Job Details

The Role

Heat treating hardens steel — and that process can cause tools to warp slightly. That's where a straightener comes in: using hand presses, straightening benches, and our 20-ton hydraulic press, you'll correct that distortion and bring each tool back within the customer's tolerance, without cracking or damaging a hardened (and expensive) piece of tooling.

This is a hands-on apprenticeship. You'll start on lower-hardness, lower-risk pieces under direct supervision from our experienced straighteners, and build toward independent work on our full range of materials — including high-speed steels that require precise timing (some grades must be straightened warm, immediately after quenching, before they cool below 400°F).

What You'll Do

• Learn to read work tickets: material grade, target Rockwell hardness (R/C), dimensions, and customer specs
• Straighten tools using hand presses and flattening benches under supervision
• Learn to use dial indicators and fixturing/gauges to check straightness against tolerance
• Progress into hot straightening (immediately post-quench) and final straightening (post-temper, post-blast) stages
• Learn our full production flow: In-House → Hardening → Hot Straightening → Draws → Wash → Sandblast → Final Straightening → Shipping
• Follow safety procedures around furnaces, hot tooling, and pressing equipment (gloves, PPE provided)
• Keep accurate records — stamping/signing off work as it clears straightening

What We're Looking For

• No prior straightening experience required — we'll train you
• Mechanically inclined; comfortable working with your hands and hand tools
• Able to read a tape measure, dial indicator, or similar precision gauge (or willing to learn quickly)
• Reliable, safety-conscious, and able to work standing/lifting throughout a shift (pieces up to 50 lb regularly; occasional heavier with equipment assistance)
• Comfortable in an industrial floor environment (heat, noise, PPE)
• A mechanical, machining, welding, or manufacturing background is a plus but not required