There was posted a link to a video on the proper cutting of a
bench pin. Can someone repost please?
Ergonomics is the safe and effective relationship between a worker
and the work environment. For the bench jeweler who spends hours
working with a bench pin, it is important to make it work
efficiently and effectively for you. There are many modifications
you can make to ensure this.
Sloped top and horizontal bottom is the standard orientation for a
bench pin. People who do a lot of flat piercing sometimes put them in
the other way to support the sheet, but for most work having the
slope on top is advantageous.
I wonder, why do they set the pin up, upside down?
I’m guessing that store bench jewelers rarely do a lot of piercing,
for which we art jewelers like to have a nice level bench pin
surface. That bench pin video is particularly slanted towards ring
repair and(maybe) manufacture, IMHO.
Sloped top and horizontal bottom is the standard orientation for a
bench pin.
It’s certainly the standard way jewelry tool catalogs show pins.
People who do a lot of flat piercing sometimes put them in the
other way to support the sheet, but for most work having the slope
on top is advantageous.
When you’re filing a piece that is to be flat, how do you prevent
the side farthest away from you to be thinner than the side closest
to you? And what is the advantage to having the slope on top?
File a certain number of times, rotate the piece, file a certain
number of time rotate the piece. Check as you’re filing, I’ve never
found it to be a problem flat side up or own.
I know Hatton Garden but I noticed in your blog you mention “Haddon
Gardens” Is this a typo ? Spent a far bit of my younger days
traipsing around Hatton Garden dropping stuff off and picking it up.
I worked in Old Bond Street at that time.
When you're filing a piece that is to be flat, how do you prevent
the side farthest away from you to be thinner than the side
closest to you? And what is the advantage to having the slope on
top?
The general advantage of working on an inclined surface is that when
you use the surface to support the piece, as when filing the taper on
a piece of wire to be drawn, the incline gives you a better viewing
angle and a more comfortable angle of attack. It’s pretty much the
same reason calligraphers, designers and draftsmen work on inclined
drawing boards.
If your bench pin is at the standard height, hitting you 2-3" below
the clavicle, then the slope is in many ways convenient. And if you
need a flat surface there is one just beyond the bench pin.
Also the flat bottom gives a bit more clearance to your supporting
hand when filing, sanding, etc.
As to filing a flat surface. Being able to file a surface flat is a
question of technique, practice, and constant observation and
measurement. Whether the underlying surface is horizontal or
inclined you adapt the angle of the tool to the angle of the work.
That said, if you really need to have flat, parallel surfaces start
with a piece of sheet stock and keep the surface unmarred. Once you
put a hand file to a flat surface you introduce irregularities. This
is assuming you need mechanical flatness. If you only need visual
flatness then you can file well enough. If you do need mechanical
flatness put it to a split lap, or a milling machine if it’s a large
piece.
Not affiliated with GRS, just a satisfied customer.
I’m a great big fan of GRS tools too. I remember when I first got my
benchmate, long ago, how pleasantly surprised I was that someone was
finally making high quality hand tools for bench jewelers. I also
love their micro-engraving ball and their Acrobat stand.
I’m in the flat side up camp in the big bench pin debate.
A funny little bench pin story. Although I had been working on the
bench since I was 18, my mother, (who is a super smart lady, who I
admire and love very much), had never visited my shop until I was
maybe 35 years old. She came in, looked around, walked up to one of
the benches, pointed at the bench pin and said, “Don’t those things
hurt?” When I looked puzzled and asked what she meant she responded,
“Well, don’t you rest your head on that when you work?”
We all cracked up and then set her straight.
I always think of that when I’m giving a shop tour to the
uninitiated. What seems obvious to us can be a confusing mystery to
people unfamiliar with the inner workings of a shop or studio.
Been using this system for 15 years. wonderful…is all I can say. I
did take a aluminum stepped wax working mandrel and cut it in half
length wise down the center then cut each og the different size
steps off and I use them for supports when working on rings that are
thin or might distort under the pressure I might be putting them
under…
The general advantage of working on an inclined surface is that
when you use the surface to support the piece, as when filing the
taper on a piece of wire to be drawn
File a certain number of times, rotate the piece, file a certain
number of time rotate the piece. Check as you're filing, I've
never found it to be a problem flat side up or own.
You don’t use the reflection of your fluorescent bench light to
determine if your surface is mirror-like? Paf Dvorak
I suppose ultimately it depends on where you trained. My first job in
the trade was in a shop owned and staffed by European emigrs and the
bench pins were all sloped side up.