Bench Tips and Tricks


Our Bench Tips and Tricks section covers jewelry making and repairs. Get the most from your tools and materials, from mandrels to palladium to gems.

HomeJewelry MakingBench Tips and Tricks
Make Your Own DIY Rotary Burr

Make Your Own DIY Rotary Burr

Make your own high quality rotary burr from an inexpensive disposable lighter. By master goldsmith Charles Lewton-Brain. Filmed in full...
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How to Harden and Temper Tool Steel

How to Harden and Temper Tool Steel

Learn to harden and temper your own custom-shaped jewelry tools. By master goldsmith Charles Lewton-Brain. Filmed in full HD 1080p....
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Step by Step Guide to Single Row Pave Settings

Step by Step Guide to Single Row Pave Settings

Single-row pavé, which consists of a single row of small diamonds set into a narrow strip of metal, is a...
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Other Uses for a Pencil in Jewelry Making

Other Uses for a Pencil in Jewelry Making

Two surprising uses for a pencil as a tool in jewelry making. (1) Gain extreme control over the burr on...
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Make Your Own Cardboard Disc Sander

Make Your Own Cardboard Disc Sander

In this video, master goldsmith Charles Lewton-Brain will show you how to make a handy cardboard disc sander. You can...
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Method to Quickly Identify Tool Steel

Method to Quickly Identify Tool Steel

Learn how to quickly identify whether a piece of steel has the quality you need for making jewelry tools. By...
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How to Repair a Hollow Rope Chain

How to Repair a Hollow Rope Chain

I took in a broken hollow rope chain bracelet for repair this week. The bracelet had caught on a desk...
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The Best Flux For Soldering Jewelry: How To Choose The Right One For Your Project

Technical Briefs deals with technical concerns of interest to a wide audience, addressing topics as diverse as vanguard technology and...
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How to Create a Basic Link Chain

How to Create a Basic Link Chain

Making a simple or basic link chain to display your pendant designs is a great way to add further value...
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Dealing with Fire Scale

Fire scale or fire stain is a reddish purple toned 'bloom' or 'stain' that appears on silver/copper alloys such as...
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Tips & Techniques for Popular Finishing Touches

Tips & Techniques for Popular Finishing Touches

We asked a number of top jewelers to tell us their best practices, techniques, and tips for creating satin, brushed,...
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Basic Spiral Braiding

Basic Spiral Braiding

[Step by Step] This five-strand spiral braid is made using one of the many textile techniques that Professor Arline Fisch...
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Jeweler’s Saw Blades: All The Different Sizes And How To Choose Correctly

Jeweler’s Saw Blades: All The Different Sizes And How To Choose Correctly

Originally published under the title: Selecting the Correct Saw Blade This article provides and describes useful tips for selecting the...
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Box Clasp Fabrication

Box Clasp Fabrication

One of the most important types of closures used in jewelry is the box clasp. This clasp and its many...
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Hammering and Forging Safety Guidelines

Goldsmiths and silversmiths use hammers frequently in their work, silversmiths especially. A regular trade goldsmith might use a bench hammer...
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Enameling Techniques for Beginners

Enameling Techniques for Beginners

After you learn to apply enamels by sifting, wet packing, brushing on crackle and firing the base coats, you are...
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Electroplating Safety Precautions

The "General Safety Rules for Tools" article applies here too, as with all power tools. Read the instruction manuals and...
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Build a Basic Jeweler’s Bench

Build a Basic Jeweler’s Bench

This bench has been designed so it can be made from easily available materials without sophisticated woodworking equipment. People with...
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Important Principles of Casting Safety

Here's something to aim for: a well laid-out, orderly workshop, well-lit by multiple non glare light sources, well-maintained equipment, electrically...
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Soldering Hints and Tricks

Soldering Hints and Tricks

Medical hemostats and forceps make good clips for wire solder. Soldering clips for soldering work may be made from cotter...
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Creating and Sharpening Gravers

Creating and Sharpening Gravers

This article is about creating and sharpening gravers before using for your work or project as described by Tom Weishaar....
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3 Ways to Use 2-Part Epoxy Resins

3 Ways to Use 2-Part Epoxy Resins

Available in a wide variety of formulas, epoxy resins are used in jewelry making as adhesives, as coatings, and for...
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A Metalworking Hand Tool List For Beginners In Jewelry-Making

A Metalworking Hand Tool List For Beginners In Jewelry-Making

Making jewelry is sometimes seen as a difficult or an expensive proposition. In reality a basic metal working shop can...
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Textile Techniques in Jewelry Making

Textile Techniques in Jewelry Making

Fabrics and precious metals would seem to be total opposites, like hot and cold or yin and yang. However, despite...
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Pickling Notes

Jewelers treat soldered objects with dilute acid solutions to remove oxides produced from heating and soldering as well as glassy...
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Tips on How to Master Soldering

Tips on How to Master Soldering

Soldering is probably the most commonly used and least understood operation performed in the jewelry industry. Most jewelers know how...
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Basic Filing Techniques

Over the years, bad habits creep into our work procedures. Periodical review of our techniques is needed to assure us...
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Basic Polishing Technique

Many jewelers see polishing as a mundane task. However, it is one of the most important operations in the process...
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950 Palladium Bench Guide

950 Palladium Bench Guide

The palladium bench guide reviews the working characteristics of palladium for the jewelry bench staff and provides an overview of...
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Patination Safety Considerations

Jewelers use so-called -oxidising- solutions to darken metals like silver, copper, brass, nickel silver, bronze and, with specialized mixtures, on...
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How to Make Hoop Earrings

How to Make Hoop Earrings

Tom Dougherty of Studio 2015 in Woodstock, Illinois, had an interesting process to share about making hoop earrings from tubing....
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Platinum Durability vs Scratching

