I have been using Sparex in mini crock pot for 14 yrs. and NO
problems. I also use a pickle called BLACK MAGIC for chains with
clasps because of the steel springs in the clasps. With this pickle,
one can use steel tweezers to pick things out, if needed, and the
springs in the clasps won’t cause the copper film that one usually
gets from regular sparex and copper tongs.
Steve Cowan
arista designs
cool - or you could buy a cat door, at a pet- or thrift store. Be
sure your pickle pot is below the level of the door, so you don’t
knock it off the shelf when reaching blindly through the wall. Great
idea!
Blessings,
Sam Kaffine
I use a baby bottle warmer for my pickle, cheap and works great. It sits under the extractor fan on my soldering bench. I use sparex. Richard
A crock pot works well, too
Margaret
Is the pickle causing rust?
I have had 2 workshops with concrete floors, bad rust problems.
I have had 2 workshops with wooden floors, no bad rust problems.
In my latest workshop I have a saltwater river 30 yards from my
wooden floored workshop. The building is on piers. Very few rust
problems.
Concrete will emit moisture for years.
Richard
Yes, cool. But in my single, individual opinion, way overkill
Maxim #37 of the Seventy Maxims Of Maximally Effective Mercenaries:
“There is no ‘overkill.’ There is only ‘open fire’ and ‘I need to
reload’”
Clearly what I did was an engineer’s solution rather than a
jeweler’s solution. I ask myself, “what’s the worst thing which could
possibly happen?”, and then I prepare for it.
Today I put a Lexan cover to protect the pickle pot from rain. I
also put a Lexan platorm on the inside of the door to prevent the
pickle from dripping on my tools.
Andrew Jonathan Fine
Andrew, I read for some time now about your advantures planning to
start making jewelry, a fair question, did you make any yet? and if
can you please share some pictures for us to see where you are now?
just curious
sandra
I have not jumped into this thread because I know how safety
conscious everyone is these days, and I agree to a point. There are
hundreds of jewelers working in small workshops around the country
with a pickle pot 3 feet from them and they put their coffee mug on
the bench which is 3 feet from the pickle also. Most of these jeweler
don’t have fans on the bench to evacuate fumes. My father was one of
these jewelers. I will bet you that most of the jewelry stores still
use the old fashioned polishing machines with 2 AC filters that fit
in them. I wonder if all the reasons not to just make jewelry because
the shop is not perfect is just that, reasons to not make jewelry.
All the money and time spent could be used to buy materials, make
stuff, sell stuff to be able to buy more workshop stuff.
Bill Wismar
Andrew,
Wouldn’t an engineer find the working temp and the evaporation rate
of the pickle first and g,o from there, thus avoiding overkill?
Relax dude. Your going to detail yourself right through winter, and
wonder where your jewelry is.
Make something!!
It’ll make you feel good
There are hundreds of jewelers working in small workshops around the
country with a pickle pot 3 feet from them and they put their coffee
mug on the bench which is 3 feet from the pickle also. Most of these
jeweler [sic] don’t have fans on the bench to evacuate fumes.
Yep there are idiots everywhere! Just wait till they get a health
and safety inspection. Closed. If they have employees, closed and
fined and possibly sued. Safety equipment is compulsory and tax
deductible. Why take the risk?
Work safe live longer! You don’t make money when you are in
intensive care or dead!
Richard
I am only 65 and have been drinking my coffee at my work bench for
about 40 years…my pickle is a couple feet away… I do use common
sense. Do not put pickle in my coffee… 
When I had my jewelry store going, I had all the fume extractors
etc… mostly do to insurance requirements… Did not have them in
my home workshop.
So far I have not had any ill effects from my coffee except when I
have more then the one cup in the morning I usually drink…Then my
wife says I get fusty…
Using good safety precautions are always a good idea. Common sense is
most of the time as good or better.
Enjoy your coffee.
Vernon Wilson
Yep there are idiots everywhere! Just wait till they get a health and safety inspection. Closed. If they have employees, closed and fined and possibly sued. Safety equipment is compulsory and tax deductible. Why take the risk?
You are so right, there are idiots out there, some have great fume
extractors that pull the smoke from the cigarettes that they smoke
out of the shop. Then they actually go out and get in a car to go buy
french fries so they can die from heart disease. Then to be healthy
they go on a bike ride with 3000lb projectiles flying by them at 50
miles an hour. Do you want me to keep going. I will be glad to.
I totally agree that you have to be safety oriented but also have
some common sense. My point was to start making jewelry to sell to
make money to buy all the cool stuff. If you think all the small
stores in this world follow great safety precautions you guys are in
LA LA Land. Then the stores that do have a fume extractor I will bet
you that 50% of them are inadequate for the job.
I grew up in a small store and knew most of the jewelers in my area.
In most stores the shop area was about 10 x10 if the jeweler was
lucky. In that space was benches, sink with pickle, polishing
machine, ultrasonic and a jeweler that smoked.
Yep I totally agree,
My point was why put your self at risk? I know plenty of people in
small shops. Who use the pickle outside. They organise the making to
do the pickling all at once. Problem solved. Why breath acid fumes?
My extractor fan unit was a chance luxury I found. Till then I used
the pickle outside.
If you are more than a hobby in Australia you can expect an OHS
inspection from the government. They are just looking to fine you, we
are not as bankrupt as America but they want the money none the less.
If one has the ability to analyse the traditional craft shop, one
will realise it is a very toxic place.
Ever heard the phrase “Mad as a hatter.” Mercury fumes in a confined
space.
Surely in the 21st century we have the sense and the technology and
knowledge to minimise the risks. At low cost.
I have an MA (Hons) degree ( 200 pages of original research) that
encompasses OHS. Most jewellery workshops are one of the worst set
ups. Mine was till I did the study.
Read Old Burr on Orchid about taking breaks from the bench.
If you wish to live long and keep making pay close attention to your
set up. And work practices.
What do you put in your ultrasonic to make it toxic? I used
dishwashing liquid.
I was once give the induction lecture about chemical poisons in the
work shop. My question was have you looked under the kitchen sink
storage cupboard?
We do not need to spend a fortune to make a safe work space. But we
do need to make it safe. Just because a lot of people do not work
safely does not make it right!!!
It would make an interesting epidemiological study of the life spans
of jewellers in poor OHS set ups.
Take care live long and keep making.
Richard
I agree with all…
Just one more thought on this subject.
How many of you walk out doors and take a deep breath of FRESH air
each day? In that air is exhaust flumes that are full of lead and
other pollutants…As well as other industrial pollutants from states
far away that drift into your area…
My doctors in the US (some of the top in the world) advised me years
ago to leave the US due to the pollutants in the air were causing my
sinuses to be infected all the time…(Almost died from one infection
) Best advice I ever got… moved to Central America and have not had
a sinus infection since…
The pickle on my work bench did not even show up as a problem in the
test they did!!! They did say not to stick my head in it but it was
not causing my problems.
Always use common sense in everything you do and enjoy what you do.
We all have a wonderful job/hobby…And we all have different points
of view which gives everyone a different insight and a different way
to view things. Great for creativity… Enjoy your coffee each day…
Vernon Wilson
Richard, I’d love it if you started a new thread and shared with us
some tips from time to time on how to make our studios safer. It
sounds like you have a wealth of knowledge in that department. As a
late beginner, I don’t have enough time to make all the mistakes an
expert has already made. Mary