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<> <> <> <> <> <> <> E-BENCH <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
The E-Mail Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
March 2002
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<> <> <> <> <> TABLE OF CONTENTS <> <> <> <> <> REVERE FINDING TIPS Useful tips to help you find things in the studio from Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
FEATURE ARTICLE Learn how to make your shop more profitable, a new technique, or brush up on basic skills. STEWART'S BENCH TIPS Bench Tips from Stewart’s International School for Jewelers
AT THE PLATINUM BENCH Tips for working on Platinum from Platinum Guild International
FAVORITE TIPS Tips and Tricks to make your work on the bench a little easier
GERRY’S GEMZ Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting
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Here are some useful tips to help you find things in the studio
FINDING THE CENTER OF A CIRCLE By Alan Revere
circles, but chances are you already have all you need for that task sitting on your bench. Grab your dividers and place one point on the circle. Then adjust the opening to what you guess is about the distance to the center. Now scribe a very light arc onto the metal, with one point fixed on the circle. Move the fixed point about 1/3 around the circle and repeat. Then swing the last arc from a point about 2/3 around the circle from the first point, so that you now have three arcs coming close to the center. They overlap closely, miss each other closely or meet in the middle. No matter what the outcome, it is now very easy to find the center of these arcs, which is the center of the circle.
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You can always tell if you are on the road to success; It’s all up Paul Harvey
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<> <> <> <> <> FEATURE ARTICLE <> <> <> <> <>
DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE DARK Bradney W. Simon CMBJ
Do not get caught in the dark - make certain your shop is well lit. In the jewelry shop, two types of lighting are used. 1. Ambient or General Lighting 2. Task Lighting
It is best to have a combination of the two in your shop.
AMBIENT LIGHT Recessed florescent fixtures are an excellence source of ambient light. Whenever possible these lights should NOT be placed behind where the jeweler sits or stands at a workstation (workbench, sink, polishing machine, etc.). This causes a shadow at the very place you need the light. It is best to place ceiling lights to the sides of workstations. Having two ambient light sources, one on each side of a workstation, causes a cross light pattern eliminating any shadows.
TASK LIGHT Task lighting is any type of light that focuses on a very specific area or task. These range from recessed spotlights and track lights to flexible arm bench lights. Spotlights, either recessed in the ceiling or on tracks, are an excellence source of additional light at the sink, polishing machine, and forming bench.
A light with a flexible arm is necessary at your workbench. One that attaches to the edge of the bench has an advantage over one with a large weighted base, as it does not take up valuable space on the bench. The flexible arm allows you to lower the light to concentrate on a specific area or move it higher at other times to illuminate a broader area. A flexible arm also gives you the opportunity to control glare. By lowering or tilting the head of the task light, you can avoid having light shine directly into, or reflect back into your eyes.
Halogen light sources have some interesting advantages. They generate a lot of light from a relatively small point source. This allows the fixture to be much smaller and it does not get in the way or block your view. The color balance of halogen is also excellent and it more closely resembles the spectrum of natural sunlight. The disadvantage of Halogen light, however, is the heat generated by them.
Fluorescent light sources remain comparatively cool. The small energy saving mini-fluorescent lamp has the advantage of a small fixture. However, they do not produce as much light. The standard two tube fluorescent task light produces adequate light and remains cool. However, the larger fixture head can be awkward and cumbersome at times.
Light is a valuable resource enabling us to adequately view the jewelry we are working on. Don’t be caught in the dark! Make certain you have plenty of ambient and task lighting sources in your workshop.
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Anyone who stops learning is old, whether twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning today is young. The greatest thing Henry Ford
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<> <> <> <> <> STEWART'S BENCH TIPS <> <> <> <> <>
Bench Tips from Stewart’s International School for Jewelers http://www.stewartsintlschool.com/
KEEPING A BUR FROM FORMING WHILE SAWING By Jim Stewart
To prevent a bur from developing on the piece of ring sizing stock from sawing, change to a sawblade that has more teeth per inch (TPI). Example: a 2/0 sawblade has 62 TPI; a 3/0 sawblade has 66 TPI. Also lubricate the back of the sawblade with bees wax and lighten up on your touch; let the sawblade do the work.