There is a major difference between durability and scratch resistance. Platinum is very durable. When scratched, the scratch actually displaces...
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Casting Investment Materials and Applications

Casting Investment Materials and Applications

The casting investment process enjoys wide popularity in the production of commercial and one-of-a-kind art metal objects. However, production practice...
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How to Make Earring Posts by Hand

How to Make Earring Posts by Hand

Yes you can make your own earring posts. It is generally more cost effective to buy them, but making them...
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The Art of Anticlastic Raising

The Art of Anticlastic Raising

Transforming a single sheet of metal into an undulating organic form using only a hammer and stake is the art...
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Channel Setting – Set ‘Em Straight

Over the past decade, channel setting has grown in popularity. Setting small diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and even emeralds into channels...
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Jewelery Workshop Ventilation

Ventilation means removing noxious materials, dusts and fumes from where you can breathe them in. It is about taking away...
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Making Your Own Tubing

Making Your Own Tubing

Not all sizes and wall thicknesses of tube come seamless from a factory or refiner. Especially when working in gold...
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Basic Bead Setting Techniques

Basic Bead Setting Techniques

First the stone's diameter is measured at the pavillion and a dent is made in the metal for the pilot...
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The Best Jewelry Books: A Comprehensive Reading List For Craftspeople

A selected bibliography list for the jeweler - Metal working, Casting, Plating, Enamelling ,Gem Cutting, Setting, Engraving and Etching, Other...
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Platinum Jewelry Advanced Joining Techniques

Joining is a very important production technique in the field of jewelry production. Therefore it is useful to know, what...
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Working with Pearls

Working with Pearls

Both natural and cultured pearls are formed when an irritant lodges in a mollusk. The mollusk then deposits layers of...
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International Ring Sizes Chart

International Ring Sizes Chart

This page provides an international ring sizes chart you can view and/or download to be your guide in making or...
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Knowing the Difference Between Carat and Karat

Carat, karat, caret, and carrot are all pronounced the same, but each has a different meaning. Carat and karat, of...
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Potentially Harmful Metalsmithing Substances

In every aspect of my daily life I am, and have been for quite some time, concerned with promoting and...
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The Costs of Learning Hand Engraving

When you've made the decision to learn hand engraving, you have basically 3 options: Spend little or no money but...
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Dusts in the Jewelry Workshop

Dust is small particles of a material. There are dusts you can see in the air; these can be breathed...
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Gemstone Exploration Techniques

The most widely-used gemstone exploration techniques today are ground-penetrating radar, known as GPR; trace-element analysis, which involves seeking signature elements...
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Tips and Tricks for Scoring Metal

Tips and Tricks for Scoring Metal

Scoring metal is incredibly important for custom jewelry construction. It enables you to reduce the number of parts in a...
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20 Laser Welding Tips

20 Laser Welding Tips

This article offers some laser welding tips that might make your life as a laser welder a bit easier. Read...
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Gem-Setting Tools: A Practical Guide To All The Hand Tools & Bench Supplies You’ll Need

This article lists the basic tools someone learning stonesetting might want to have around. One would of course add to...
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Quality Assurance Benchmarks for Jewelers

Quality Assurance Benchmarks for Jewelers

Fine jewelry represents much more than its trade value in diamonds, gemstones and precious metals. It is a personal representation...
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Working with Topaz

Working with Topaz

The primary issue with topaz that must be remembered at the bench is its one perfect cleavage direction. Hammering or...
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Methods to Effectively Bend Tubing

Methods to Effectively Bend Tubing

Jewelers need to bend tubing for various constructions, including neckpieces, earrings, catches, and cuff links. Normally, precious metal tubes are...
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A Metalsmith’s Guide to Los Angeles

A Metalsmith’s Guide to Los Angeles

This Metalsmith's Guide to Los Angeles can be useful to metalsmiths who are new to the Los Angeles area or...
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Debunking a Soldering Myth 1

Debunking a Soldering Myth 1

After 25 years as a jeweler, first as a student, an apprentice, an instructor, and now a master instructor and...
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Basic Sawing Techniques

Basic Sawing Techniques

In this article, we will continue our Back to Basics Series with an article on Sawing techniques.
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Cutting Jump Rings

Cutting Jump Rings

Once you've wound jump rings around a mandrel, what's the best way to cut them apart? Some craftspeople use hand-held...
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Metal Conversion Chart

Metal Conversion Chart

The metal conversion chart below will help you determine the amount of metal needed to create a piece of jewelry...
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Step-by-Step Guide to Upsizing Rings

Step-by-Step Guide to Upsizing Rings

When I ran a trade shop, time was money, and I often found myself sizing 50 to 60 rings in...
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Comparing Buff Prep Methods

Comparing Buff Prep Methods

Myth: Singeing buffs to prep them is faster and more effective than raking them. There are as many people in...
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Bezel Setting Method

Bezel Setting Method

Bezel setting is one of the most secure methods of setting a gemstone into a mounting, but one of the...
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Notes on Presto-Lite Torch

We use a method for cutting down firescale when using a Presto-Lite Torch along with an acetylene B tank. The...
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Grinding Wheel Safety Rules

Besides the safety instructions that you get from a tool manufacturer in the tool manual it may be necessary for...
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Lapidary Work Safety Precautions

Goldsmiths sometimes do a little rough and ready lapidary work with emery and leather sticks or even polishing compounds on...
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Working Posture for Craftsmen

Many craftspeople have posture and body position problems. Ramazzini, the founder of occupational medicine and author of a groundbreaking book...
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Jewelers Saws Tested: A Hands-On Review Of The Knew Concepts Precision Lineup

