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<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=> The E-Mail Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
October 2004 Volume 5 Issue 10 circulation over 3,300
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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.
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E-BENCH is a BENCH MEDIA Publication BENCH MEDIA is a B W Simon Company Bradney W Simon – Publisher Daniel R. Spirer - Proofreader daniel@spirerjewelers.com
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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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How would you like to learn in just 50 minutes what it took others years to learn?
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Learn how to Set Stones, and Create Custom Made Jewelry, PLUS numerous tips to make your work at the bench easier, and more efficient from Certified Master Bench Jeweler Bradney W. Simon. Each Bench View CD Rom contains approximately 50 minutes of video you can watch on your computer plus articles you can print.
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<=> <=> REVERE’S TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Tips For Jewelers Who Do Repairs From Alan Revere Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
Putting an End to Tubing Twist
Making tubing from a piece of sheet is an important part of bench work. Keeping the seam straight while drawing it down is another story.
Making tubing is not too difficult. In a nutshell, you take a piece of sheet that’s about four times as wide as the final tubing you desire. Form the tube into a gully to begin the shape, then taper the end into a "draw dog," so that you can grab it and pull.
Force the blank into a carved groove in a wooden stump, then place the draw dog in a hole in back of the draw plate, so that the metal makes just a bit of contact. Using draw tongs, pull the tubing through the hole. Now, as you proceed to the next hole, clamp down on the far side of the tubing with a pair of normal tweezers; this will allow you to guide the metal and prevent it from curling.
Each time you pull the tubing through a hole, squeeze down on the tweezers, thereby keeping the seam straight.
This Tip is from the forthcoming book "101 Bench Tips for Jewelers" written by Alan Revere and published by MJSA/AJM Press.
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The man who starts out going nowhere generally gets there. Dale Carnegie
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Jewelry Dealers World Trade Network http://www.JewelryDealersNetwork.com
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<=> <=> <=> FEATURE ARTICLE <=> <=> <=> CREATIVITY Part 1 Brad Simon
Often we think of creativity in the jewelry industry as it applies to designing jewelry, and although that is a necessary ingredient for a jewelry designer, I also believe creativity is what sets many master repair jewelers apart from the rest. When we at the bench are approached with a jewelry repair problem our creativity in problem solving is called upon,
and how creative we are will often determine how successful we are in fixing the jewelry to the customer’s satisfaction.
Over the next few issues we will look at some of the deterrents to creative problem solving and some solutions to increasing our creativity.
Lost Item Syndrome
Have you ever notice that you always find a lost item in the last place you looked? Well duh! If I found the item I was looking for why would I keep looking for it?
That may work well for looking for lost items, but that same philosophy is a major deterrent of problem solving. Often when we are faced with a problem to solve we take the same approach as finding a lost item and as soon as we find a solution that MAY work we stop looking for solutions to the problem. The trouble is the first solution we think of is seldom the BEST solution to the problem.
You have probably heard of the story of the truck that was stuck under a viaduct. A work crew had spent hours trying without success to pull the truck out from under the viaduct to no avail. A small boy walked up to one of the workers and asked what they were trying to do. The worker explained that the truck was too tall to fit under the viaduct and was wedged in tightly and they were trying to pull the truck out from under it. The boy asked why they don’t just let the air out of the truck’s tires? The workers let the air out of the tires which lowered the truck, and they drove it out from under the viaduct.
Was the young boy smarter than all the workers? Of course not. The workers just suffered from the Lost Item Syndrome. They thought of one solution that should work and were stuck trying that solution over and over with the same failed results. The boy, who was not smarter or more creative, just brought a fresh perspective to the problem.
How often are we like those workers? We think of a solution to repair a piece of jewelry and out come the tools and the work starts with little thought as to whether this is the best solution or not. I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I have begun to fix a piece of jewelry only to find that what I started to do has resulted in a bigger problem to fix, and if I had only done something different to begin with the repair would have been much easier. And regrettably, with jewelry that realization often comes only after a stone has been chipped or the jewelry damaged further.
The solution to the Lost Item Syndrome is simply to never begin a project until we have thought of 3 to 5 different methods to fix the problem. (I also suggest that the bigger the problem the more solutions you find). Then armed with multiple solutions you can evaluate them and determine the BEST solution from the beginning. The old adage that spending 1 hour in planning and 10 minutes in execution is better than spending 10 minutes in planning and 1 hour in execution, is so true.
