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Here is your next issue of E-BENCH. Thanks for subscribing.
<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=> The E-Mail Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
February 2004
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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, Who Do Repairs 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 <=> <=> <=>
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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<=> <=> REVERE’S TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs from Alan Revere Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
Avoid damaging the quality stamp when repairing an item. If you remove the stamp and replace it, you may be held responsible for its accuracy.
Never promise to deliver a job before you are certain it will be finished.
Read trade magazines, attend industry seminars, and listen to anyone who wants to give you advice.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious. Anonymous
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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 ongoing 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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<=> <=> <=> FEATURE ARTICLE <=> <=> <=> LISTEN UP A Bench Jeweler’s Guide to Effective Communication By Bradney W Simon
A woman was apartment hunting one day and she found the perfect apartment. It was ideal for her situation, so she signed the lease and went home to start packing.
While she was packing, she did what many of us would do and started to visualize where she would put her possessions in that new apartment. She could envision her couch along one wall, where she could sit and watch TV, if she placed the TV just so. The chair would look nice between those two windows, and on she went around the new apartment.
Then it dawned on her that she could not remember seeing a bathroom. Where in the world is the toilet, she thought. Surely there could not be one large bathroom at the end of the hall that she would share with the other tenants.
The more she thought about this the more concerned she became. She decided to write the landlord a letter to find out where the toilet was located. However, as she wrote she became embarrassed. She could not write the word toilet in a letter. What should she say? Then she thought of the old term Water Closet. That sounded better to her, but in her haste she abbreviated and only wrote the initials W C.
Well the landlord received the letter, and as you can imagine, did not understand what she wanted to know. What is the W C? What was she looking for? Then it dawned on him. She must want to know where the Waverly Church is located so he wrote the following response. Now keep in mind as you read his letter that she wants to know where the toilet is located as she reads:
Dear Madam,
You will be pleased to know that the WC is located only three blocks away. It is a lovely stroll on a nice day.
You will find that most all of the tenants use the facilities there. Most go only once a week, and stay for an hour or two. However, some feel it necessary to go more often.
If you go on Sundays, I suggest you go early. Many arrive just in time and have trouble getting to a seat. If you prefer to stay to yourself, I would suggest going on Wednesday evenings, as Sundays tend to become crowded. Why just last Sunday it was so crowded there were nearly two people on every seat. It was wonderful to see the expressions on their faces.
I am sure you will be pleased to know there is always musical accompaniment whenever you go there. Everyone who goes there finds it to be a true spiritual experience and leaves feeling refreshed, and revitalized.
If I can be of further assistance, Please let me know.
Your Landlord
Miscommunication such as this is a major contributor to problems in business as well. In fact, many of the problems in business today are the result of poor communication and jewelry stores are not exempt.
Management consultant Peter Drucker claims that 60% of all business problems result from faulty communication. I believe the percentage may be even higher in jewelry stores when it comes to problems related to jewelry repair. The major problems attributed to the shop are generally the result of miscommunication – miscommunication between the customer, the salesperson, and the bench jeweler.
If the date the customer was told their jewelry will be ready is not properly communicated to the bench jeweler, problems develop. If the price given to the customer is not properly communicated to the bench jeweler, more may be charged and problems develop. If the work that is to be performed is not properly communicated, the wrong work may be done and problems develop, and on and on it goes.
Proper Take-In procedures are vitally important. However, communication is a two-way street, and often the problems are due to inadequate reading or listening. A recent University of Minnesota Study shows that 60% of business problems related to communication come from poor listening.
Bench jewelers are notoriously poor listeners. How many times do we need to fix something or re-do a job, due to the fact that we did not fully listen to what we were told. How many times do we finish a job, then when we are all finished we find we did not do a thorough job of ‘listening’ when we read the instructions. We swear we read all the instructions, but there it is written just as plain as can be. Concentrate on listening; don’t try to listen while doing 10 other things. Listen for INTENT as well as CONTENT. Repeat the main points to make certain you heard them correctly, and ask questions if you do not fully understand.
