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<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=>
The E-Mail
Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
August 2007
Volume 8 Issue 8 circulation over 4,800
****************
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the 2008 Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo has been moved to
note of these new dates. More details on the 2008 Bench Conference will be available in September.
****************
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<=> <=> ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER <=> <=>
E-BENCH is a FREE monthly newsletter for Retail
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daniel@spirerjewelers.com
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Platinum Guild International
and Bench Media Presents:
BENCH SEMINARS
Two Great Days of Learning by Two of the Industrys Foremost Seminar
Leaders;
Locations & Dates:
Go To: www.BenchSeminars.com for details.
Bench Seminars is produced BY Bench Jewelers FOR Bench Jewelers
We Know and Understand Your Needs and Concerns
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<=> <=> <=> TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs
From Alan Revere
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 is about four times as wide as the final tubing you desire. Form the tube into a gully to begin the shape, and 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, and 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 101 Bench Tips for Jewelers
written by Alan Revere and published
by
MJSA/AJM Press.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH
RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
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 <=> <=> <=>
CLASP - A
Convergence of Jewelers
http://www.claspconvergence.com
Clasp is an
innovative conference produced by
Media,
Ganoksin (parent to the Orchid Forums),
Manufacturing
Jewelers and Suppliers of
(MJSA) and the
Society of North American
Goldsmiths
(SNAG).
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<=> <=> <=> COLORED STONES <=> <=> <=>
Learn all About Handling Colored Stones from Gemstone Cutter
Diopside
Diopside generally occurs as a brown to blackish mineral, some of which displays an excellent star when cut in the cabochon style. These are often sold in
black star sapphires, but star diopside exhibits only four rays, not the six of star sapphire. Nevertheless, it is a fairly durable stone and a great choice for pendants or earrings. Diopside is somewhat heat sensitive, and certainly will not withstand the heat of re-tipping with a
torch.
The green variety, colored by the element chromium, is found in the rural mountains, can be faceted, and was covered earlier. It gets very dark as the size increases, and it is very difficult to polish and quite brittle. While it can be pretty, it does not really fit the classical definition of a gemstone, which requires rarity, beauty and durability. However, it is becoming increasingly common and you need to be aware that it needs to be treated as heat sensitive fragile material. It is not suitable for
rings.
Interestingly, although the Russian source is claimed to be in the Urals, no one that I know has ever seen a piece, or even a picture of a piece in its host rock, only loose crystal fragments, which has caused some to theorize that it may actually be a lab grown
product.
Black star diopside is only a few dollars per carat. Chrome diopside ranges from about $15/ct to $40/ct in sizes up to 1 carat, about double that in sizes of 3-5 carats. Above 5 carats, the material is rare and takes on a rather blackish
appearance.
You can contact
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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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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
JewelersTraining.com
We at JewelersTraining.com are please to announce the launch of our video training website. Our website is now operational and you can view jewelry training videos online, any time of the day. However, our website is not complete. We will be adding new videos regularly, so check us out now and check back often to see what is
new.
To view a video click on the Member Login button. There you will be prompted to sign-up with a user name. When you purchase a video or videos you will be given credits on your account. When you view a video the credit will be deducted from your account. Any un-used credits will remain on your account until you use them – they do not
expire.
A New Age of Learning is Upon Us Jewelers
Training is Proud to Lead the Way
To view videos online go to:
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<=> <=> Tips & Tricks from
Tips for Working with Wax
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.
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.
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.
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 from mixing with your metal
scraps.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH
RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Do not tell me you are too busy to plan. If you do not 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 <=> <=> <=>
Southeastern Findings
Southeastern Findings has been a leader in the
wholesale jewelry business for the
past 27
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Jeweler. We
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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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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
For over 60 years,
jewelry supplier, has provided quality
products, unsurpassed selection and
legendary
service to help professional jewelers
succeed.
* Gems & Findings division offers finished
jewelry, findings and gemstones
* Display & Packaging division offers
innovative display and packaging
* Tools division offers equipment and supplies
Call us at 1-800-545-6566 or visit us at
http://www.riogrande.com
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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 did not waste time waiting for
inspiration.
Ernest Newman
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<=>
<=> TAKE-IN NOT TAKEN <=> <=>
Tips for
Jewelers Taking In Jewelry at the
Repair
Counter.
Proper Take-In Procedures Help
Everyone!
Always give
the customer an estimate of routine
repair work when the
jewelry is left, allowing
the customer to
decide whether or not to have
the repair done
before you begin doing it. If
the price is too
high, you can work with the
customer to modify the
amount of work to be
done until it
meets his or her budget.
Often you
encounter problems over price,
because the customer
did not know how much the
repair would
cost. When they pick up the
finished repair, they
complain about the cost.
At this point,
the work is finished and you can
do little about
it. Giving estimates at
Take-
In eliminates
this.
Write
estimates on the envelope - ALWAYS! Do
not rely on oral
estimates. You want to avoid
unprofessional situations
when the customer
comes in to pick up
jewelry and say, But when I
left it, you said
it would only cost...
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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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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH
RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.
Dale Carnegie
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<=>
<=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From
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. Storerooms should be fireproof and have easy access to get the cylinders out in an emergency.
3. There should be 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, 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 do 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
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/safety.htm
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH
RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
You do not get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour. Jim Rohn
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
United
Precious Metal Refining
United is a full service refiner for Gold,
Silver, Platinum, &
Palladium. We specialize
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processing everything from sweeps to
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scrap.
Technical assistance on all phases of
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United Precious Metal Refining
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<=> <=> Thank You for
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Information provided in this document is
provided As Is without warranty of any
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