Many people believe they are not very creative, however, often the problem is not that they are not creative but it is just that they don’t have the discipline to take the time to think of a variety of solutions. We all face time constraints and deadlines. We feel that if we take the time to think of different solutions we would need to stop working to do so.
In order to overcome the Lost Item Syndrome we need to stop thinking of time spent thinking of solutions as time spent not working. Any time spent thinking of ways to repair the jewelry in an easier, faster, or better method is just as much of your job as sitting at your bench filing, sawing or soldering.
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A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor. Victor Hugo
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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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<=> <=> STEWART'S BENCH TIPS <=> <=>
Bench Tips from Stewart’s International School for Jewelers http://www.stewartsintlschool.com/
ROLLING GOLD By Jim Stewart
When rolling gold through a rolling mill tap the gold each time it passes through on the steel roller. The pitch will get higher each time you pass it through the mill. You can tell by the sound when it is ready to be annealed again.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15: 22
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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 that make working with Platinum or working at the bench in general - easier from Jurgen J. Maerz CMBJ, Director of Technical Education for Platinum Guild International http://www.pgi-platinum-tech.com
Platinum - Durability vs. Scratching
One of the most frequently asked questions about platinum concerns scratching. It seems the consumer equates durability with scratch resistance and is then disappointed when the platinum jewelry scratches and shows signs of wear. Let me say that all metal scratches. From the finest steel to the finest platinum!
There is a major difference between durability and scratch resistance. Platinum is very durable. When scratched, the scratch actually displaces the metal, leaving ridges on the edges of the scratch. This is where durability comes in. Whereas other precious metals, if scratched, lose metal, and thus wear down, platinum does so at a much slower rate. This is why finishes on other precious jewelry wear off, prongs wear down and the rings actually become thinner and may even wear through with time. Because many gold products, white or otherwise, are plated, and plating is creating a hard skin, they seem to have more scratch resistance than platinum. But soon the plating wears off and the material scratches in daily wear.
With platinum, this is a different story. Many pieces from the turn of the century have engravings that look like new, beads that hold stones appear to be just made and the overall signs of wear seem insignificant on platinum jewelry. A platinum wedding band will last a life time.
As platinum scratches, it will develop a patina-like appearance that will last. This is the reason why many designers prefer satin finishes, brushed and sand-blast finishes over the bright polished look.
Polished platinum, especially the iridium alloys, will display a bright natural white color. In spite of daily wear and scratching, this finish will endure for a long time.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Don't put it down, put it away Kathy Peel
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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 store owners 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
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<=> <=> <=> FAVORITE TIPS <=> <=> <=>
To size a wax ring blank, heat an old ring mandrel with your torch or over an alcohol lamp. Then slide the wax ring blank down the warm mandrel melting the wax until you reach your desired size. Slide the ring blank off, flip it over and slide it back down the mandrel to size the other side. Remove the blank carefully and wipe the excess wax off the mandrel with a paper towel or allow it to cool and peel the wax off.
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When carving hard waxes it is easy to judge the thickness of the wax by the amount of light showing through. To make it easier, purchase a light box at an art supply store or hobby shop. Use the light box as a work table as you carve allowing the light to shine through the wax.
An alternative to the light box is to use a small florescent light fixture made to mount under a shelf. Lay the light on your workbench with the light shining up and use the diffuser as your work surface. To cut down on the glare from the light cover the diffuser with construction paper leaving an opening for your work area.
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You can use your rubber mold vulcanizer to recycle hard wax scraps. Place a mold frame on a mold frame plate and fill the mold with clean scraps of wax. Make certain all the scraps are the same type of wax. Then place the frame with the wax scraps in your vulcanizer and set the temperature to the melting temperature of the wax. When melted carefully remove the frame and allow it to cool. Once cooled pop the wax from the frame, and you have a new sheet of carving wax. The wax sheet will be thicker on the edges, but that can be easily trimmed if you want an even sheet. Be certain to remove all traces of wax from the frame before making a rubber mold.