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You see things as they are and say “Why”, But I dream things that never were and say “Why Not?” George Bernard Shaw
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Tips for working on Platinum from Jurgen J. Maerz CMBJ director of technical education for Platinum Guild International http://www.pgi-platinum-tech.com/
FTC GUIDE FOR MARKING PLATINUM JEWELRY
The FTC Platinum Guide for marking jewelry made wholly or in part of platinum provides that items consisting of: 950 parts or more per thousand of pure platinum can be marked "Platinum" without the use of any qualifying statements; 850 to 950 parts per thousand can be marked in accordance with international standards of "950 Plat." or "950 Pt.," "900 Plat." or "900 Pt.," "850 Plat." or "850 Pt." (the revised guide permits the use of a two or four letter abbreviation for platinum) Copies of the Platinum Guide Federal Register notice and the entire Jewelry Guides are available from the FTC's web site at http://www.ftc.gov/ and also from the FTC's Public reference Branch, Room 130, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington D.C. 20580; (202) 326-2222
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SIMON SEZ SEMINARS
Bradney W. Simon is an accomplished platform speaker, providing Keynote Speeches, and Educational Seminars. Topics include:
For information on having him speak for your organization log onto; http://www.BWSimon.com/SimonSez Seminars
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<> <> <> <> <> <> FAVORITE TIPS <> <> <> <> <> <>
Loved the section on chain repairs! I make lots of chain. Here's the easiest way I've found to polish them. It works well for chains made from just about all metals. Use a vibratory tumbler with about 5 lbs. of assorted shapes of stainless steel shot. Add a pinch of burnishing soap or a few drops of dishwashing detergent & about 2 oz (a little Dixie cup) of water. Toss in the chains & run the machine for about 1/2 hour. Remove the chains & rinse in clear water. Other items can be polished (burnished, really) in a vibratory tumbler. Just be sure all the scratches are out or you'll have 'shiny scratches' when you're done. The small vibratory tumbler with a bowl about 7" wide & 3" deep, looks sort a like a small angle food cake pan. The tumblers are available from most jeweler suppliers. The same tool can be purchase from a lot of shooting sports stores for less. Folks who reload ammo use them for polishing brass prior to reloading. Dave Arens G.G.
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I have modified the wedge from an old wooden ring holder to use when I polish chains. I have cut a V in the thin end and lay the chain in that V. I hold the excess of the chain behind the wedge and I polish about 3" of the chain at a time with a soft brush in my flex shaft. It has worked well for me for years! Thanks Bruce Dockery
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The GRS third hand, in my opinion, is the best available. I've used mine hard for over ten years and its still like new. I wanted to be able to use mine even when I wasn't using the bench mate. I mounted a small "L" bracket on the front edge of my bench and mounted the third hand on it. It can curl up out of the way when I don't need it, and when I do, it is there without taking up space on my bench. Steve Satow
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After cutting a seat for a stone, clean the burs off the prongs before placing the stone into the crown. Use a graver to cut the burs away, or scrape them off with your tweezers. Then, polish the inside of the crown before continuing the setting process. It's the little EXTRAs
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Paint whiteout over engraving on the inside of rings before sizing or soldering Wedding Sets together. This will keep the solder from flowing over the engraving.
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Attach a sponge lightly saturated with oil to your rolling mill. Place one sponge above the top roller and one sponge below the bottom roller. As you use the mill, the sponges will keep the rollers clean and the oil will keep them from rusting. Before you use it, turn the rollers one complete turn to clean any dust or debris that has accumulated on the rollers. You can keep the sponges in place with binding wire. Just make sure you keep everything away from the gears.
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The plastic coffee stirrers from McDonalds make excellent paddles for mixing epoxies. The best part is you get one FREE with every cup of coffee!
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Cut a perpendicular notch across the tip of a pair of self-locking soldering tweezers. This will then easily grasp and hold wire, jump rings, earring post, etc. when soldering.
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A small cotton buff for your flex-shaft can easily be made to polish recesses and other areas that are small and difficult to access. First, take an old ball bur small enough to fit into the area. Then wrap cotton around the bur by holding the bur against a small piece of cotton while turning slowly in your flex- shaft. Apply rouge to the cotton and use to polish the area.
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If you have a tip you would like to share with our readers send it in an e-mail to mailto:Brad@BWSimon.com
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If you like Favorite Tips then you’ll love Favorite Tip of the Day a bench tip provided daily Monday through Friday on various Internet web sites including: http://www.jewelrydealersnetwork.com/ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/orchid.htm
If you know of a jewelers’ bulletin board or discussion channel that you would like to see Favorite Tip of the Day posted on, have the administrator contact me at Brad@BWSimon.com
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But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; They will run and not grow weary; They will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40: 31
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<> <> <> <> <> GERRY’S GEMZ <> <> <> <> <>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html
POLISHING GRAVERS by Gerald N. Lewy
To polish your gravers first rub the sharpened graver across 4/0 emery paper. Then apply a bit of graphite from a pencil to one end of your #4/0 polishing paper and rub until you have a black surface on this paper. Now, very carefully rub your new graver quickly and lightly on this "black penciled section". The graphite will make your #4/0 paper turn into a #6/0 grit, without buying this additional specialized paper.
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Copyrighted, 2002, B W Simon. All rights reserved.
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