Jewelers Saws Tested: A Hands-On Review Of The Knew Concepts Precision Lineup

I have an intimate relationship with my tool collection. Sometimes the needs of a particular jewelry project drive me to...
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Royal Flush Stone Setting

Royal Flush Stone Setting

A sign on the side of a plumbers truck read, In our business a Flush is better than a Full-House....
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Gemstone Care Tips

Many gemstone owners enjoy wearing their treasures. Few things can ruin that enjoyment faster than the discovery of damage such...
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Polishing Hard to Reach Areas

Polishing Hard to Reach Areas

When it comes to fine jewelry making polishing is a very important step - it can be the difference between...
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Basic Safety Principles for Jewelers

Aim for: a well laid-out, orderly workshop, well-lit by multiple non glare light sources, well-maintained equipment, electrically and fire safe,...
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How to Resize Platinum Rings

This article offers instructions on how to resize platinum rings whether for a size smaller or bigger, as well as,...
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Setting Stones in Wax

Setting Stones in Wax

One of the most revolutionary advances in recent years, apart from laser welding, is the method of setting stones in...
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Gloves and the Jeweler

Gloves are used to prevent skin contact with a hazard, whether physical (like a razor edge on a piece of...
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Beading Tool Tips

Beading Tool Tips

Like most bench jewelers I do a lot of bead setting and like most bench jewelers I take pride in...
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Basic Setup for Jewelry Photography

Basic Setup for Jewelry Photography

A vertical copy stand is sometimes used for shooting prints, drawings, jewelry and other fairly flat objects. A copy stand...
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Re-tipping Platinum Prongs

Platinum is a very durable metal, so prongs will last a long time. However, it is sometimes necessary to re-tip...
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Goldsmithing Health Hazards

This article briefly reviews issues of studio safety and discusses ways of recognizing risks in the studio and reducing hazard...
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Hydraulic Press Safety Precautions

Goldsmiths began to use hydraulic presses in small shops in the 1940s in North America. Factories have used hydraulic presses...
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Notes on Files for Jewelry Making

When one gets a new file one traditionally dips it in alcohol and sets fire to it to burn off...
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Jewellers’ Objective Attitude Towards Designing

It is sometimes useful to have criticism of one's work in order to develop it. While studying as an apprentice...
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Securing Curved Stones for Easy Drilling

Securing Curved Stones for Easy Drilling

Securing curved stones when drilling can be a bit difficult. I use recycled ceramic china, beach pebbles, sea and river...
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Methods of Closing Jump Rings

In high volume production operations, many jump rings need to be closed one after another. For such fast paced operations,...
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CAD/CAM: The Basics

What if you could sit down at your computer, spend a little time manipulating the mouse, keyboard or electronic pencil...
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How to Make an Ionic Cleaner

How to Make an Ionic Cleaner

Although ultrasonic cleaners are great for removing gunk on jewelry, they do a poor job when it comes to removing...
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Laser Repair: Bangle Bracelet

Laser Repair: Bangle Bracelet

It's an "everyday" kind of repair job. The customer brings in a bangle bracelet that has a broken safety slide....
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Project Management for Jewelers

I came up with this system to solve some production and prioritizing problems at a small custom jewelry store. We...
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Jeweler’s Workday: Sitting and Looking at the Bench

In the Jewelers Bench Book, the MJSA/Ganoksin project published in spring 2008, there is an extensive look at what happens...
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Palladium Annealing and Soldering

Palladium Annealing and Soldering

If you're just starting to work with palladium or interested in taking the leap, you should know a few critical...
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6 Basic Wire Skills to Make a Necklace

6 Basic Wire Skills to Make a Necklace

The links in this 16-in. (40.6cm) necklace are forged so they become flat and work-hardened. The pearl in the featured...
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Dermatitis and the Jeweler

Dermatitis is a group of skin conditions that may often be contracted by exposure to chemicals and metals. These may...
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Tips on Working with 35mm Slides

Tips on Working with 35mm Slides

A note on slide developing: you want your slides to be developed for the best quality possi¬ble. If you want...
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Choosing the Right White Gold

The popularity of white gold has us all looking to the most perplexing gold we use. Perplexing a variety of...
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Tips for Recovering Precious Metal Particles

Most jewelers know how to handle their precious metal scraps: they separate their scraps by metal, dry out ultrasonic solutions...
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Magnesia Blocks Myth Debunked

Magnesia Blocks Myth Debunked

Myth: Magnesia blocks are superior soldering surfaces to charcoal blocks: A topic that seems to raise a fair amount of...
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Perfectly Fit Bezel

Perfectly Fit Bezel

Joints that fit well make soldering a snap. The next time you need to solder or fuse a bezel, try...
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V Prong Setting

Several shapes of stones have pointed ends, including marquise, pear, heart, and princess. Because these points are often thin and...
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Making Wooden Raising Stakes

Making Wooden Raising Stakes

This article offers a few tips on making your own wooden raising stakes instead of buying rather expensive metal ones....
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Tips for Avoiding Meltdown

Tips for Avoiding Meltdown

Now What? You’ve carved a few waxes or made a piece in metal that you want to mold and have...
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How to Sharpen Drill Bits

How to Sharpen Drill Bits

Small, fine drill bits used for jewelry making will become dull with normal use. Worn cutting edges make tasks more...
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Sneaky Goldsmith Tricks

The best 'Sneaky Goldsmith Tricks' involve taking mundane, everyday items and repurposing them as goldsmith's tools. Two classic tricks that...
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Copper Granulation Technique

Copper Granulation Technique

Granulation, a technique used in jewelry and metalwork, is the decorative use of minute metal granules attached to the surface...
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Drilling Tips and Techniques

