A professional who tends hydraulic press that extrudes graphite mixture to form pencil leads. Respnsibilities include:

• Scoops mixture of clay, graphite, and other materials from pot and pours it into cylinder of machine.
• Pounds material to compact it in cylinder to eliminate air bubbles, using wooden mallet.
• Turns valve and observes dial to supply prescribed hydraulic pressure to ram.
• Starts machine that activates ram to force mixture through extrusion dies.
• May cut leads into specified lengths after they are extruded, dried, and deposited on machine table, using knife.