A professional who tends machine equipped with revolving drum containing solutions that clean, dye, tan, or oil hides or rag stock. Respnsibilities include:

• Places hides in drum or loads rags onto drum conveyor and locks drum door.
• Turns valves to fill drum with specified solution and water or steam.
• Moves controls to rotate drum for specified period.
• Stops drum, unlocks door, removes rags or hides, and loads hides or rags on cart or rack.
• May be designated according to process as Blacking-Wheel Tender; Degreasing-Wheel Operator; Oiling-Machine Operator; Tanning-Wheel Filler; Washing-Machine Operator.
• May tend machine, without adding solutions, to soften hides by tumbling and be designated dry-mill worker.