Drilling Tips and Techniques

We all drill, all the time. We take drills and what they do for granted, but reviewing the obvious doesnt...
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Basic Fire Safety for Jewelers

Have a fire plan; ask your fire department for advice. Keep the appropriate extinguishers around and in good shape. Get...
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Gas Handling Guidelines

Jewelers work with compressed gases of all kinds, in torch systems, kilns, casting machines, abrasive blasters, laser welding machines needing...
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Making a Metal Brooch Frame

Making a Metal Brooch Frame

This is a metal frame for a brooch which can be made without any soldering. Findings can be glued or...
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Safety Notes for Jewelers on Pitch, Chasing and Repousse

An ancient system of working metals, this procedure uses steel punches to manipulate the metal while it is fixed onto...
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Repairing Broken Chains

The difficulty of chain repair lies in the fact that the chain is made up of fine wires. These wires...
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Palladium Q&As

Its no secret that palladium has captured the attention of the industry. In 2005, purchase of palladium for jewelry use...
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Ring Sizing Tips and Tricks

Ring Sizing Tips and Tricks

Ask a seasoned bench jeweler how many rings he or she has sized and they'll probably give you a figure...
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2 Successful Stone Setting Tips

2 Successful Stone Setting Tips

Ask any experienced jeweler, and they'll tell you: it takes stones to become a gem setter. You literally have to...
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DIY Metal Shaping Tools: How To Make Your Own Jewelry Hammers Or Mallets

DIY Metal Shaping Tools: How To Make Your Own Jewelry Hammers Or Mallets

Jewelers spend hours fixing damage that they themselves did to the metal. Soft hammers and shaping tools limit the injuries...
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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...
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Debunking Three Myths About Sawing

Debunking Three Myths About Sawing

In thinking about the daily tasks that I undertake at the bench, I realized how easy it is to fall...
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Touchstone Method for Testing Karat Gold Purity

There are a few scientific methods for precisely determining karat gold purity, some destructive (fire assay) and others nondestructive (X-ray...
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Using Dental Mold-Making Materials

Using Dental Mold-Making Materials

Jewelers are always molding objects and parts, most often to use for making wax models for casting. There are many...
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A Metalsmith’s Guide to Washington, D.C.

A Metalsmith’s Guide to Washington, D.C.

This is a continuing series of metalsmith's guides to cities, regions and museums throughout the world. The purpose of these...
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Prong Setting & Ring Sizing Tips

Prong Setting & Ring Sizing Tips

I'm going to do something different in this issue. Instead of taking you through the steps involved in putting a...
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Tips for Repairing Pearl Jewelry

Tips for Repairing Pearl Jewelry

When taking in a piece of pearl jewelry for repair, it may be necessary to remove the pearl to avoid...
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Build an Advanced Jeweler’s Bench

Build an Advanced Jeweler’s Bench

This sophisticated bench costs a little more and is a bit more difficult to make than the one on the...
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Platinum Finishing/Polishing Process

Opinions differ considerably when discussing the ease or difficulty of polishing platinum, but most agree that when a piece is...
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Rendering Design and Process

Rendering Design and Process

This is the second in a series of articles on the art and skill of rendering jewelry and small metal...
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What Causes Casting Marks?

What Causes Casting Marks?

In the Spring 2003 Issue we asked the question "What causes these marks on this casting?" Around 100 readers responded...
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Making Hollow Forms in Carving Wax Using Bread

Making Hollow Forms in Carving Wax Using Bread

White, gummy Wonder Bread isn't just for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It's a fun tool for making hollow forms...
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Tweezers Tips and Tricks

Tweezers Tips and Tricks

Tweezers are a constant in a jeweler's life, particularly in these safety conscious times. Tweezer use can help reduce your...
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Basic Principles for Tools and Equipment

Saving some dollars on equipment can be really helpful to a shop's bottom line. Often tools and equipment from other...
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Roll Printing Technique

Roll Printing Technique

Roll printing, or texture transfer, has been around a long time. The ancient Greeks and Romans used various dies and,...
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Flexible Shaft Tricks

Flexible Shaft Tricks

A good selection of burs may be had from your dentist. Dentists often throw out burrs which still have a...
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Transform Nails To Riveting Tools

Transform Nails To Riveting Tools

Soldering is a quick and easy method for joining metals. But sometimes two metals require a connection for which soldering...
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How to Make a Riffle File

How to Make a Riffle File

Every now and then when you are fabricating a piece or polishing a casting, a hole or hollow will pop...
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Fit to be Sized

Before sizing any ring, examine it carefully and compare it to the information on the job envelope. If you see...
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Practical Wax Modeling Techniques

Practical Wax Modeling Techniques

To begin with I highly recommend this book of technical information and procedures for anyone wanting to learn wax modelling...
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Giving New Life to Old Burs

Giving New Life to Old Burs

By Old burs can serve a number of useful purposes in daily bench work. Here are two tips from jewelers...
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Useful Bench Tools

Useful Bench Tools

This segment from the 2017 MJSA Journal November issue is dedicated to metals, tools, software and more that aids jewelers...
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CAD/CAM Techniques

CAD/CAM Techniques

The strength of Computer Aided Design &  Manufacturing is similar to that of any other tool on the bench:it is...
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Color Coding Solder Chips

Color Coding Solder Chips

Let's face it, not every snippet of solder winds up in your work. Some pieces fly away during clipping, while...
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Fabricating a Crown to Fit a Stone

Often jewelers are called upon to hand fabricate a crown to fit a stone. This is necessary when either the...
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Organize Your Bench

The next time you sit down at your bench, don't think of it as just a bench. Think of it...
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Noise and its Effects

Noise is so common that we don't tend to think of it in terms of exposure in the same way...
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Platinum Fabricating & Stamping

This paper is aimed mainly at the small- to medium-sized jewelry manufacturing operations interested in working with platinum group metals....
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, other RSIs and the Jeweler

Carpal tunnel syndrome is only one of many kinds of repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) and cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). RSI,...
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Tips for Creating Jump Rings

Tips for Creating Jump Rings

Jewelers use jump rings extensively as chain components, connectors, and linking devices for multiple construction problems. Here are a few...
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Inside Ring Polishing

Inside Ring Polishing

Trying to get a really high polish on the inside of a ring can be frustrating. Because inside ring buffs...
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Perfect Finishing Tools and Techniques

Our castings can be flawless, our assembly precise, and our settings secure -- but let any surface go a bit...
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North American Sources for Equipment, Materials, etc.

