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<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=>
The E-Mail Newsletter
for Bench Jewelers
May 2005
Volume 6 Issue 5 circulation over 3,600
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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
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E-BENCH is a BENCH MEDIA Publication
BENCH MEDIA is a B W Simon Company
Bradney W Simon – Publisher
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daniel@spirerjewelers.com
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<=> <=> <=> TABLE OF CONTENTS <=> <=> <=>
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.
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 <=> <=> <=>
Bench Jewelers SHOW
ME HOW Seminars
Bench Media is teaming up with Platinum Guild International to bring you a fantastic line up for a one day seminar. This seminar will be held in 4 cities across the
Instructors Include:
Topics Covered Include:
Platinum, Stone Setting, Jewelry Repair,
Fabrication, & Bench Tips
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Only $195 with advanced registration.
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<=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs
from Alan Revere
The Sky’s the Limit
To work with control and exactness, you have to be able to see like a hawk. You need to see when surfaces are flat, when corners are square, when prongs make full contact – and to recognize a difference of 0.1 mm!
Here is one way to look at jewelry so that you can see the finest, most precise details: Hold your work up against a bright shy – or a bright wall or light, so that all you can see is the silhouette of the work piece. Now turn and examine the silhouette, because it is very revealing. Using this technique, you can see the sliver of light under a prong. You can clearly see if an edge of gold is flat when held against a steel ruler. And you can see if the two sides of a seam are really flush. And once you see them, you can correct them.
Apply this simple technique, and you’ll add precision in everything you do. And the more exacting you are the more success you’ll achieve – in fact, the sky’s the limit!
This Tip is from “101 Bench Tips for Jewelers"
written by Alan Revere and published by
MJSA/AJM Press.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Why is it that I
don't have 60 seconds to put
something away
but I have 60 minutes to look
for it?
Gaylord SoHayda
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
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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<=> <=> <=> FEATURE ARTICLE <=> <=> <=>
A Pain In The Neck
You start to turn and there it is again. You go to stand up from your chair and it happens again. It's that nagging pain in your neck or lower back. After several years on the bench, jewelers often develop chronic neck or back injuries.
Bench jewelers will spend most of the time in the workshop seated at their workbench. Therefore, time is well spent in adjusting and arranging it. A poorly adjusted chair and workbench will not only cause discomfort, fatigue, and muscle cramps that reduce worker efficiency, but more importantly, it may develop into leg, back, or neck injury.
Many varieties of workbench styles are available from jewelry tool and equipment suppliers. Unfortunately most all benches come in a standard height of 39” to 40” and are not adjustable. This one size fits all bench height fits worse than one-size fits all clothing. Since jewelers are not all the same height, the workbench MUST be adjusted to fit them properly.
Adjusting Your Chair In order to achieve the proper workbench height you must first start with the chair. A jeweler may sit in their chair for over eight hours per day, every day, and even longer during the Christmas Season. A quality chair designed to be sat in for long periods of time and ergonomically designed is essential. Your body, limbs, spine, and neck are supported by and affected by the chair you sit in. Pain associated with seating may develop slowly, often over many months or even years. A good chair will go a long way toward preventing these problems.
When selecting a chair do not be fooled by the visual appearance. For example, a soft, overly padded chair may look inviting. When you sit in it for the first few moments, it may feel comfortable and soothing. Over an eight-hour workday, however, this chair may not support your back, legs, and spine properly.
Once you have purchased a chair, you must adjust it. The best chair in the world is worthless if it is not adjusted correctly.
Adjust the height of the chair so that when seated with feet flat on the floor the tops of your thighs are parallel to the floor. You should be able to feel the seat of the chair along the back of your thighs. You should feel enough pressure to support your upper legs, but not too much pressure as to cut off or restrict circulation. The angle between the torso and the thighs should not be less than 90° or greater than 110°. From this position, you need to adjust the height of the workbench. DO NOT adjust the height of the chair to the workbench.
