Tool and die makers in Decatur make jigs, fixtures, dies, molds, machine tools, cutting tools, gauges, and other tools used in manufacturing processes. They are a class of machinists who work primarily in toolroom environments, with flexible, semipermeable boundaries from production work. They are skilled craftspeople who typically learn their trade through a combination of academic coursework and hands-on instruction. Art and science are thoroughly intermixed in their work.