A story is told about J. Edgar Hoover, the former head of the FBI. He had very strict rules for the format of internal memos. Upset that a certain report writer did not follow the rules, he wrote in the margin of the report “Watch the Borders”. The report made its rounds and all the field agents were informed to ‘Watch the Borders’. Extra agents were deployed and sent out all along the Mexican and Canadian Borders. Only later was the truth known. Hoover was objecting to the size of the border (margin) the writer used in the report. Hoover’s instructions may not have been complete, and he is partly to blame. However, had the report writer exercised good listening skills, this problem and others like them, would have been avoided.
If we concentrate and give our full attention to listening and make an effort to improve, we will make fewer mistakes in the shop. When we make fewer mistakes in the shop we will have less jobs to fix or re-do and less customers who are disappointed in our work. When that happens, our productivity will increase. When our productivity increases we will make a greater profit. Greater profits allow the store to pay higher salaries.
Improving our listening is truly a Win – Win situation.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
A mind once expanded by a new idea never returns to its original dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes
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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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<=> <=> STEWART'S BENCH TIPS <=> <=>
Bench Tips from Stewart’s International School for Jewelers http://www.stewartsintlschool.com/
Sometimes when you try to tighten a diamond the prongs spring back. To tighten the diamond in these situations you need to tighten the diamond VECTORALLY. Using a non-serrated pointed nose pliers bend the adjacent prongs a little, below the girdle, towards each other and go all the way around the diamond.
To "SQUARE OFF" a diamond in a four prong setting, the prong should rest on the upper girdle facet (Split Facet) with the tip of the prong to the lower edge of the Star Facet. Place the prongs at the corners of either square.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. Langston Hughes
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
New from MJSA/AJM Press The AJM Guide to Lost-Wax Casting
Learn from the masters how to achieve smooth, porosity-free castings! The AJM Guide to Lost- Wax Casting offers an abundance of best practices, handy tips, and troubleshooting techniques. How to create trouble-free master models to proper breakout procedures.
Contributing experts include: Charles Lewton-Brain, Jurgen J. Maerz, Gregg Todd, Michael Bondanza, and many more.
For sample chapters and more information, go to http://www.ajm-magazine.com/pub_press.php
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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
Sometimes when annealing platinum it is possible to contaminate the platinum with other metals. Some filings or some solder chips on a soldering surface or any other metal on the bench may melt into the platinum, thus contaminating the area.
To repair, grind the contamination away with a ball burr leaving a hole to fill. Next, take a small piece of the same platinum alloy the object is made of and weld it to fill the hole. Filing the excess metal away, you create an invisible repair. To prevent this contamination from happening in the first place, soak your platinum in a 10% solution of Nitric acid for about 10 minutes, before annealing, welding or soldering.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit. Proverbs 24: 33 - 34
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
Run Your Shop Without It Running You A Practical Guide To Efficient Shop Management
With over one hundred and fifty pages of information, illustrations, and worksheets, this is the most comprehensive book on Shop Management available today.
This Valuable Guide Is A Must In Every Retail Jewelry Store
“For too many years, Simon says, jewelry storeowners have believed the fallacy the shop can’t be a profit center. He destroys that notion step-by-step with a practical book that shows owners and shop mangers the keys to profitability.” Professional Jeweler Magazine
Only $39.95 (US dollars) plus S&H - $4.00 US, $10 International
Send your order and check to: B W Simon 106 S. Pinepoint Dr. Spartanburg, SC 29307 U S A
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<=> <=> <=> FAVORITE TIPS <=> <=> <=>
I have found the most effective way to re- temper earring posts is to gently grasp the post close to the end with narrow nosed pliers, then turn the post one quarter turn, then back again. This works on both gold and silver and only takes two seconds and tempers the full length of the post.
B. David Richardson - Claremore, OK
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When closing the gap of a ring for sizing use a stainless steel hose clamp; simply put the ring inside the clamp and tighten the screw.
Lloyd Butterfield.
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To remove a broken drill from gold, go to your local supermarket and purchase a bottle of Powdered Alum. Next add warm water and 1 tea spoon to a jar large enough to accommodate the piece of jewelry you are working with. Place the piece in the jar of alum solution for 30min to 2 hours then place the piece in the ultrasonic to remove any drill fragments.
