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<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=>
The E-Mail Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
March 2004
Volume 5 Issue 03 circulation over 2,800
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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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<=> <=> <=> 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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<=> <=> REVERE’S TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs
from Alan Revere
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
MAKING A FILE-GRAVER
A great tool adaptation is to turn the tip of a
needle file into a graver, so that it can both
gouge and abrade. This can be done with any
shape needle file (round, square, flat, etc.)
Take a sharp fine-cut needle file and, with a
sharpening stone, grind a facet at the end as
you would on a graver. (I prefer to use a
middle-grit India pre-soaked sharpening stone.)
Once you have a flat face, sharpen it just as
you would a graver, at an angle of about 55°.
You now have a file that cuts like a graver—or
a graver with file cuts on the belly. Either
way, this cool hybrid tool removes more metal
faster and with greater control than either a
file or a graver alone. By holding the file-
graver at a low angle against the metal and
pressing downward on the forward stroke, it
cuts like a graver. Then, by decreasing the
pressure and lowering the handle, you can file
with control and precision—and have the
benefits of two tools in one.
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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<=> <=> 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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<=> <=> <=> FEATURE ARTICLE <=> <=> <=>
TIME ROBBERS
A Bench Jeweler’s Guide to
Handling Interruptions
By Bradney W. Simon
A major area of wasted time for the bench
jeweler is interruptions. Interruptions are a
normal part of anyone’s work day, a necessary
part of doing business, and can never be
completely eliminated. However, when they
become excessive, unnecessary, or when they are
not handled properly, they have a detrimental
effect on the productivity in the shop.
Without a doubt, interruptions are one of the
biggest Time Robbers that jewelers face.
Often the bench jeweler is interrupted with
questions. This is not because they are the
best person to ask, but because they are the
easiest person to ask. Since they are sitting
at their bench everybody knows where to find
them. Because they are quietly working it is
assumed they don’t mind being interrupted.
However, to disturb a jeweler while working at
their bench is just as much of an interruption
as asking a salesperson a question while they
are selling jewelry to a customer.
Salespeople taking in repair work should be
familiar with what can be done in the shop and
with the store’s price sheet. They should be
able to give price estimates on most routine
jobs without asking for the bench jeweler’s
assistance. Then interruptions to the jeweler
can be minimized. During the day, however,
there are situations where technical assistance
is needed, or where the jeweler must figure
price estimates. On these occasions, one
should not hesitate to bring this to the
attention of the jeweler for their assistance.
There are also occasions where additional work
must be performed, interrupting the jeweler's
schedule. This work may need to be done while
the customer waits, or finished in a few hours.
While You Wait Jobs
When bench jewelers speak of interruptions they
are usually referring to situations where
salespeople come back into the shop with a
special request for a customer. This is NOT an
interruption to your work; IT IS YOUR WORK!
It is the responsibility of the bench jeweler
to balance the salesperson’s pressure for
priority service and completing work already in
the shop, and should always strive to see that
any additional work is executed with the
minimum amount of disruption.
Jewelers need to keep in mind that change is
inevitable. Customer’s requests are NOT an
interruption to their work, it IS their work.
This does not mean however that every request
can be accomplished. There are times when a
request can not be met, and the bench jeweler
needs to say NO. Saying no up front can save
many problems down the road. Do not accept a
job you know you cannot finish in time. For
example, if the salesperson states that the
customer will be back in 30 minutes for the job
and you know it will take you at least an hour
or more, it’s best to say that up front.
Otherwise when the promised time arrives it
must be explained to the customer why it is not
finished on time; and the customer’s work that
was delayed in an attempt to finish the new
work may not be completed when expected either.
You might also have the situation where you are
trying to finish jobs for other salespeople.
You need to explain that you already have these
other jobs that customers are waiting for and
you have another job that the customer has been
calling about it for the last two days and you
will not be able to get to another request
right now. Sometimes in these situations the
store owner or manager needs to be brought in
to set some priorities. If that happens, take
the jobs they want you to put off out of your
daily work tray, go to the safe and put them
back into your work box. There is no reason to
have those jobs in your daily work tray staring
you in the face adding to your stress during
the day.
Remember, everything you say “YES” to, is a
“NO” to something else. Keep the following in
mind: Never make a promise you can’t keep.
Never say YES without thinking about it first.
Learn to pause before you say “Yes”. Give
yourself at least a moment to think through
what the job involves, and what effect it will
have on your schedule. The next time you are
tempted to say ‘YES’ stop and think, What am I
doing? What should I be doing? What should I
be doing next? What should I not do?
A useful device used in many stores is a while-
you-wait envelope. The envelope is filled out
and placed on the jeweler’s bench. The jeweler
has all the information needed to complete the
job and exactly when the customer will return
for it. They can then work the job into their
schedule. This is done without disturbing the
jeweler to hand them the jewelry and verbally
explain what needs to be done.
