Beginners Guide to Jewellery Making


Workbench and Work Area Essentials.


Your choice of work area is largely dependent on the resources and space available to you. Your bench is where most of your fabrication processes will take place and there are some key safety elements that should be considered. Adequate ventilation is essential, as is decent lighting, a solid and stable work surface and a seat which is of a suitable height. Ideally you will also need a dedicated area for soldering if possible, as well as access to water or a tap. Your work bench is a crucial part of your toolkit and must be considered accordingly.


4 Tools of the trade...


A) Workbench: A jeweller’s bench should be between 90cm and 100cm in height. It has a semi-circle cut out of the front which is your main working area as well as a railing round the edge to prevent items from falling off.


B) Seating: When seated your bench surface should be at your eye level so an adjustable seat is ideal for achieving this. Your chair should also be supportive and comfortable allowing you to work without straining as you will be sitting for extended periods.


C) Bench tray/tin or skin: A bench tray, skin or tin sits directly underneath the semi- circle cut out at the front of the bench. It is there to catch the scraps of metal and dust that are created when saw-piercing and fi ling. It also acts as a safety net for your work if you happen to drop it or slip.


D) Lighting: Good general lighting is required for a workshop along with more focussed spot lighting over your bench. An angle poised desk/bench lamp is ideal for adjustable positioning of light where you need it but try to ensure that no shadows are cast across your working area.


E) Bench peg: A bench peg is a wooden, tapered block which is attached to the front of the bench via a clamp. Your metal will rest on this peg while you work on it and most people like to cut out a v- section to facilitate easier accessibility for saw frames and fi les.


F) Peg clamp: A peg clamp attaches your peg to the bench using a simple G-clamp mechanism. Some incorporate a slot for the peg to slide into whilst others have an integrated fl at anvil surface which can be extremely useful. Bench pegs and their corresponding clamps are often sold together.


Tip: It can be useful to have a slightly dimmer light whilst sold This allows you to easily gauge hot your metal is by the colour.


Tip: Metal dust, dirt and scraps as lemel and should never be dis Keep it safe in a dedicated box a return it annually to your bullion s be refi ned.


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