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Here is your next issue of E-BENCH. Thanks for subscribing.
<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=> The E-Mail Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
November 2003
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<=> <=> ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER <=> <=>
E-BENCH is a FREE monthly newsletter for Retail Jewelry Store Owners, Shop Managers, Bench Jewelers and Anyone Else That Is Interested.
We encourage you to forward this newsletter to anyone that you think may benefit from it, provided you forward all of it without modification and not just portions of it. This document may NOT be distributed for profit. E-BENCH is a copyrighted newsletter and all rights are reserved!
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E-BENCH is sent to you each month FREE of charge because of the generous support of our SPONSORS. Please support them with your purchases.
E-BENCH is a BENCH MEDIA Publication BENCH MEDIA is a B W Simon Company Bradney W Simon – Publisher Daniel Spirer - Proofreader
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<=> <=> <=> TABLE OF CONTENTS <=> <=> <=>
REVERE’S TIPS FOR JEWELERS Tips for Jewelers from Alan Revere
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 and more productive from Bradney W. Simon CMBJ and E-BENCH Readers.
GERRY’S GEMZ Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting
WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS Tips from Charles Lewton-Brian
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
SIMON SEZ SEMINARS
Bradney W. Simon is a JA Certified Master Bench Jeweler with over 26 years experience on the bench. He is the Editor and Publisher of E-BENCH, BENCH Magazine, and BENCH ROM, and is an accomplished platform speaker, providing Keynote Speeches, and Educational Seminars.
Topics include: Shop Management Bench Tips Jewelry Demonstrations
For information on having him speak for your organization, log onto; http://www.BWSimon.com/SimonSez Seminars
Up Coming seminars featuring Bradney Simon
It’s About Time February 4, 2004 AGTA Tucson
A Crowning Achievement February 7, 2004 Rio Grande’s Catalog In Motion Tucson
Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo April 23 – 25, 2004 Chicago
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<=> <=> REVERE’S TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs from Alan Revere Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
The following Tip is from the forthcoming book "101 Bench Tips for Jewelers" written by Alan Revere and published by MJSA/AJM Press.
BENDING TUBING
As every bench jeweler has discovered, bending tubing is easier said than done. When using your hands or a clamp, tubing just folds and creases, like a plastic straw. But unlike plastic, if you know what you are doing it is easy to form metal tubing into a smooth and even curve.
Let’s say you want to bend a piece of tubing into a bangle bracelet, which will make it a lot lighter and less expensive than using a solid rod of metal. In order to bend tubing without crushing it, you need to support it, either on the interior or the exterior.
Here is a way that works well, all the time. Go to a hardware store and find a steel spring that fits snugly over the tubing. (You can even buy springs made expressly for this purpose in some hobby stores.) You will need a piece of tubing that is longer than called for in the final bracelet, in order to gain leverage. Anneal the tubing and then put the spring around it. Now use a curved form, like a bracelet mandrel or piece of plumbing pipe, slightly smaller than the desired curve of the tubing. Spread out your fingers and apply even pressure, as you force the tubing/spring assembly against the mandrel. It will naturally recoil a little as you release the pressure, depending on the alloy and hardness. Now slide the spring along a little further and bend the next section, proceeding in this fashion until the entire tube is formed into circle with overlapping ends. Then pull the spring off; sometimes it is necessary to use a lubricant and an "unscrewing" tug to remove it. Amazing!
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Putting off an easy thing makes it hard, and putting off a hard one makes it impossible. George Lorimer
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
Books from MJSA/AJM Press: At the Bench and The Platinum Bench
Simplify your
bench work! The Platinum Bench by Jurgen J. Maerz and At
the Bench by Gregg Todd and Greg Gilman, feature a wealth of time-saving tips, and illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions on the repair and fabrication of gold, silver, and platinum jewelry. Based on the popular At the Bench section in AJM, both books feature hundreds of photographs on everything from simplified pave setting to easy 18k inlay in platinum.
To download sample chapters, go to http://www.mjsainc.com/info_press.php. For more information, call 1-800-444-6572, ext. 3038.
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<=> <=> <=> FEATURE ARTICLE <=> <=> <=> BENCH Ph.D. Part 1 By Bradney W. Simon
Do you have your bench Ph.D.? No, I do not mean a doctorate from some university. What I am asking is: Do you have your bench Piled Higher and Deeper? Is it piled high and deep with tools, parts, debris, or other clutter?
I have found there are more misunderstandings over this issue than on anything else I speak about. We have become very defensive about our clutter. The left-brain world has really deceived us into thinking their way is the only way to organize something, and as right-brained creative bench jewelers we want no part of it. When jewelers hear the subject matter, they naturally assume that I am there to pour on more guilt and their resistance goes up.
A Cluttered Bench is a Sign of a Cluttered Mind. A Messy Bench Produces Messy Work. And on and on the sayings go. The truth of the matter is A Messy Bench is a Sign of a Messy Bench. Period – No More, and No Less! A messy bench is NOT a reflection on your intellect, talent, or ancestry.
