[Jewelry making - Article 00548] - [Orchid] [PR] Lee Marshall Wins 2007 MJSA Innovation Award

[Jenna Wolfgram]

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PRESS RELEASE
Lee Marshall Wins MJSA 2007 Innovation Award

    Add the Blanking Die Saw to Marshall's List of Products that Improve
    the Lives of Metalsmiths and Jewelers Chicago, IL - January 8, 2008:
    He's done it again. Lee Marshall, the creator of the Bonny Doon line
    of metalsmithing equipment, has developed a new line of products
    that is already improving not only the productivity but the health of
    metalsmiths. The Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America
    (MJSA) has recognized one of the new products, a blanking die saw
    called the Precision Saw Guide 2, with a 2007 Innovation Award. As
    pleased as Marshall is to receive the industry recognition, the
    gratitude he's receiving from his customers is what genuinely makes
    him happy. A long-time customer of Marshall's, Jennifer Friedman of
    Ventura, California recently told Marshall, "Without your good work
    our bodies would be killing us. You do great work for us Lee." 

    You may not be aware of the daily bodily punishment metalsmiths
    endure. All four of the major causes of work-related back pain
    identified by the Mayo Clinic - force, repetition, posture, and
    stress - are of particular concern for metalsmithing jewelers. It
    takes a great deal of strength to cut, bend, and raise metal, and
    since 1990 Marshall's hydraulic press line has been credited with
    enabling beautiful metal work while saving the backs of the artists
    who produce it. Another occupational hazard understood by all
    jewelers is the ubiquitous sternum dent. It's the painful spot
    developed by all jewelers as they compress a saw frame between their
    chest and the bench to tighten every saw blade. This is just one of
    the problems solved by Marshall's Precision Saw Guide 2, on which the
    blade tensioning occurs by turning a knurled knob on the top of the
    upper blade clamp. 

    The most aggravating problem jewelers experience when sawing metal is
    constant sawblade breakage. The Precision Saw Guide 2 significantly
    reduces blade breakage in two ways. First, the frame is designed for
    extreme rigidity, with vertical alignment incorporated into the frame
    itself. This rigidity ensures the blade will not deviate from perfect
    vertical alignment. Second, a brass hold-down pin prevents metal from
    binding and jumping - another cause of broken sawblades. The
    hold-down pin also provides guidance and support to the blade itself,
    allowing more pressure to be applied to the blade. 

    Jim Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts in Bellingham, Washington
    and an MJSA Innovation Awards judge says, "The saw frame is in
    alignment with the work in such a way that you can make precision
    cuts by hand - cuts that previously were attainable only with a
    machine tool. This is a tool for someone like me - a small jewelry
    designer who is trying to do limited scale production but doesn't
    have a lot of money to sink into tools." 

    Another exciting invention from Marshall is his Knew Concept Power
    Saw, specially designed for metalsmiths to make controlled cuts with
    safety, and with the slower speeds required to dissipate heat.
    Renowned artist Daniel Brush is using Marshall's power saw for his
    current body of work in 1/8" thick stainless. He reports, "Every time
    I'm with the saw I say the same thing to Olivia, my wife. I frankly
    don't think I could make these pieces without this saw - not because
    of the time - but because of the smooth delivery. Cutting stainless
    by hand is like an ice-breaker going through Alaskan waters, choppy
    and irregular. This saw eliminates the inconsistency, and lets me cut
    a nice swath through the very mean waters." 

    What keeps Marshall, in his mid-70s and certainly successful enough
    to settle into a well-earned retirement, developing new equipment?
    He says, "I have a commitment to the jeweler/metalsmithing
    community, and I can provide them with tooling and equipment that is
    unavailable elsewhere. I was rattling around in semi-retirement when
    I noted that my used saws (of an older design) were commanding
    almost full price on the Orchid market (www.ganoksin.com). Clearly
    there is a need, so I decided to take another look at the Precision
    Saw Guide." 

    The Precision Saw Guide 2 is an excellent choice for the 2007
    Innovation Awards. Innovation is best defined as the act of making
    improvements by introducing something new. The Precision Saw Guide 2
    is an admirable example of this concept, improving both quality of
    product and quality of life for jewelers, and at a price ($385) all
    jewelers can afford. To see the Knew Concept line in action, go to
    www.knewconcepts.com and watch the demonstration videos. 

    As Cynthia Eid of Cynthia Eid Designs commented: "I like this new
    saw frame so much that I have been using it even when I am not
    making a die. The angle of the handle is comfortable, and the
    blade-tightening mechanism is much nicer than pressing a saw frame
    between my chest bone and bench. The saw frame has potential for
    appealing to all jewelers—whether they have need of the
    blanking die capability or not. As with many inspirations, this tool
    is brilliant in its elegant simplicity." 

    Knew Concepts contact information:
    www.knewconcepts.com (great videos of saws in action here)
    Phone: 831-234-4652

    Or by mail at: New Concepts
    PO Box 1338
    Santa Cruz, CA 95061

    High-resolution photos available upon request 

    Publcity Contact Information:
    Jenna Wolfgram
    Hill Management Consulting
    www.hill-management.com
    ph. 312.239.8820
     fx. 312.637.9610

    1322 S. Wabash, Suite PH3
    Chicago, IL 60605
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