A chair too high is awkward for shorter jewelers, and it is hard to reach the foot pedal for the flex shaft. It puts pressure on the thighs, restricting circulation in the legs. Improper support of the legs and thighs leads to chronic back injury.
A chair too low is uncomfortable for taller jewelers. Their knees are raised too high eliminating any support of their thighs. This causes compression of the lower spine and body organs. Alternatively, they bend their legs awkwardly under them, causing fatigue and cramping. Both lead to
chronic back injury.
A backrest on the chair is necessary to help support the spine. The backrest should support the lower and middle of your back, from your waist to just below your shoulder blades. Less than this does not give adequate support; more than this restricts movement. Adjust the backrest up or down to give this support. Then adjust the backrest forward or backwards so that there is 2" to 4" of clearance between the front edge of the seat and the inside of your knees. Just like your thighs against the chair seat, you should be able to feel the support of the chair backrest along your back. While sitting your spine is supported either by a backrest or by your muscles. Avoid fatigue from muscular backache and get a chair with a properly adjusted backrest.
Adjusting Your Bench To determine the proper workbench height, sit comfortably in a properly adjusted chair. Sit up straight with your back against the backrest. In this position, your bench pin should come to the center of your breastbone. If it does not, you need to adjust the height of your bench. Buying the proper chair and adjusting it correctly will do you no good if you hunch over your work because your bench is too short!
If your bench is too tall, you can cut the required amount off each leg. Be certain to cut exactly the same amount off each leg so that the bench does not wobble. If the bench is too short, glue a block of wood to the bottom of each leg to raise the bench.
Visors Many magnifying visors available in the jewelry industry hold the magnifying lens plate out directly in front of your eyes. This forces you to look straight ahead, not down at your work. To see your work on your bench pin you must bend over your work. This also leads to chronic back and neck injury.
Many jewelers further complicate this problem when someone comes to talk to them while working. Rather than raise the visor, they bend their necks back and look down under the visor to see the person. Over time, a jeweler develops a whiplash type injury from this extreme bending of the neck.
A better alternative is to use a magnifier that sets lower in front of the eyes, such as reading glasses. To use, you look down through the glasses and only need to bend your head forward slightly, if at all. Then to see someone you can look straight out over the glasses without bending your neck.
Chiropractor
Last, but certainly not least, visit a chiropractor. Find a chiropractor that works with occupational injuries and provides maintenance care. Chiropractors that only work with acute injuries (such as auto accidents) may not be as proficient at working with chronic injury that bench jewelers develop. In addition, find a chiropractor that will take x-rays of your spine before making any adjustments. Any competent chiropractor will want to see just what condition your spine is in before making adjustments.
By making a few ergonomic adjustments to your shop and work habits as well as receiving chiropractic maintenance; your back will begin to feel good as new and you will have one less Pain In The Neck!
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
People with goals succeed because they know where they are going... It's as simple as that
Earl Nightingale
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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
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all the advice from many excellent jewelers
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Membership includes: Topical Discussion
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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
The Burnout Oven
Since wax must be completely burnt out to ensure a clean and trouble-free casting, the burnout oven (or kiln) is a crucial part of the process. The kiln must be able to reach the high temperatures required for platinum casting, hold the temperature it is set to achieve, and do heat ramps as programmed to eliminate the wax from invested flasks.
One factor to consider is that steam dewaxing often used in gold casting, cannot be used in platinum casting because it will cause most platinum investments to break down. That means all wax must be eliminated in the kiln, making it crucial to have adequate air flow through the heating chamber so the wax vapor can be carried out the exhaust.
Because of this need for good air flow, gas kilns have some advantages. Gas jets distribute the heat more evenly and, unlike electric coils, require a great deal of oxygen to bum; consequently, good air flow is always part of a gas kiln’s design. For a small shop, however, a good electric kiln will work fine. There are even electric kilns made especially for platinum casting that offer excellent air flow. (If your kiln does not have adequate air flow, you might be able to drill a few holes in its top or bottom. Check with the kiln’s manufacturer.) In addition, be sure to place the flasks at the center of the kiln, leaving enough space around each one so the temperature is as evenly distributed as possible. (This will also help you avoid hot spots caused by having the flasks too close to the heating spiral.)