I really don’t care what your bench LOOKS like. What I’m concerned about is if your bench is organized or not. To maximize productivity it is important to have an organized bench. A Disorganized Bench is an Un-Productive Bench.
I will let you in on a little secret. A neat bench may not be any more organized than a messy bench. Neat does NOT equal Organized. You can have a bench that is as neat as a pin and you can still be disorganized. We can clean everything off our benches so they look like the new benches in the tool catalogs, but if all we did is move the piles from on top of the bench into the drawers so that the drawers look like Fibber McGee’s closet, we have not changed the situation. In fact, we may have made matters worse. Even if all the bench drawers and shelves are neat and orderly, if we cannot find our tools when needed, nothing has improved.
Managing space efficiently, whether it is your bench or the entire shop, does not necessarily mean making it neat. Rather, it means making it functional for you to use.
A so-called “Mess” in itself needn’t be a problem. Keeping things out in plan view so you can ‘see’ where it is and make it easier to find later, is not a bad thing. However, when layer covers layer and the clutter begins to take on a life of its own, it can seriously affect our productivity. Excessive clutter can cause additional stress and aggravation. As we become more stressed we become less effective in our work. This causes even more stress, as our work does not get finished on time.
In addition, chaotic workplaces can be very distracting, especially if you are visually oriented, as most bench jewelers are. Every time we see something in the midst of the clutter, we are tempted to do something else, instead of focusing on what we are already doing.
Excessive clutter also affects shop profits. It takes more time to clean a cluttered shop. Because of this you’re less likely to clean-up bench and floor sweeps. The result is that precious metal literally walks out of the shop on the bottom of shoes, and on workers hands and clothing.
When clutter gets out of control, it can and does waste your time when you can’t find what you need - when you need it. The time you spend looking for a tool or a piece of jewelry to work on, is time wasted. Remember: Every Minute Spent Looking For Something Is 60 Seconds Spent Not Working!
You know better than anyone if your system is out of control. If you are not able to locate what you need, if you miss deadlines, if you cannot find the information you have been given, then you have a problem, and the problem may very well be the lack of organization at your bench.
An organized bench may very well be a bench full of tools and jobs. However, those tools are organized in a manner that when you need a tool you can reach for it without stopping your work. If you want a tool and you reach for it, and it is not there, you have to stop your work to look for the tool. At this point, the clutter has affected your productivity. You can not be working during the time you are looking for something. It may be only a minute or two but over time, it adds up, and several hours can be lost in a month.
Your bench is not properly organized, if you can not reach without looking and pick up a tool that you use everyday, or find a tool that you use less often in the first place you look. To say your bench is messy because you are busy or creative, are just excuses for not putting the tool away when you are finished with it or not taking the time to organize your jobs and tools. Every minute you spend organizing your jobs and keeping your bench straight is multiplied in time saved doing the work. If your bench is disorganized, you may finish many repairs because you are fast and/or good. However, you won’t finish as much as you COULD have finished, if your bench was properly organized.
How you organize your tools is not nearly as important as THAT you organize them. Having your bench organized in a manner that is meaningful to you will allow you to work most efficiently and productively.
Next month we will look at methods to use to organize your bench.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21: 5
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
Jewelry Dealers World Trade Network http://www.JewelryDealersNetwork.com
<=> Bench Jeweler Discussion Channel <=> >
Ask questions, share tips, and take part in the on going discussions, or just read and take in all the advice from many Excellent Jewelers from around the world.
Membership includes: Topical Discussion Channels, including Bench Work, CAD-CAM, Stone Setting, and many more. You may buy, sell and trade on the Buy/Sell Channels, Plus Much More.
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<=> <=> STEWART'S BENCH TIPS <=> <=>
Bench Tips from Stewart’s International School for Jewelers http://www.stewartsintlschool.com/
SIZING SILVER RINGS WITH STONES By Jim Stewart
To protect a stone when sizing a silver ring, I recommend that you remove the stone to be SAFE. If you leave the stone in the mounting, cover the stone with a commercial thermal shield paste. You can also cover the stone with sand moistened with water. Cover the stone but do not cover too much of the ring as it will absorb too much of the heat.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
An idealist is a person who helps other people to be prosperous. Henry Ford
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
BENCH ROM The Multi-Media Magazine for Bench Jewelers
BENCH ROM is an affordable method to learn new skills and develop your career. Discover New Techniques Learn New Tips to Improve Your Work See New Products and Technologies Demonstrated All right from your home or shop without having to travel to a seminar or trade show.
“Bench Rom is great,” says jeweler Bill Scores “It’s like being in the shop of a Master Jeweler and watching over his shoulder.”
Log onto www.BWSimon.com/BenchRom for more information or to subscribe
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<=> <=> AT THE PLATINUM BENCH <=> <=>
Tips for working on Platinum from Jurgen J. Maerz CMBJ, Director of Technical Education for Platinum Guild International http://www.pgi-platinum-tech.com
In a platinum application, welding is different from brazing because platinum is joined together by heating the metal until it is fused together. Therefore, as a guideline, you should weld when sizing a ring. However, it is not possible to torch-weld different Pt alloys together as they have different melting points.
