Bench Pin video

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?" 

I would tell your Mom, yes they really hurt, when you drop
something, it bounces off your tray, and you bend down to pick it up
and bonk your head on it… stars. I hope I am not the only one who
has done that. d’oh

Hi guys,

Lee and I got talking about this thread this afternoon. The way I’ve
always thought about it is that goldsmiths tend to use it sloped
side up, piercers use it flat side up, and American metalsmiths tend
to use it flat side up.

The one, single, proper way to use it is:… whatever works for
you.

I’ve seen european types who use bench pegs that are so chewed to
bits that there wasn’t much way to tell what they looked like
originally. They were slanted by way of everything else having
gotten chewed off. Nevermind a 'V" or anything else, just a gnawed
piece of wood. with just exactly the right divots and grooves to
anchor the kinds of work they normally do. Not much good for
piercing though: no flat surfaces, in any orientation.

Personally, I’ve got several different pegs, depending on what I’m
doing. One’s flat side up, several of them are slanted, and one’s a
giant “C” for a setter’s pin. (Having bitten the bullet on a GRS
wedge years ago, I got several different bench pin holders and went
to town.) We’re even developing a flat piercer’s pin in solid steel.
(Coming soonish, to a website near me.)

Regards,
Brian.

Well, don't you rest your head on that when you work?" Actually
I've seen my sweetie Tim fall asleep at his bench with his head on
his bench pin at Xmas. 

Really.

Have fun, make lots of jewelry and don’t sleep on the job.

Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com

I made myself a sawing pin for the GRS system about ten years ago.

It works very well for me.

I saw left handed.

The “V” can swivel and lock in any position.

Made of 6mm mild steel…

In the point of the “V” is a small amount of bees wax, so I don’t
have to remove the saw from the piece to lubricate it. The square cut
out is for my saw to tension the blade.



meevis.com

When I worked for Jim Binnion, I had the use of a couple of steel
bench pins that fit on the Benchmate. Lots of slits and slots, a
flat top for sawing/piercing, and completely square edges so the work
was supported right out to the edge. I think they were prototypes. I
miss those…

Noel

Hi Hans,

Very cool pin. Given as we’re designing a new pin for piercing, I
have questions.

I understand the ultimate angle of the working end. I normally end
up cutting crosswise relative to the bench front at roughly that
angle. What puzzles me is the long angled dogleg on the piece that
goes between the “V” section and the bench mount. Why angle that the
other way? Why have it there at all? Seems like the extra length
would make it less stable than if it were shorter.

Regards,
Brian

Another bench pin funny, at my expense.

My wife makes beaded glasses holders. So I thought…

As I change between two sets of glasses at the bench I thought I
would use a glasses holder to keep one set handy

The type you attach to the glasses and hang round your neck.

As you may have guessed the first time I stood up the glasses swung
under the bench pin,

bent out of shape and came off the cord.

Not fun or funny for me, wife, daughter and son thought very funny.

The things we do for added efficiency / idiocy at the bench.

Do I call it a shop or a showroom, NAH most of the time I call it an
organised chaos.

Because I was told “A tidy bench is a lazy bench.”

Richard

I like the idea of that super-rigid metal plate as a sawing pin
Hans. I think most people break their blade because the piece moves
when they saw. Your pin looks very stable, easy to use and easier to
hold or clamp your piece in place when sawing than a wooden wedge
pin. You are a thinker!

I have resisted commenting on this section as I assume that the bench
pin shape shown is mainly for jewellers of which I am not, I am a
goldsmith. I use a selection of wooden bench pins, each shaped to
suit the job I am doing. When filing large pieces, with large files,
I use the slope side upwards, but for most of my work I have the flat
side upwards. I don’t think I would ever want a steel or metal bench
pin. I like the feel of the wood and could not imagine piercing for
hours with my job holding hand gripped on a cold metal bench pin.
Also I pierce at quite a speed and I can imagine breaking many more
saw blades using a steel bench pin, if I over pierce with a wooden
pin, all that happens is a small saw cut in the side of the pin’s V
cut out, but I can imagine that an overcut on a steel pin would break
or at least damage the blade. Providing your pin bench slot is good
and secure, and your bench pin is firm, I see no benefit in having a
metal bench pin. Sorry folks. :slight_smile:

James Miller FIPG

Hi Brian,

I understand the ultimate angle of the working end. I normally end
up cutting crosswise relative to the bench front at roughly that
angle. What puzzles me is the long angled dogleg on the piece that
goes between the "V" section and the bench mount. Why angle that
the other way? Why have it there at all? Seems like the extra
length would make it less stable than if it were shorter. 