This page offers a list of some useful North American Sources for Equipment, Materials, information, etc that would be very...
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Bezel Setting Cabochon Stones

Bezel Setting Cabochon Stones

One of the most basic designs in stone setting is Bezel Setting. It is rudimentary in its concept, and it...
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Gemstone Chemical Coloration Techniques

The most important detail in the preparation of gemstone for chemical coloration is that it be clean. Oil and grease,...
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Stone Setting Tips

Here are some very helpful stone setting tips provided by Gerald Lewy to help and guide you when working on...
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Palladium Sizing, Welding and Engraving

Palladium Sizing, Welding and Engraving

In this article Chris Ploof shares tips for sizing, welding, and engraving palladium.
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Basic Milling Technique

Basic Milling Technique

In working on jewelry there are many tasks that seem simple - you just do it and don't think about...
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Avoiding Melting Soldered Seams

Avoiding Melting Soldered Seams

Soldering is a delicate and sometimes difficult process especially when you need to solder very close to a previous solder...
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Bench Tools for Jewelers

Bench Tools for Jewelers

This article lists the following useful bench tools for jewelers including contact information where they can be purchased or ordered....
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Radial Bristle Discs Excites Jewelers

Radial Bristle Discs Excites Jewelers

how one of 3M's radial bristle discs to a non-jeweler friend, and you are almost guaranteed to get a lukewarm...
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Paraffin Wax Treatment

Paraffin Wax Treatment

The holiday season can be rough on jewelers. The long hours spent toiling at the bench trying to fulfill last...
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Bench Tips and Tricks of the Trade

Bench Tips and Tricks of the Trade

To stretch a wedding band that is larger than your ring stretcher mandrel, slip a copper sleeve over the mandrel...
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Graver Detailing and Sharpening

Graver Detailing and Sharpening

A sharp graver can improve cutting performance at the bench. There are several approaches to use when detailing a graver,...
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Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 2

Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 2

I’m hoping this series of articles will save some of you time, money, and embarrassment by discussing some of the...
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Firescale Prevention During Vacuum Casting

Firescale has been the scourge of sterling silver casters since the first silver was poured into a mold. It has...
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Using Non-Jeweler’s Tools For Fabrication: How To Repurpose Painting Blades For Bezels

Using Non-Jeweler’s Tools For Fabrication: How To Repurpose Painting Blades For Bezels

Helen I. Driggs demonstrates how some non-jewelers tools give fabrication a new twist. My background is in graphic design, so...
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Layout Form / Template

Layout Form / Template

Click on the image to enlarge and download and you can use this layout form or template to help layout...
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Art vs Craft

The Art versus Craft issue is a complex question and one that has bedeviled creators a great deal in the...
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Bezel Setting Using a Lathe

Bezel Setting Using a Lathe

Bezel setting the center sapphire is normally pretty straight-forward, but I would like to share a few tricks that have...
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All About Jump Rings

All About Jump Rings

Jump rings may be made most easily by using a small hand drill with various sizes of mandrel. Take a...
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Studio Lighting Considerations

How you light your shop, illuminate your working area, experience the reflection from surfaces and the paint you choose for...
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Tips for Modifying Vises

Tips for Modifying Vises

A good vise is a vital piece of equipment for any goldsmith because it can act as a third hand,...
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Proper Studio Light

Do not get caught in the dark - make certain your shop is well lit. In the jewelry shop, two...
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Contemporary Applications of Area Inlay

Contemporary Applications of Area Inlay

The use of area inlay, called damascening or woven inlay, is common in the ancient metalwork of Iran, India, Japan,...
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Bead Setting Method – Part 3

Bead Setting Method – Part 3

In past issues of BENCH magazine, I have dealt heavily on making a bead raiser and using it to bead...
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How to Make a Bezel

How to Make a Bezel

There are several ways to make a "box-setting" for enameled work pieces. This is one way on how to make...
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3 Top Challenges for Jewelry Makers in 2014

3 Top Challenges for Jewelry Makers in 2014

Editor's Note: Looking ahead at the coming year, it's just as important to consider the challenges facing the jewelry industry...
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Platinum Bench Tricks

Platinum Bench Tricks

This project is dedicated to bench tricks that make working with platinum-or working at the bench in general-easier. This is...
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Using Coils To Bend Tubing

Using Coils To Bend Tubing

Many tools sold in model/hobby stores can be used for jewelry making. During a recent visit to a hobby shop,...
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Creating Beading Pliers Accessory Bezel Settings

Creating Beading Pliers Accessory Bezel Settings

Sometimes, holding on to really little parts is the greatest challenge of my day. I use tiny cabochons almost daily...
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Technical Briefs: Dealing with Firescale

Technical Briefs: Dealing with Firescale

Technical Briefs deals with technical concerns of interest to a wide audience, addressing topics as diverse as vanguard technology and...
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New Efficient Bench Applications

