A professional who tends machines that fabricate components of veneer, rattan, reed, and willow baskets of specified size and shape and assembles components, performing any combination of following tasks. Responsibilities include:

• Interlaces strips of veneer or other materials to weave basket bottom.
• Tends machine to shape woven bottom and interlace veneer strips with bottom to form sides.
• Bends extended ends of bottom perpendicular to matted portion of bottom and places hoop around ends to hold ends in position for weaving ends and sides.
• Staples rim to basket bottom.
• Tapers or points ends, using knife, and weaves ends into sides.
• Nails rims together to hold sides in place.
• Tends machine that shapes and staples veneer strips to basket rim.
• Tends basket-cover machine to cut cover mats (woven veneer strips) to size.
• Tends machine that bends basket cover into arc and staples rim to cover.
• Stitches or staples reinforcing splints (wood strips) to top edges of mat.
• Shapes wire in bail-bender to form bails (wire handles).
• Bends soaked wood strips to form basket handles.
• Staples wire handles to rim of basket.
• Tends machine that clamps wood handles to basket.
• Examines baskets for imperfections and discards defective baskets for repair.
• May be known according to type or section of basket formed or assembled as bottom maker; slat-basket-top maker; or machine tended as handle-machine operator; hoop-coiling-machine operator; loop-machine operator; mat-machine tender.
• May be designated: basket-bottom machine operator; braider; cover-machine operator; cover-mat-machine operator; handle bender; machine hamper maker; market-basket maker i; stitcher operator; webb layer.