Dear All!
I just this moment dropped about 70+, .1 point diamonds without
loosing one stone! How is that possible, you might ask? They all
dropped into a metal tray that is right under my bench-peg! This
metal tray even has a rubber sheet on top of it. Now it’s not
possible for any stones to start bouncing around upon hitting the
metal tray. All I need now is a little, one-inch wide soft brush to
scoop them up. Moral of this, “be prepared!”.
…Gerry!
I do not have Gerald’s rubber liner for my metal lap tray, but I do
lay pair towels in the tray when handling small diamonds. Small
diamonds do not bounce when they drop on the paper towels.
Some years ago I dropped a 2pt diamond into the lemel catcher on my
bench. Unfortunately there was quite a lot of filings and offcuts in
it too, and a quick look didn’t find the diamond. I then tipped the
whole lot out onto a sheet of newspaper, and searched it carefully.
I still couldn’t find the diamond. My wife then tried too, and also
failed. We both knew the stone was there, but since we couldn’t find
it I put the whole lot back into the catcher, and then went in
search of inspiration.
What I really needed was a diamond magnet; something that attracts
diamonds like a magnet attracts iron. If only…
Then it struck me; what’s special about diamonds? They reflect light.
I waited until night-time, switched the lights out and shone a torch
into the lemel catcher. After rummaging about a bit there was a
little sparkle of light - it was the diamond. The torch found it in
about 3 seconds flat!
Regards, Gary Wooding
I do not have Gerald's rubber liner for my metal lap tray, but I do lay pair towels in the tray when handling small diamonds. Small diamonds do not bounce when they drop on the paper towels.
When setting diamonds I always used a black fine cloth…easy to find
diamonds on it and no bounce.
Russ HyderThe Jewelry CAD Institute
I have done away with my tray about 30 years ago and replaced it with
a high quality very soft and easy to brush off leather apron which
works well and has paid for itself many times over over the years I
have had it… also stops burning metal from getting to me when it
falls from my soldering bench… I attach it to my bench via magnetic
disc using goop glue and a steel sheet along the area I want the
apron to stay… That way if in a emergency I can just pull away from
the bench and get out of the way of anything that might be harmful to
me… never had to use that part of it but nice to know it is there
just in case… 
Car seat leather is the best type to use. Very
flexible and soft and easy to sweep the Gold and silver off of.
have tried velcro but it traps dust and the magnet’s do not trap
anything… besides using Goop you can just Goop your straps to the
leather and not need to sew them there I staple them in place with
goop for about a hour then remove the staples and the goop holds for
many years… enjoy…
Vernon Wilson
Now you tell me.
Michele, in Florida, for the past 4 days, on the floor, looking for
a rutilated quartz cab on a vinyl floor the same color as the quartz.
I am going to cut one of those cats’ tails off any second if they
don’t get 'em out of my face! ARGH!
Some years ago I dropped a 2pt diamond into the lemel catcher on my
bench. Unfortunately there was quite a lot of filings and offcuts in
it too, and a quick look didn’t find the diamond. I then tipped the
whole lot out onto a sheet of newspaper, and searched it carefully. I
still couldn’t find the diamond. My wife then tried too, and also
failed. We both knew the stone was there, but since we couldn’t find
it I put the whole lot back into the catcher, and then went in search
of inspiration.
What I really needed was a diamond magnet; something that attracts
diamonds like a magnet attracts iron. If only…
Then it struck me; what’s special about diamonds? They reflect
light. I waited until night-time, switched the lights out and shone a
torch into the lemel catcher. After rummaging about a bit there was a
little sparkle of light - it was the diamond. The torch found it in
about 3 seconds flat!
Regards, Gary Wooding