New Efficient Bench Applications

Pre-finishing, finishing, polishing and re-finishing have all been tasks usually done with a flexible shaft at the bench and/or a...
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Creative Uses for Duct Tape at the Bench

Creative Uses for Duct Tape at the Bench

Ask any bench jeweler the best way to secure a band-aid to his or her cut finger during a day...
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Practical Approach to CAD/CAM

Once more the realm of engineers and number-crunchers, CAD over the years has become more user-friendly and artisan-intuitive. Similarly, small-shop,...
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Craftsmanship Improvement Method

This is a method to reduce technical problems which one repeatedly experienes. We all find during the learning process that...
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How to Make Sharp Corner Cuts

Sawing is an essential skill for a bench jeweler. This article will show you a technique that will increase your...
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Overcoming Bench Mistakes

Overcoming Bench Mistakes

From the Editor: It’s happened to everyone. You’re working on a project and everything is going along well until…. Oops....
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Safer Pickle Alternative

Procrastination can sometimes lead to wonderful discoveries. Tom Arnold, owner of Facets Fine Jewelry in Arlington, Virginia, found this out...
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Using Acid Bath on Used Tools

Bench jewelers hate to throw out used tools. By training and by nature we try to conserve the materials we...
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Ergonomics for Bench Pin Modifications

Ergonomics is the safe and effective relationship between a worker and the work environment. For the bench jeweler who spends...
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Tricks for Hollow Rings with Miniature Stakes

Make the inner band the desired size first. 18 or 20 gauge is about right. Next make the bezel or...
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Tip for Improving Casting Quality

Tip for Improving Casting Quality

Every caster has seen his or her fair share of investment inclusions. You'll be polishing a casting when suddenly a...
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Kinds of Alloys

Kinds of Alloys

This segment from the 2017 MJSA Journal November issue is dedicated to metals, tools, software and more that aids jewelers...
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Cardboard Disc Sander Tool

A cardboard disc sander is a very useful tool. One uses the side or large flap of a fairly rigid...
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Separating Work and Home

Often craftspeople start out making craft objects in their living space, a kitchen, a living room, and sometimes continue working...
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Goldsmith Jewelry Finishing Trick

Every bench jeweler has experienced the frustration of trying to sand and polish a nearly inaccessible area on a piece...
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Tackling Chain and Finding Repair

Tackling Chain and Finding Repair

Ask most jewelers about repairing a chain or finding and they’re likely to offer you their best Charlie Brown impression:...
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Flat Topped Solitaire Setting

Flat Topped Solitaire Setting

The Flat Topped Solitaire Setting is a popular style setting that is slightly more complicated to set than the standard...
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Modified Split Mandrel for Finishing Round Bezels

A bench jeweler typically uses a split mandrel to sand and finish the inside of a ring. Various grits of...
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Fabricating a Free Form Opal Pendant

Fabricating a Free Form Opal Pendant

I received this opal from a woman who had cut it years ago. Her customer was aware it had a...
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Rules for Tools

While it is clearly impossible to give a set of rules for each tool and procedure that goldsmiths use, this...
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Methods for Applying Patination Solutions

Extremely clean metal surfaces give better results. See the article on Cleaning metal Surfaces for more information on cleaning.
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New Gem Identification Techniques

This is an exciting era for gemologists. High-tech analytical techniques now make it possible to identify trace elements, treatments, and...
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Organize Your Workspace

How you set up your shop, your working procedures and workspace can affect your safety, comfort, stress level and efficiency...
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Handling Stakes and Anvils

Shaping a bezel on stakes is a process of forming the metal by stretching. First the metal is bent with...
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Homemade Flex-Shaft Guard

Homemade Flex-Shaft Guard

Homemade flex-shaft guard using a soft drink plastic bottle, a solution to the annoying and potentially hazardous problem of breathing...
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Jewelry Making Bench Tips

Jeremy Pavlow shares his common jewelry making bench tips by taking advantage of other tools and materials not normally used...
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Jewellery Repair

Repairing jewellery is an extremely tricky job. Work often pretends to be something else, metal is not what it is...
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Bench Tools Maintenance Schedule

Take a look around you. Chances are there is a flex-shaft or a dust collector you've neglected because you've been...
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Discussion on Refiner Methods

Discussion on Refiner Methods

Shawna Kulpa takes a look into the assaying methods refiners use to determine the value of a lot. This article...
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Reusing Broken Saw Blades

Reusing Broken Saw Blades

Traditionally trained jewelers often scoff at the idea of using glue as a joining method. However, there are times when...
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Creating a Rotary Burnisher

Jewelers have been going green for many years by recycling old or worn-out tools into something new and useful. Setting...
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Overcoming Tool Limitations

Overcoming Tool Limitations

True tales of how jewelers overcame out-of-the-box limitations - Most people who work with their hands become tool mad, and...
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Basic Approach to Product Design

Design is a perennial issue for all who produce objects meant for a specific use, utilitarian, in contrast to objects...
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Tool Alterations

Tool Alterations

This article describes the different tool alterations that any bench man needs to know and learn as guidance for their...
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Thai Chaser Tool Tricks

Thai Chaser Tool Tricks

I was recently in Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand, where I spent a month visiting silversmiths and chasers...
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Making a Multi-Grit Sanding Stick

Making a Multi-Grit Sanding Stick

BW Simon in Spartanburg, South Carolina, made this handy tool for finishing jewelry. I would like to thank him for...
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Diamond Setting Hints

When setting a series of diamonds in a row, I use a 156C and just touch the inside wall of...
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Hints on Making Tubing

Hints on Making Tubing

This article is an extract from the book 'Hinges and Hinge-Based Catches for Jewelers and Goldsmiths' Not all sizes and...
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Design Layout Tip