Did you know that it takes 10 tons of ore to produce one ounce
of platinum?
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas Edison
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
The Ganoksin Project
www.ganoksin.com
The Gem and Jewelry Pre-Eminent Online Resources. Open to the
public
Free of Charge.
A substantial library of articles, publications, reports, and technical data on gem and jewelry related topics; as well as a sizable collection of art and jewelry galleries, for both the casual visitor and the professional, also host the popular Orchid online forums for jewelers.
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<=> <=> <=> FAVORITE TIPS <=> <=> <=>
I use a small empty eye drop bottle for my flux. Soldering has never been easier. Just drip it on and solder away. Jeremy Pavlow
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If you use a mini anvil or bench block on your bench, you can curb all the hammering noise by putting a flat piece of cloth under it. What a difference Jeremy Pavlow
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To stiffen an earring post twist it on its own axis one or two times. The soft part where you soldered will twist and harden itself while the hard part will stay the same (it also tests your solder joint). Bill Pellegrini
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When channel setting, file the tops of the channel wall at a 30-degree angle. Then, hammer the channel wall at this angle and the metal will form down and out over the stones.
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Do not use highly polished tools to push prongs over stones. They will have a tendency to slip off the prong and possibly damage the stone.
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Do not direct the flame of your torch directly on fine chains or other thin metal, as they will melt easily. Instead, place the chain, wire, or other metal on a ceramic solder board and heat the solder board in front of the chain allowing the reflected heat to melt the solder.
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If you have a tip you would like to share with our readers send it in an e-mail to
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Make a point to do something every day that you find challenging. This is the Golden Rule for acquiring the discipline to do your utmost without questioning the desire to apply yourself to be the best; for when you want what you've never had, you must learn to do what you've never done.
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo
April 23 - 25 2004 to Chicago IL
Exciting New Workshops – Seminars - Demonstrations – Networking Opportunities - Exhibitor Show
All activities during this three day event will be directed toward the Bench Jeweler, Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo presented by Bench Media publisher of E-BENCH, BENCH Magazine, and BENCH ROM
For More Information log onto: www.BWSimon.com/Conference
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<=> <=> <=> GERRY’S GEMZ <=> <=> <=>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html by Gerald N. Lewy
Place all of your burrs on a plastic peg-board and in sizes from small to large. This way you will find the exact size you need just by looking for it.
Clean off your bench-filings daily, as it is hard to locate a small diamond amidst all of the gold dust. I once had a fingernail removed because of some gold dust that caused gangrene.
Darken all of your bench tops, as this will reduce all of the "reflective light" and its 'glare'.
See that all of your gravers are in top shape, so when you need one, it is ready for your use.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
“The Jeweler’s Tool of Choice” Jewelry LaserStar Workstations
Crafford - LaserStar Technologies designs and manufacturers a complete range of Nd: YAG pulse laser systems for retail and manufacturing jewelers. LaserStar Workstations are 50 watt/class 1 systems ranging in power from 85 – 120 joules and are ideal for a wide range of jewelry design, manufacturing, and repair applications in gold, silver, and platinum. Crafford's team of highly trained direct sales and bench jeweler applications specialists are always available to review new applications, share technical expertise, and provide service and technical support from our Providence, RI USA manufacturing facility. All LaserStar Workstations are made in the USA and comply with all FDA (CDRH), CSA, UL, and CE certification guidelines for safety. Four models of the LaserStar Workstation are available to the jewelry marketplace. For more information please reference our web site at www.laserstar.net or www.crafford.com
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<=> <=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips
From Charles Lewton-Brian
In general aim for: a well laid-out, orderly workshop, well-lit by multiple non glare light sources, well-maintained equipment, electrically and fire safe, with low dust and few procedures involving solvents, with excellent local ventilation at the appropriate work stations (such as investing or melting areas), the use of work clothing, which is cleaned frequently, lots of personal safety equipment (earmuffs, shoe covers to protect against molten metal splashes, safety glasses etc.), different jobs and heights to work at over the work day, ergonomically considered working actions and a conscious attitude and consciousness of safety. Choose procedures that don't involve exposure to risks. Set things up so that you can't hurt yourself. Make safety a habit and then it won't seem like work. If you don't use a certain chemical or hazardous procedure in your shop, then you are extremely unlikely to get hurt by it. Substitute less hazardous processes and materials for more dangerous ones. If you have an accident or a near miss it needs to be recorded in your accident book and discussed so as to avoid doing the same thing again.
For more information on Workshop safety from
Charles Lewton-Brian log onto: http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/safety.htm
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<=> <=> Thank You for Reading <=> <=>
We are on the World Wide Web. Visit us at http://www.BWSimon.com A complete archive of back issues of E-BENCH is located there.
Visit often, as we will be making changes to our site, adding additional useful information for bench jewelers.
<=> <=> SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION <=> <=>
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Information provided in this document is provided ‘As Is’ without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information concerning the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that the author or publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
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Copyrighted, 2003, BENCH MEDIA. All rights reserved.
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