A professional who sets up and operates loom with assistance of needle-loom-operator helper to produce needle (punched) felt. Responsibilities include:

• Selects and bolts specified needle boards to loom holders, according to work order, using wrenches.
• Installs speed gears or turns knob to synchronize speed of feeder with action of needle board.
• Threads bat through needle board and attaches bat to rewind spindle.
• Starts machine, watches feed gauge, and stops machine when specified length of felt is produced.
• Measures thickness and width of felt, using gauge and tape, to ensure product meets specifications.
• Cuts finished felt from roll with knife or shear.
• Replaces worn or broken needle boards.
• May place roll of textile base into feed holder and textile base roll with felt bat to produce textile backed felt.
• May glue or sew together ends of base to form continuous roll.