Design Layout Tip

Designing stock pieces for my jewelry store has never been more fun than it is now that I have a...
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Platinum Consideration Factors

Jurgen J Maerz of the Platinum Guild International USA outlines factors to consider when adding platinum to your line of...
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Millimeter Gauge Layout Technique

Millimeter Gauge Layout Technique

Meticulous planning and tedious layout are a big part of a goldsmiths life at the bench. It usually pays dividends...
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How to Step-Roll Wire

One requires a taper on the end of the wire to grip it with when placed through a drawplate for...
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Technical Briefs: Understanding Sandpaper

Technical Briefs deals with technical concerns of interest to a wide audience, addressing topics as diverse as vanguard technology and...
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Organize Bench Workflow with Trays

Organize Bench Workflow with Trays

There are numerous mass production processes that bench jewelers can adapt and use to streamline their studio jewelry work. One...
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The TAO of Bur Goodtip

The TAO of Bur Goodtip

Bur Goodtip, a legendary bench jeweler shows how sometimes a tool is not just a tool... We are taking a...
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Diamond Setting Applications

What is one of the causes of a "rippling or jagged" effect around an inside cutting edge in a Gypsy...
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Bead Stone Setting – Bead It!

Bench Jewelers often use different methods to accomplish the same work. I believe the end results are what is important,...
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Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 1

Ever since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by rocks and gems. I started cutting cabs more than 40 years ago, and...
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Half-Ground Round Bur

Half-Ground Round Bur

There are times during the setters workday where there is a need for a specific tool, but there nothing is...
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Spiral Cut Technique for Rubber Molds

Spiral Cut Technique for Rubber Molds

n this installment we present a mold cutting technique called a spiral cut, which is designed to facilitate the successful...
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Evenly Heating Pieces for Soldering

Evenly Heating Pieces for Soldering

One of the most difficult aspects of soldering is to heat the piece properly so that the solder will flow....
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Jewelry Making Tricks

Jewelry Making Tricks

Check out this list of 19 jewelry making tips and tricks for preparation, cleaning, setting, how-to's and more.
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Structuring for Efficiency in the Studio

Being more organized, and planning how you use your time will mean that you will spend less time on some...
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Gemstone Setting Tip: Shape

“You should know what kind of shape you’re in,” joked Arthur Anton Skuratowicz during an MJSA At the Bench Live...
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Creating a 14KW Rubellite Tourmaline Pendant

Creating a 14KW Rubellite Tourmaline Pendant

Steve Satow describes the procedure on creating a 14KW Rubellite Tourmaline Pendant. Creating a 14KW Rubellite Tourmaline Pendant Beginning components...
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Debunking a Soldering Myth 2

Debunking a Soldering Myth 2

There are many myths about heating pieces during soldering that can cause innumerable problems during relatively simple soldering operations. In...
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Customized Mini Clamp Tool

Customized Mini Clamp Tool

I like to hold small pieces of metal with a clamp that allows me to file hands free. I feel...
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Customized Earring Setting Pliers

Customized Earring Setting Pliers

Steve Satow shows the procedure for a customized earring setting pliers using a normal setting pliers. Normal setting pliers can...
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Locating Dead Center on Ring Blanks

Locating Dead Center on Ring Blanks

This article provides a helpful tip on locating dead center on ring blanks and finding balance on an object. Free-form...
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Resizing Damaged Rings

Resizing Damaged Rings

This page provides some helpful tips when it comes to resizing damaged rings with stones. Read on for more. When...
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Knife Making Techniques for Jewelry Design

Knife Making Techniques for Jewelry Design

My dad was in the Navy during World War II and was among the personnel who entered Japan shortly after...
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Oval and Marquis Gemstone Layout Method

Accurately laying out an oval or marquis stone in wax can be tricky business. We learned this foolproof method for...
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How to Modify Prong Pushers

Many stone setters would agree that one of the most challenging aspects of prong setting is getting the prongs down...
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Vector Tightening to Secure Gemstones

Gemstones that become loose in their settings can cause damage to both the gem and the setting. A regular inspection...
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Bench Trick Guiding Principles

What is a bench trick? A shortcut? A faster way of doing something? A better method? A tool used for...
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Platinum Finishing 1 – Safety

Platinum Finishing 1 – Safety

My finishing techniques are up close and personal. The majority of my polishing work is done at the same proximity...
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How to Handle the Flexshaft

In the course of my 30 years in the jewelry industry, I can recall many instances of damaged equipment and...
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2017 Pantone’s Top 10 Colors for Fall

2017 Pantone’s Top 10 Colors for Fall

Pantone’s picks are comforting, enveloping, and easy to wear. Warm. Comforting. Effortless. These are just a few of the words...
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Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002

Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002

This article page is from a section "Favorite Tips" from BENCH Magazine 2002 submitted by readers and BENCH Magazine Staff...
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Jewelers’ Stories About Working with Findings

Jewelers’ Stories About Working with Findings

When a commercial finding isn't quite right but making the component by hand seems like reinventing the wheel, creative modification...
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Beyond the Bench: Contemporary Studio Jewelry

Contemporary Studio Jewelry There are few faster ways to clear a room than to invite a conversation about the difference...
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Slicing Wax Slabs

A drill press (either a full size, miniature, or Foredom) with an end mill or cylinder bur can thin down...
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Reconditioning Beading Tools & Dot Punches

Beading tools and dot punches lose their form and become dull as you use them. You can recondition a tool...
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How to Use the Conduction Soldering Technique

The soldering process, used extensively in all aspects of jewelry manufacturing and repair, joins two or more pieces of metal...
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Customized Beading Tool Retipper, Trays & Polisher

