkles and uneven winding, or sets speed of elements according to shrinkage-control guide for various cloth styles.
• Turns valves or moves switch control to regulate flow of water or steam.
• May measure cloth width, using yardstick.
• May tend equipment that preshrinks woolen suiting fabric and be designated Soaker.
• May sew, using portable sewing machine, or pin cut of cloth to cloth in machine.
• May doff rolls of shrunken cloth.
• May tend machine not equipped with water vat and be designated Steam-Pan Sponger.
• Important variables may be indicated by processes or trade names of machines used.