Bench pin usage

As a setter I always have the flat side up,why? It is there I will
put my smaller diamonds in a little carved out receptacle in this
bench-peg… Smaller meaning at least .005 pts. and up to.05 ptrs. If
I’m going to transfer the diamonds from my bench top to the peg, I
might drop one or two and waste time looking for them. I will even
smooth down the surfaces with emery paper to avoid any rough edges.
Hate to get slivers of wood into my fingers…

Gerry!

Yes a bench pin is a very personal item and a very important one. In
teaching in various classes I have often found students have little
or no knowledge of it’s importance.

It is often loose and sometimes almost un-scarred, like new.
Students will hold work, careful not to disturb or scar the loose
pin! When shown one of my old remnant pins and when they have
tightened the pin and found how much quicker and accurate it is to
work with a few grooves cut to hold the metal still while filing,
they are convinced. I have a couple of different pins for stone
setting and saw piercing. and one permanent steel one for saw
piercing placed lower down and too the left side of my bench recess.
So I can look down at the work being cut. I find the G clamped wooden
V piercing blocks too high and usually wobbly. With students I
sometimes put those blocks upside down under the bench top with the G
clamp sticking upwards. I like my normal working position of the pin
to be just under my chin, my bench top height.

One of the other problems students make for themselves is they often
don’t use their spotlights, they may be turned on, but directed
elsewhere.

I have two good lights, one directed so that it will reflect off the
end of the metal I am filing. I admit at my age I need all the light
I can get. I would love a GRS but have determined to limit purchases
to essentials!

David
jewellerydavidcruickshank.com.au

It is there I will put my smaller diamonds in a little carved out
receptacle in this bench-peg.. 

Gerald reminds me of another common modification: Cut off around a
1/2" length of 1/2" brass tubing - the kind you get in the hardware
store. That’s around 13mm for those who are civilized. Solder a base
onto it and finish it off to make a little cup. Then, towards the
back of your pin, where it meets the bench, drill a shallow hole of
the same size with a spade bit or Forstner bit, if you have it. Spade
bits are the ones that are two flat “wings” with a point at the end.
Put the cup into the depression and it will stay put… Setters put
a bit of cotton in it and fill it with oil of wintergreen, but you
could use it for storage, too. And of course you can make any
diameter you like.

A comment about Helen saying she wasn’t sure what to do with her
bench pin, the other day. Back in the day, I would sit down and make
bezels for 10 0 stones at a time, then solder them on backing plates
and etcetera. I did that work on a table top - doing it on a bench
pin is probably the worst possible way. I think everybody needs to
understand that it’s good for what it’s good for, but you shouldn’t
try to cram your work onto it if it isn’t the right way to do it -
“Well, it’s a jeweler’s bench and it has a bench pin and I’m making
jewelry so I’m supposed to, right?” It’s perfect for a great many
tasks, but it’s not always the best place to do some things.
Sometimes it’s this tiny little table top, and what you need to do
is use a 12" ruler - use your desk.

It was explained to me that when the bench pin is inserted
parallel to the floor then it is to be used more for sawing and
when it is on an angle, it is used more for filing. Sometimes that
works for me - sometimes not - it would be interesting to see how
others modify and use theirs. 

It depends on how you sit at the bench. If you using the top of the
bench to do actual work, then flat side of the pin can be used. If you
sit so all the work is on on the pin, than only slanted side is
useful. Personally, I use slanted side exclusively.

Leonid Surpin

I have similar experiences with my new students. I ensure they put
their bench pegs in for the first few weeks, but if I don’t remind
them they forget after that! Eventually, after being told several
times it becomes second nature to them.

I think it takes them a while to work out that it can act as a sort
of ‘third hand’ and that, with the addition of drilled holes to help
them set stones in post style earring or cut in groves to help them
get into awkward places etc., they really can’t live without them.

I go through about three or four bench pegs a year before they
actually drop to pieces because they are so well worn.

I hadn’t heard about only using the flat side of the peg, I rotate
mine all the time depending on what I am tackling at the time.

Imogen Waitt
Imogen Shafto Design
Designers and Makers of Contemporary Jewellery
England.

It was explained to me many years ago that the reason a bench pin
has an angled surface is to make the top parallel to a file stroke
(if mounted “upside down”). It was also pointed out to me that a
bench pin can be a good general indicator of a goldsmith’s skill
level; the less a bench pin looks like one in a catalog, the higher
the skill level of its user.

I have noticed that no two goldsmith’s bench pins look the same. I’d
love to see the “Bench Pin Christmas Tree” if anyone can find a photo
of it. What a great idea!

All the action on my bench takes place on or very near the bench
pin, the top of my bench is mainly for storage, just as others have
posted. I have three bench pins mounted in GRS bench pin mounts. I
use all four sides of each one of them, not just the top, and I cut
and grind holes, grooves and notches as necessary. A bench pin can be
a remarkably versatile tool once one learns how to cut and shape it
to fit the job at hand.