Just because you CAN do it doesn’t mean you
should do it. A prime example is changing
watch batteries. Often the bench jeweler is
called upon to perform this simple task.
Changing batteries in one or two watches has
little effect on a jeweler’s schedule.
However, in larger stores with several
salespeople all bringing watches to the jeweler
it can become a major problem.
One store’s solution to this problem was to
train all the salespeople how to change watch
batteries. When a customer came in with a
watch, the salesperson would give it to another
salesperson that did not have a customer at the
time, to change the battery. Then, the first
salesperson could stay on the sales floor
showing the customer jewelry from the cases and
the jeweler was not interrupted with the menial
task of changing watch batteries.
Bench Jewelers need to learn to discern the
necessary from the unimportant. Often we do
not have time to complete the necessary work
because we spent too much time on trivial tasks
and true interruptions.
Plan for Extra Work
Practical steps can be taken to maintain
efficiency. When setting a schedule for the
day the jeweler should allow for flexibility.
In this way change can be accomplished with
little effect on productivity.
If you work an 8 hour day, plan on only 5 or 6
hours of work. Then when the new rush job
comes in, you have time for it and won’t feel
you are putting off other customer’s work you
already have. If you do not get any rush jobs
or just a few simple ones, you can always go
back to your work box and pull out a few more
jobs later in the day.
Stock jobs make great schedule filler. Instead
of leaving holes in your schedule as above,
plan a full day’s work scheduling stock jobs
for later in the afternoon. Then, if you
receive several ‘while you wait’ jobs you can
put the stock jobs off until the next day
without effecting the scheduling of customer’s
jobs.
Schedule more difficult work that requires
concentration (such as setting emeralds or
intricate fabrication) during times when the
store is quieter. The chance for interruptions
is diminished during these times. Plan to work
on simpler jobs (such as chains or ring
sizings) during times when the store may be
busier (during lunch for example). Then, any
new work brought to you during those times will
have less effect on your productivity.
Inform the sales staff on days that are
particularly busy. Explain that you have a
large amount of work to accomplish. Express
your appreciation for them to keep
interruptions to a minimum.
Whenever possible, tend to the interruption
between groups of work. It is less distracting
from the work you were doing. It also serves
as a break, instead of being an interruption;
it becomes a welcomed change of pace from the
rest of the work.
True Interruptions
True interruptions are when someone interrupts
you with something other than work related
issues, such as phone calls from friends or
family, co-workers talking about activities
outside the store, reading through the mail,
etc.
The best way to deal with these types of
interruptions is to treat them as a break. If
the phone is for you come quickly to a place
you can stop your work or inform them you will
call them right back. Then call them back as
soon as you come to a natural place in your
work that you can stop. When the mail comes
place it aside until you take your next break
and then look through it. Don’t stop what you
are working on to read the mail.
Treat co-workers who want to talk the same as
phone calls. If the situation is that you can
easily stop your work without having it affect
work flow, then stop and take a break and spend
a short time chatting with them. If you are in
the middle of something that really requires
your concentration and you need to finish
before stopping, say something like, “Give me a
minute to finish this and I’ll be right with
you.” Learn to excuse yourself graciously from
unnecessary chit-chat when important work is
waiting on you, and develop the self-discipline
to do so.
Remember: Interruptions will happen. They are
the normal part of anyone’s workday and a
necessary part of doing business. An
efficient, productive shop results when
salespeople keep them to a minimum, and
jewelers learn to handle them properly.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes
others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11: 25
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Jeweler and watching over his shoulder.”
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<=> <=> STEWART'S BENCH TIPS <=> <=>
Bench Tips from Stewart’s International School
for Jewelers
http://www.stewartsintlschool.com/
CHAIN REPAIR
by Jim Stewart
Take time to clean the chain because the oils
and hairspray that get inside the hollow links
can affect the ability of solder to flow. You
may have to clean the chain using a tablespoon
of Red Devil Lye to a few cups of water at
180F. You will need ventilation while doing
this. You can cut through one link on both
sides using an ultra thin cutoff disc or you
can lay the gold chain down on a flat piece of
copper and cut the links with an X-ACTO knife.
It is less costly to replace an X-ACTO blade
than a flush side cutting pliers. Now weave
links together and solder using paste solder.
Paste solder is not necessary but it is a
little faster.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
There is no expedient to which a man will not
go to avoid the real labor of thinking.
Thomas Edison
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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,
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For sample chapters and more information, go to
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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
SIZING A PLATINUM/COBALT (Pt/Co) RING
Pt/Co is slightly magnetic and can be easily
detected at the bench with a magnet. Sizing a
platinum ring is normally done with the welding method, as long as there are no stones nearby.