I saw left handed so that’s why it’s angled to the left.

The length puts the piece more towards me and makes sawing much more
comfortable for me because I am not sawing across by body.

But not withstanding position or place, it’s rather that it is
quickly interchangeable.

I’ts also stable, so I have easier sawing and less blade breakage.

And for me, the best is the wax in the corner of the V.

Because I can l lubricate my blade with out changing position or
picking up my piece.

Anyway, I made it for the way I work, so it might not suit people
that saw on a peg.

Cheers, Hans

When I worked for Jim Binnion, I had the use of a couple of steel
bench pins that fit on the Benchmate. Lots of slits and slots,
aflat top for sawing/piercing, and completely square edges so the
work was supported right out to the edge. I think they were
prototypes. I miss those... 

Yes, those were prototypes that I made, and I am glad that you liked
them. I (and Brian) are continuing to revise and adjust them. I feel
that they are ready to release as soon as we do a video that show
its capabilities.

The bench pin is the foundation of an entire knew world of bench
tools, including a miniature dividing head/rose engine for wax. Want
to set any number of evenly spaced stones around the perimeter of a
ring? Just an example…

Progress on the entire project has been put on hold due to the
amazing demand for thesaw frames. Would you believe that we now have
two major distributors in Germany? Dictum GmbH and Dieter Schmid are
both in the mold of Lee Valley and provide an amazing range of
tools, although focused more toward woodworking, and the luthiers.

Lee (the saw guy)

For anyone looking at new bench pins I would like to recommend a
look at Jayne Redman’s new bench pin… LOVE it! Bigger than usual,
comes with a wood pin and a metal pin/top for making your own
blanking dies, etc.; rotates so you can angle your work as needed.
VERY nice addition to my studio - note that it is not a shop, but a
studio :wink:

Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio

My wife makes beaded glasses holders. So I thought... 

Bench pins are why I stopped wearing a pocket watch.

Paf Dvorak

Beth, what do you especially like about this benchpin? What is the
use for aluminum side?

thx
brenda

I was asked what I like about Jayne Redman’s new bench pin - I LOVE
the extra size - it is wider and longer than standard bench pins,
giving me much more working space. It has a wonderful centered shaped
cut out, which I find tremendously useful for a range of things,
including working with cuff links. I very much like the way it
tightens down and doesn’t jiggle and move. I also like that it will
rotate so I can use it at an angle if I want to do that.

I have not used the aluminum side yet but I THINK that will be very
helpful when I’m making my own dies for my hydraulic press. I’m
taking a class with Jayne on that in May that NCSG is putting on
(think there are still some openings if anyone is interested!) and I
think she uses that side when cutting dies, etc. Will know more after
the class…

Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio

Hi Beth,

One thing that concerns me about the aluminum bench pin: leprosy.

Now that I have your attention, and you’ve finished wiping the
coffee off the monitor…

“Leprosy” is just how I describe to students the effect of lead on
silver, when you go to solder. The least little smidge of lead will
start eating holes into your silver as soon as you start heating it
beyond 1000F (more or less).

Aluminum has the same effect. It causes a very low melting eutectic
alloy that eats holes in silver.

About the last thing on earth I’d want anywhere near my files or
sweeps would be aluminum.

I’ve never gotten aluminum dust onto any silver, so I can’t verify
directly, (Haven’t done lead either.)

But I have tried to melt silver for casting that accidentally had a
bit of aluminum wire mixed in with the scrap, and that turned to
crap almost instantly. (The student said he’d sorted it all.
Famous last words.)

A thing to ponder.

Regards,
Brian

(just by way of full disclosure: yes, we are working on a bench pin,
and the reason it’s steel instead of aluminum is the aforementioned
problem with aluminum dust. But I’d mention it one way or another.)

My only experience with a bench pin is a flat, not angled board, cut
out by my husband with the V and similar ones at the college.
Henceforth, I have never worked with an angled board. Also, since
these are not attached so we use C-clamps to hold to the tables and
those C-clamps are always in the way of the saw. Frustrating.

brenda