Customized Beading Tool Retipper, Trays & Polisher

Steve Satow shares his procedure on how to customize bench tools like a beading tool retipper, small parts trays and ...
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3 Tips to Overcome Workplace Dysfunction

3 Tips to Overcome Workplace Dysfunction

My kids are grown now, but I still recall how effective they were at pushing each other’s buttons when they...
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How to Make Straight Wire Holders

How to Make Straight Wire Holders

Stuller had the foresight to offer straight wire that we don't have to remove the bend from before we use...
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Customized Solder Holder, Jet Sett, Blast Shield

Customized Solder Holder, Jet Sett, Blast Shield

Steve Satow shares his procedure for customized solder holder and blast shield, and how to make using a Jet Sett...
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Safety Issues and Litigation

After writing my recent safety book something unexpected happened. I had a number of calls from lawyers about safety issues....
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Cutting Down Repair Costs

Much of my business comes from re-cutting colored gems that have been chipped, scratched and broken (not always by the...
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Patination Sources from the Internet

Here are some patination sources on the internet. Remember that all patinas are toxic and irritant and should not...
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Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002 Part 4

Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002 Part 4

This article page is from a section "Favorite Tips" from BENCH Magazine 2002 submitted by readers and BENCH Magazine Staff...
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Customized Turntable Tool Rack

Customized Turntable Tool Rack

Find a turntable that
 is size appropriate for 
your bench. In this case
mine is 18 inches wide.
 If possible...
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Trade Show Marketing Tip

At most trade shows, you could stock up on enough pens, notepads, tote bags, and keychains to start a thriving...
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How Jewelers Approach Work Materials

How Jewelers Approach Work Materials

This diagram shows how jewelers approach working in the field in terms of how they relate to the material. The...
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How to Modify Wooden Ring Clamps

One persistent daily challenge a bench jeweler faces is trying to figure out the best way to hold onto tiny,...
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Tool and Equipment Checkpoints

Maybe you’re shopping for the latest technologies—the newest developments in CAD/CAM to produce life-like renderings, a laser to engrave your...
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Buffer System & Ultrasonic Basket Replacement

Buffer System & Ultrasonic Basket Replacement

Buffer System & Ultrasonic Basket Replacement When we replaced our vacuum tubes for the buffer system I chose to run...
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Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002 Part 3

Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002 Part 3

This article page is from a section "Favorite Tips" from BENCH Magazine 2002 submitted by readers and BENCH Magazine Staff...
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Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002 Part 2

Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002 Part 2

This article page is from a section "Favorite Tips" from BENCH Magazine 2002 submitted by readers and BENCH Magazine Staff...
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2 Tips for a Successful Jewelry Collection

2 Tips for a Successful Jewelry Collection

In times of increased price competition and global producers, cooperation with designers is also an important factor for large jewelry...
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Metalsmith ’84 Spring: Health Hazards Q&A’s

This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1984 Spring), “Health Hazards”, discussing questions from readers about...
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5 Holiday Casting Process Tips

The hazy days of summer aren’t too soon to begin thinking of designs for the holidays—and how to best cast...
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Metalsmith ’84 Summer: Health Hazards Q&A’s

This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1984 Summer), “Health Hazards”, discussing questions from readers about ...
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How to Use Time Fully

How to Use Time Fully

Always try to understand, that you are your own best enemy. Be nice to yourself when tackling the unknown. Realize...
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Risking Failure to Master New Things

Risking Failure to Master New Things

My grandson has spent the last several weeks learning how to walk. This new risk comes with a lot of...
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How to Make Equally Sized Beads

How to Make Equally Sized Beads

In this project, I will demonstrate a clever method of making equally sized beads. These beads can be used for...
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Green Bench Tips – Part 1

Green Bench Tips – Part 1

This is the first in a two-part series on green bench tips shared by jewelers who are taking an eco-friendlier...
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Creating a Whip Burnisher

A worn-out bristle brush can easily be recycled into a useful tool called a whip burnisher or rotary hammer to...
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Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002 Part 1

Bench Mag Favorite Tips 2002 Part 1

This article page is from a section "Favorite Tips" from BENCH Magazine 2002 submitted by readers and BENCH Magazine Staff....
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Bench Jewelers Can Take Sniper Lessons

Bench Jewelers Can Take Sniper Lessons

As the target comes into focus and the operator aligns the crosshairs, elements of the world slowly cease to exist...
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Creative Imagination – Undeveloped Resource

Creative Imagination – Undeveloped Resource

In 1959, Victor Papanek gave the third-year students in his creative engineering seminar at Ontario College of Art this problem:...
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The Art of Self Promotion

The Art of Self Promotion

The art of self-promotion is less about celebrity than it is about perseverance. Breaking into print doesn't take a magic...
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Green Bench Tips – Part 2

Green Bench Tips – Part 2

This is the second in a two-part series on green bench tips shared by jewelers who are taking another approach...
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4 Marketing Tips for Mobile Customers

4 Marketing Tips for Mobile Customers

Since the advent of the Information Age, the marketing landscape has undergone a radical transformation. Pre-internet, businesses used to be...
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Metalsmith ’83 Summer: Health Hazards Q&A’s

This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1983 Summer), "Health Hazards", discussing questions from readers and...
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How to Customize Curved Tip Melee Tweezers

How to Customize Curved Tip Melee Tweezers

These tweezers are great for gripping melee when straight tips don't give you enough clearance. They allow you to slide...
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Metalsmith ’84 Fall: Health Hazards Q&A’s

Linda Weiss-Edwards provides a list of Onsite Consultation for Artists and Schools from each state in the United States in...
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Recent Sightings: Jewelry Teachers

This article series from Metalsmith Magazine is named “Recent Sightings” and here Bruce Metcalf talks about art, craftmanship, design, the...
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