The exception is Pt/Co, as cobalt oxidizes. To
size a Pt/Co ring, 1700 seamless solder is
recommended.
Roll the solder paper thin; wedge it into a
very well fitting seam, and heat. The seam
should be very, very thin. When welded with a
torch, Pt/Co may oxidize slightly. This can be
removed by firecoating the object after the
initial welding and re-heating it to about
1000F. or by pickling in a 10% solution of
nitric acid. The oxidation will not reappear
during wear. Next, use a file to remove excess
solder, and burnish the seam with a Tungsten
burnisher. This should remove all traces of
the seam. Now polish and clean the ring. With
its good hardness, Pt/Co takes on a great
polish.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
The man who starts out going nowhere, generally
gets there.
Dale Carnegie
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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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<=> <=> <=> FAVORITE TIPS <=> <=> <=>
Use an annealed beading tool when bead setting
colored stones. You will have to reshape the
tip often; however the softer tool will not
abrade the stone as easily if you happen to rub
against it while forming the bead.
< < < < < <> > > > > >
Use an 8/0 sawblade to make a relief cut in
prongs. Then they will be easier to push over
fragile stones. Make the cut on the inside of
the prong at the top edge of the girdle of the
stone.
< < < < < <> > > > > >
Do not coat gold chains with boric acid before
soldering. Place a small amount of flux on the
joint to flow the solder. The slight oxidation
on the chain from the heat will help keep the
solder from flowing to the other links.
< < < < < <> > > > > >
To clean off flux and oxidation from a chain,
hold the chain across your bench pin and clean
with a scratch brush in your flex-shaft. A
small satin finish brush, brass brush, or the
new Radial Bristle Disk from 3M are excellent
for this purpose.
< < < < < <> > > > > >
Prong retipping is probably the most under-
recommended repair, and one of the most
important. Whenever you take-in jewelry with
stones, examine the prongs, and if they’re
thin, broken, or missing, recommend retipping
in addition to the other repairs. Any prong
worn to less than one-fourth the original
thickness must be retipped or the security of
the stone is in jeopardy.
Inform the customer of the possible
consequences of worn prongs, and encourage them
to examine the prongs under magnification. If
the customer declines retipping after being
informed of worn prongs, state on the envelope
the condition of the prongs, the customer’s
desires, and that you will not be responsible
if the stone is lost. Not only are shop
profits increased from the additional work, but
also store liability from stones falling out
after the customer picks up their jewelry is
reduced substantially.
< < < < < <> > > > > >
If you have a tip you would like to share with
our readers send it in an e-mail to
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
What we can easily see is only a small
percentage of what is possible. Imagination is
having the vision to see what is just below the
surface; to picture that which is essential,
but invisible to the eye.
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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
Don’t limit yourself to one graver for bead-
raising. I use 4 or 5 different ones at my
setting bench. Some beads just need a heavier
pushing action while others just need a little
piece of metal to hold the stone. I prefer a
simple Onglette #2 and shape it to my
specifications. One is thin, some are thicker
and some have a larger face.
When attempting to raise beads, visualize a
square or “picture frame” around each diamond.
At the corners of the frame is exactly where
the bead should be placed. A straight line
should be formed from the outside of the bead
to the edge of the stone and to the outside of
the next bead. Then the bright-cutting can be
done without damage to the beads.
Always clean your gold shavings with a nylon
brush after drilling. The reason is that when
the shavings are left inside the hole and the
diamond is placed into it and beads are raised,
you might think that the diamond is secured.
However, when the item is placed in the ultra-
sonic cleaner, the shavings are released and
the diamond becomes loose!
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Stop telling God how big your storm is.
Instead tell your storm how big your GOD is.
Robert Black
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<=> <=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From Charles Lewton-Brian
Tell your doctor what you do for a living and what metals and chemicals you are exposed to. Silver dust for instance forms black stains in the body. Did you ever wonder what those black inclusions in your fingers were? It can show up on x-rays if you had a lot of exposure and can cause misdiagnoses. If you were being hired by a large jewelry company you would be required to have a base-line medical exam to test your lung function, and general health before starting to work so that you can more easily decide if something in the workplace has affected you later. This is not a bad idea for the small shop as well.
Do a chemical audit of your workshop. List everything and decide if you need it or not. Don't forget the household chemicals. Then create a chemical inventory so you know what is there, how much, how long it has been there etc. If nothing else put this information on labels on all containers with chemicals.
For more information on Workshop safety from
Charles Lewton-Brian log onto:
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/safety.htm
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> Thank You for Reading <=> <=>
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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, 2004, BENCH MEDIA.
All rights reserved.
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< < < < < <> > > > > >