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When carving a wax for bead setting, cut the seat for the stones and rough out the bright cut with your graver in the wax. This will save a lot of time later when you set the stones as it is easier and faster to cut away wax than it is to cut the metal.
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When repairing a break in hard carving wax use the next hardest wax as the filler as this will give you a stronger seam. For example if you are using blue wax repair the break with purple wax, if using purple wax use green wax.
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Use a piece of nylon from a pair of ladies pantyhose to rub over your finished waxes to remove file marks and to smooth the finish on the wax.
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Buy a cookie sheet that will fit over the opening in your lap tray. The kind with a half inch lip all the way around works best. Place the cookie sheet over your lap tray when carving wax. You can then easily dump the contents into the waste basket when finished and keep the wax filings out of your lap tray and mixing with your metal scraps.
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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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Don’t tell me you are too busy to plan. If you don’t plan, you will be busy without accomplishing much and without realizing the fulfillment you need as a creative person. Lee Silber
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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
A New Use for an Old Pencil
Oh my gosh, a "pencil" those are the things we used before Bill Gates came around!
You can still use a pencil in the diamond setting trade, if you still have some lying around. Take a 4B thick leaded pencil, and rub it over 4/0 polishing paper and leave no area untouched. Do not apply too much downward pressure; just a light rubbing will suffice. This fills up the pores of the paper with graphite resulting in a paper equaling a 6/0 graded paper.
I use this paper for maintaining a high polished surface on my gravers. After polishing the gravers on 4/0 paper, rub them over this new graphite laden paper and be amazed at the highly reflective surface you create on your gravers.
Always remember that a highly-polished graver surface will be passed over to the gold surface
you are cutting. The better your gravers are polished the better your bright cuts will be. Why buy more paper if you can transform a 4/0 into a 6/0 sheet? So enjoy this new use for all your old pencils.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
The great composer does not set to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working. Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart settled down day after day to the job at hand with as much regularity as an accountant settles down each day to his figures. They didn’t waste time waiting for inspiration. Ernest Newman
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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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<=> <=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From Charles Lewton-Brian
Jewelers work with compressed gases of all kinds, in torch systems, kilns, casting machines, abrasive blasters, laser welding machines needing argon and more. Many of these gases are flammable and an explosion hazard, acetylene, propane and hydrogen are examples. Oxygen is often used with these gases. Oxygen is a potent fire risk if it comes in contact with oils, grease or flammable materials, even fingerprint grease left in a fitting has caused a fire before.
Gas Storage Guidelines:
1. Make sure that storerooms are well ventilated and have no heat sources (radiators, furnaces etc.) that can warm the cylinders and raise pressures. That goes as well for having the sun falling directly onto them.
2. Electric switches and light sources should either be fire proof or placed outside the room. Store rooms should be fireproof and have easy access to get the cylinders out in an emergency.
3. No smoking, open flames, or grinding sparks near where compressed gases are stored.
4. Clearly mark empty cylinders 'M.T." and store separately from full cylinders. Make sure all cylinders are properly marked as to their contents. Labels should be hard to remove.
5. Oxygen and acetylene should be stored apart, even in separate rooms. OSHA says 20 feet away minimum, or with a fireproof barrier a minimum five feet high between them. Keep oxygen away from any oil or grease, flammable liquids. Never handle oxygen cylinders, tanks or valves with oily fingers or gloves as fire and explosion can result. Do not place an oxygen regulator or similar part onto a greasy surface thus contaminating it.
6. Upright storage is usually easiest for a small shop. Store securely, chained to a solid fixture to prevent them falling.
7. Keep cylinder valves dirt, water, grease and corrosive free. If possible always have the right valve cap finger tight on stored cylinders. Use caps when transporting them. Always take great care when moving gas cylinders.
8. Never use a damaged cylinder - report and return it to the supplier right away. When you get the cylinders from the supplier (or delivered), check them immediately for leaks, the packing nuts on 'B' tanks are often not tight and besides the danger of leaking gas there is a real increase in overhead costs if they leak.
9. Never store acetylene or LP gas cylinders in a confined space like the trunk of a car, closet or tool box.
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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For editorial suggestions, comments, ideas or requests, please send an E-Mail to Bradney W. Simon mailto:Brad@BWSimon.com
Copyrighted, 2004, BENCH MEDIA. All rights reserved.
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