Garth Tidwell - Murray, KY
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Instead of removing my bench pan for cleaning (and subsequently spilling it's contents on the floor), I have installed an accumulation jar in one corner. I have learned to use the corner so that I do not accidentally drop many articles into it.
Use a small jar with a screw-on lid. A jar from artichoke hearts or bullion cubes seems to work better than the newer baby food jars, as the lids are much more secure. Also, do not use too large of a jar, as you knees will remind you of the fact later!
Mount the lid to the bottom of the bench pan, using sheet metal screws. Screw in from the bench pan to the lid. This will leave the screws protruding into the jar, when complete.
Carefully cut out or drill the center of the lid and adjoining area of the bench pan. I drilled a pilot hole and cut the rest out with a saber saw, then file to remove any burs.
Now, throughout the day, you can gently sweep the accumulation of filings into the jar. Then, simply empty the jar into your recycling bucket without all the mess.
Joe Bacher - Equality, IL
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Take a file handle and drill out with an appropriate size drill bit. Then knock out the cross bar on your chuck key and hammer it into the file handle. You will be able to open & close your chuck at lightning speed
The Wechslers
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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 <=> <=>
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams Eleanor Roosevelt
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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
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<=> <=> <=> GERRY’S GEMZ <=> <=> <=>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html by Gerald N. Lewy
When securing stones, please use a soft metal pusher. I suggest a copper or brass pusher. This will prevent making deep marks in the prongs, which can be difficult to remove later.
I use flat-edge and tapered-edge pumice wheels of #180 grit on all of my setting items. It’s not because of being rough on my work but because it’s a mark of a “careful, high quality setter”. I remove all of the plier marks, graver slipping, and just the general rough edges left by the ‘casting house’. I don’t want my polishing sub-contractor, to grind away more than he has to in finishing my setting work.
Just before you remove a diamond or any precious gemstone, observe any inclusions or defects in the stone. Always keep your 10X ‘Triplet Loupe’ at your side. Take note and record any inclusions or have the client view the inclusions themselves. I speak from experience. If you are in doubt about a stone DON’T SET IT. Being an over cautious setter is far more rewarding than paying for its replacement.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Procrastination is the natural assassination of opportunity Anonymous
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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, Making This The One Show In 2004 That You Don’t Want To Miss 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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<=> <=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From Charles Lewton-Brian
The bad news is that safety issues are real. You can actually do damage to yourself and others by behaving unsafely, shorten your life, go blind, need oxygen to breathe, and more. While many of the brutal dangers such as asbestos have been removed, there remain numerous others, and in old shops and traditional practices lie continued risk for jewelers.
Holistic Safety means that it is very difficult to isolate safety issues. They affect each other; they add to each other, compound each other, and sometimes have synergistic effects. An example of a synergistic effect is people who are exposed to asbestos. If you smoke cigarettes, your chances of getting lung cancer from asbestos exposure are 50 to 90 times greater than a person who was just exposed to asbestos. How you behave and what you are exposed to in the rest of your life affects things. In this sense 'Safety' is 'Healthy Living'. You could call it an attitude of valuing yourself. Therefore, when we discuss various specific issues keep reminding yourself that there is actually a mix of things happening.
Part of a holistic approach is to do physical exercise and follow general improved lifestyle suggestions, low fat, high fiber, less meat more grains and vegetables, aim for good mental health and self development etc.
There is plenty of evidence that dietary chemicals can interact with ones that one is exposed to in the workplace and produce effects that are far greater than the chemical would be just by itself. For example drinking alcohol can interact with certain solvents to cause severe damage quickly.
A recent article in Scientific American discussed the chemicals and dusts that one is exposed to in an ordinary household, from carpets and household cleaning products. It pointed out that in many cases the exposure levels in the home might be higher than would be officially tolerated in the workplace. Therefore, anything you can do to lower your general chemical exposure is probably a good idea.
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, 2004, BENCH MEDIA. All rights reserved.
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