With the GRS mount, it is possible to tighten the bench pin in the
mount using wood shims but I use silver square wire rolled to the
right size, and wedge a couple of pieces in tightly. When mounting
the pin to the bench I give the top of the mount a whack or two with
a leather mallet on the left and right, which locks it down solidly
on the fixed plate. To remove, I whack it from underneath left and
right and it pops right off. I also use two GRS Adjustable Height
Brackets bolted together to drop the bench pin mount to a level it
can be used under a microscope. Very handy attachment for microscope
use, but not as solid as when mounted at the front of the bench.

Many good points have been made about the use of the bench pin, the
ones that say essentially it is there to be worn out are exactly
right. I shred mine. I can’t imagine not having it solidly locked in
place, but that is what makes the world go around, and is why no two
will ever look the same after a year of use. This thread proves once
again that there is seldom a right way and a wrong way to do
anything, only ways that work for me and ways that work for other
people. The only rules that govern all of us universally are the
natural laws of physics, metallurgy and chemistry. The masters are
the ones that view those rules as friends to be used and relied
upon, not as opponents that must be overcome.

Dave Phelps

Cut off around a 1/2" length of 1/2" brass tubing - the kind you
get in the hardware store. That's around 13mm for those who are
civilized. Solder a base onto it and finish it off to make a little
cup. 

Why not use copper? You’ll find that little cup already made. It’s
called a cap, and used to close off the open end of tubing.

Al Balmer
Sun City, AZ

I thought I’d write something for those who can use it about how and
why a bench pin is used. Conceptually, anyway - I’m not saying, “This
is how to work”. I saw a video lately where the maker was struggling
with the pin, and I visit college classes 2-3 times a year and see
the same, all the time.

It’s all about force. And the bench pin is not just a work surface,
it’s a three dimensional space. Drilling and sawing, two common jobs
on the pin, are pretty easy to understand. It’s the filing that uses
the pin to it’s best advantage.

Let’s suppose that you have sized a ring up by a few sizes, and you
have an oversized chunk of metal that needs to be blended into the
shank by filing. Let’s also suppose that your left hand (lefties can
reverse the hands all the way through - no doubt they’re used to
that) was run over by a car last month. Although it’s healed now,
it’s tender and can’t take much stress. You’re not going to use it
much, anyway…

First, file the inside. Either find a notch or make one in your pin.
Put the ring with the sizing down and put the edge away from you
against the notch. I make a triangle with my left fingers - thumb on
the front, middle finger on the back and index finger on top,
holding the ring down onto the pin surface. File it by pushing the
ring shank against the notch - all your left hand does is hold the
ring in place, and it takes relatively little force. Then do the
sides - hook the top of the ring against a corner of the bench pin,
with the sizing away from you. Hold it there with your left hand
under the bench pin. A single thumb press might do it.

File it on the far side, and you’ll see that the filing action
pushes the ring against the corner of the pin, where the ring stops.
All your left hand does is keep the ring from falling off.

For the outer edge, hook the inside of the ring over a corner with
the filing facing up, left hand underneath. Again, the filing drives
the ring onto the pin, and your left hand is simply holding it up
against gravity. You need to file a design into the shank, so you
hold the ring up against the front edge of the bench pin, so your
filing drives the ring into the pin, not your fingers.

It’s like a vise with only one jaw. The force of your filing is the
other jaw, and with a solid bench pin and proper technique you can
put the full force of your shoulder behind it. It doesn’t matter how
strong you are, your left hand simply can’t withstand that force.

There are millions of individual tasks, but the point is to use the
bench pin as a stop and to allow yourself to exert maximum force. And
thus get maximum work in minimum time. Almost always your left hand
is just a holder, not a source of any great strength. If you need to
use your left hand more than that, probably there’s something you
could be doing better, on and with the bench pin.

What a marvelous thread! I have a number of bench pins, modified
both by time, and various types that I have tried out over the years.
I have a couple of GRS holders that I swap out as needed. One pin has
a traditional V cut that ends in in a small round hole for easy
piercing, and I use that with the flat side up for piercing,
drilling, and some types of setting. Another pin has a large brass
plate attached to the top for larger projects and its useful for
laying out parts, etc. The pin I use the most is a combination with
both a V cut and a larger C cut. The C cut is taken from the right
hand corner of of the pin, slanted side up. That leaves a nice wide
support for filing, repair work, etc. I taper the piece remaining on
the left side slightly, enough to side through a ring shank. I flip
that pin over, and the smaller tapered piece also has a small V,
which I use, flat side up, like the larger V pin. I use the GRS
benchmate too, but the combination pin in the one I use the most.

Whatever configuration you like, the most important thing is that the
pin is secure. Make as many holes, and grooves as you like, whatever
or where ever it suits the job at hand. After time, your pin will be
much smaller nub, but you will know exactly what groove will be the
best for the job at hand. Starting a new pin is like making a new
best friend, it takes time and patience!