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working 24 hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.
Tom Blandi
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
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Repair, and Custom Jewelry Manufacturing. Plus
Bench Tips, Bench Visits, and New Product
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<=> <=> <=> FAVORITE TIPS <=> <=> <=>
My favorite way to polish chains is very simple
& completely safe to the polisher. I put my
Sterling Silver Chains in my vibratory tumbler
w/steel shot & burnishing compound. Leave it
in overnight & then rinse, dry. Beautiful!
Safely polished, simple!
Char
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< < < <> > > > > >
A method to tighten
invisible set diamonds that
are loose enough that they
slide back and forth
but not so loose that they
lift up, is to use a
#50 round bottom graver
ground to a long narrow
point. From the backside of the mounting cut a
small bead from the support
channel and press
it tight against the
pavilion of the diamond.
One or two beads on each
side of the diamond
will generally hold it
tight.
CAUTION: Before doing this make certain that
the stone will not push up
above the level of
the other stone. To check this place a wax
stick on the table of the
stone and lift up.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
Take several small
well-planned breaks instead
of one longer break. Take breaks such as a
drink of coffee, or washing
your face, etc.
between groups of
work. This keeps you
refreshed and working at
maximum productivity.
Research shows that a short
break every forty-
five minutes actually increases
productivity.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
When it comes to recovering
precious metal,
nothing is worthless. However, when you walk
into many repair shops you
will find people
behaving as if it
were. Many people do not
realize what a valuable
asset their scrap is,
and have been pleasantly
surprised by the
amount of additional
revenues received from a
refiner when a clean and
orderly shop is
maintained.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
Always measure and record
finger size of rings
with cracked shanks. Then, if a piece of the
shank breaks off in the
shop, the jeweler knows
what size the ring should
be. This also helps
later if the ring does not
fit when the
customer returns.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
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 <=> <=>
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal.
Philippians 3: 13
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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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<=> <=> <=> GERRY’S GEMZ <=> <=> <=>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond
Setting
http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html
by Gerald N. Lewy
<=> Be careful when setting beaded diamonds that the metal is thick enough to set the diamond down into the metal. The absolute minimum should be for .01 - .03 pointers is 0.75 millimeters.
<=> Before accepting items for repairs, examine for wear on the supporting gallery. Many times the supporting gallery is worn thin as well as the prong tips. You will not have a satisfactory repair if you only rebuild the prong tips.
<=> For bezel work, it’s far easier to make a new bezel, for the original stone than to waste your time with the worn down gold. The finished results will be more gratifying to you and the customer.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
Dalai Lama
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
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WORLD
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<=>
<=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From Charles Lewton-Brian
Dilution ventilation is used in many shops, where you open a window next to you, and another one elsewhere, so that air passes you on its way out. Dilution ventilation is not generally an effective approach. What we really want most of the time is local ventilation, which means a sucking device, slot or tube very close to the working area that is generating the dust, mist or fumes so they are sucked away as they are produced: removed entirely from the workshop and vented safely (i.e. not near a makeup air intake).
Jewelers cast metals frequently, in making ingots for sheet and wire, sand casting, vacuum and centrifugal investment casting and so on. The investment burnout process normally occurs in kilns, and, depending upon the wax, or even plastic, used, the fumes can be from mildly toxic to extremely toxic, and in many cases are fairly polluting. Usually jewelers cast gold and silver alloys, sometimes other metals like platinum, brass, more rarely tin and zinc (white metals being spin cast) in the small workshop. Alloys may contain other metals which produce hazardous fumes such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, arsenic, and antimony. Nickel, is considered a suspect metal now, and manganese and chromium are also to be avoided.
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
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.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
For editorial suggestions, comments, ideas
or requests, please send an E-Mail to
Bradney W. Simon mailto:Brad@BWSimon.com
Copyrighted, 2005, BENCH MEDIA.
All rights reserved.
BENCH MEDIA
864 - 680 – 4416
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