BlankAll, I’d like to share some shop and bench tips I have
‘discovered’. I have tested these for about 6 months and work well
for me.
First is a preventative measure. A friend that has had carpal tunnel
surgery saw me working at the bench, my forearms resting on the
edges of my ‘catch all’ drawer, and told me that was where
(forearms) his damage started with his wrist. Constantly putting
pressure and cutting off blood supply. Since then I’ve read the
forearms are where the muscles that operate the hands are. (hands
are more tendons)So he suggested putting some kind of padding around
the edge. I too have wrist that hurt pretty frequently. So I cut
some stiff foam floor matting and stapled it around drawer where I
come in contact with it, and past couple of months I’ve seen an
improvement. Much less pain and discomfort!
Second, still at the bench, I found I need some kind of lining to
prevent any stone from hitting the metal under bench pin, and
chipping. So searched for something I could easily brush or wash
off gold filing etc. I found some RTV sheet gasket material that is
durable beyond words! I also weld and solder at this bench, and
found that if something really hot drops into bench pan …on the
RTV it doesn’t even smoke of fume. There is still barley a mark on
this pad. I found this at hardware or auto supply store.
Last and certainly least is my way to keep my investment dry and
accusable. Don’t laugh…well go ahead, it is a plastic box kitty
litter comes in. Specifically, Purina Tidy Cats Scoop-multiple cats
hard clumping 27 lbs.The plastic tub has a 3/4 door on top that
flips up. I can flip it, scoop out what I need and flip shut with
one hand. Living in a humid climate doesn’t pose a problem, for it’s
air tight(been testing 6 months, remember… I can also stir it
well and it stays powdery and…It doesn’t clump! Even if the
advertising says it does!
Cheers, Thomas Blair CBJ* Island Gold Works Hilton Head Island SC
www.islandgoldworks.com @Island_Gold_Works
*Jewelers of America Certified Bench Jeweler