Melissa Veres, engraver

I primarily use my benchpin as a scalp re-adjustment tool when I drop
a diamond under my bench.

Works great!

One addition I have for my bench pin is a “drilling” block. This is
just a thin piece of wood that I put on top of my bench pin when I
need to drill a hole. It keeps the bench pin from looking like a
piece of Swiss cheese. The piece of wood is about 1/4 inch thick and
the size of the pin…Teddy

I guess there are some who are shocked by my apparent heresy in a way
I am using bench pin. That is fine. I have accepted my role as
iconoclast and everything that comes with it, long time ago. Still,
it is interesting to observe how people give words meaning that was
never there.

I remember playing a game, we called it “broken phone”, growing up
as a child. All children would gather in a circle, one would whisper
a word into another’s ear, and it gets passed around the circle. When
a word get’s around complete circle, nobody can recognize it anymore.
I find a striking resemblance between that game and how we discuss
things around here.

But let’s talk about solidly locked pin versus somewhat loosely
coupled pin (if I can use these words), or even better let’s talk
about cars. Does anybody want to drive a car without a suspension?
Imagine car with wheels solidly locked into the car body. They can
turn, but no up and down movement possible. Would such a car be a
great ride? I do not think so.

To put things in the proper perspective : goldsmith, tools, article
of jewellery that goldsmith is working on, bench pin, and bench are
a unified system, where each part depends on the others. To extend
car analogy - creation of an article of jewellery is an auto racing
event; goldsmith is the driver, tools are the steering wheel; bench
is the racing track; and bench pin is the suspension.

Pin, which is completely immobilized, would amplify any irregularity
in application of tools. Pin, which is loose, is simply dangerous.
What is the right amount of rigidity? It is like tuning a
suspension. Every driver likes a particular feel.

Leonid Surpin

Okay, I finally got my jeweler’s bench put together and into the
studio. Yay! Heavy sucker. Funny sight me and my friend dragging it
down the hallway on the torn open cardboard box. Ah, better no one
else saw. Ahem. Turned out to be a slightly shoddy one made in China.
But it’s good enough for a beginner like me. Slowly figuring out how
to customize it for what I need.

It’s at the perfect height so no adjustments needed there. Needs a
2’x3" block with hole drilled to be screwed/glued/clamped on top for
armature lamp to fit in. Needs on of the mandrel holes to be widened
to take my Pepe Ring Mandrel. Still has to be secured to the wall
and the concrete board placed on the wall behinds it. I’ll be using
it as a torching station too. Yup, coming a long nicely but still a
lot of work to do. Now as for my question…

The tang of the bench pin is way too small for the slot. Suggestions
on how to get it to a tighter fit?

Michele
MikiCat Designs

To make your bench pin fit tighter, drill a hole on the underside of
the slot for the tang and fit a bolt with a “T” bar on the end and
you will be able to tighten as needed or remove.

Good luck!
Steve Cowan Arista Designs

I glued a piece of 1/8" thickness high-density rubber sheet to one
side of one of my bench pins. I use it occasionally when I need a
surface that “gives” a bit or is a little stickier than wood.
Recently, I drilled a small hole through the rubber into the wood. I
can place the post of an earring into this hole while I set a stone.
The rubber doesn’t feel soft, but it is softer than shellac and sort
of grips the earring. And it’s still easy to whittle away and modify
the pin when necessary.

Jamie

I primarily use my benchpin as a scalp re-adjustment tool when I
drop a diamond under my bench. 

Ho Ho,…I loved that one and if you could see my bald head you
might understand how efficient benchpins can be when used that way!!!

Cheers, Don in SOFL

I glued a piece of 1/8" thickness high-density rubber sheet to one
side of one of my bench pins. I use it occasionally when I need a
surface that "gives" a bit or is a little stickier than wood. 

This is great idea. Another thing you may want to try is to glue thin
rubber sheet to pin’s tang on both sides. The best rubber for this is
Neoprene, especially the kind used for Die making. Such pin feels
very firm, great at reducing noise, and have a particular feedback,
which I find attractive.

Leonid Surpin

Wonder if we could have a Bench Pin photo gallery, like we do for the
studio shots? I would love to see what some of these custom pins look
like. Some I think I can visualize, but some I’m not getting…

Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio

To make your bench pin fit tighter, drill a hole on the underside
of the slot for the tang and fit a bolt with a "T" bar on the end
and you will be able to tighten as needed or remove. 

Now that’s an easy thing I never would have thought of. But since
the tang is a good 2" to 2 1/5" wide, should I use one or two bolts?

Another thing you may want to try is to glue thin rubber sheet to
pin's tang on both sides 

Oh I like that idea - thanks Leonid! Will have to go hunt down some
thin rubber… What do you use to glue it down - rubber cement?

Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio