Question: Jewelry engraver/stone setter bench setup

WSammut

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I am in need of rethinking my bench setup. I do a lot of jewelry engraving and stone setting along with other jewelry work (soldering, fab., etc.). My issues are: 1) while engraving or setting stones using my drill press stand I can not have my bench treys out and all those gold chips and diamonds end up all over who know where. 2) while using my drill press stand I have no access to the rest of my bench (draws, bench pin, soldering, etc.) and have to move all that out of the way which is a pain in the butt. 3) with all that large stuff I have no more room on the top of my bench. I am currently working on saving up for a Lieca with acrobat arm and considering building a shelf for my engraving systems so that'll clear some space. But I'd be very interested to see what others do for their set up and ways around these issues.
Thanks
IMG_1433.jpg
 

celticjohn

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Brian,

I could be wrong but
I think he's referring to the drill press stand he currently has his GRS magna block sitting on in the photo.

John
 

Southern Custom

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For general jewelry work you might try the setup I use provided your drawer is large enough. My drawer is 29" wide and very strong. I use my GRS turntable and Standard block sitting in the left side of my drawer for 90% of my work. I add support if I'm using a Magna Block for heavier work. This setup allows me to do all my jewelry work and not lose metal or diamonds and I can still engrave most gun parts without having to change anything.
This only works if you have a very large bench and drawer with strong support.
 

WSammut

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Thanks Layne. I have two draws so one option I had been considering is swapping the top one for a slab of butcher block, I think the bottom is just a thin sheet of metal if I remember correctly so it'd probably be a bit flimsy as is
 

aleks177

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I had the same problem with a workbench, at the same because of a spine injury I need to lean elbows on a table that hands didn't shiver.
I have made the support for a microscope screwed on a wall, it cranked and is very well regulated
I put an engraving vice ( ball vise or duble-wedge) on a table, a microscope over them.
And for a workbench I put higher chair to look in a microscope, sitting with a straight back
 

Eric Olson

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I have two benches - one for jewelry work (torch, flex shaft, mandrels, pliers & hammers) which I use for repairs and fabrication,
and a second bench with my engraving block, microscope, airtact, another flex shaft, etc. for stone setting and engraving.
Set up at 90 degrees it's easy to turn from one to the other.
You can get a basic workbench for about $300.
 

Southern Custom

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I realized your bench looks just like my old one. The new massive workbench helped. But I take back everything I said yesterday. Sure it works but the astounding amount of pain in my left shoulder and back after a late night session tells me I need to adjust my setup. I think I'm working too high.
 

speeedy6

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The scope base doesn't need to be centered in your bench. If you moved the side table to the right, you could set the graver control box and the scope base on that and have lots of bench space for work then turn to your right to engrave. Turn your scope base around and set the graver control box on top of it to add some mass to stabilize and save space too.
 

monk

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it may help a bit-- check the thread on workbenches. tons of ideas there. good luck
 

aleks177

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The scope base doesn't ... in your bench
Fine idea!
I have quite small workbench - 4 feet wide and 2 feet depth, And thus he one on everything - both an engraving, and jewelry work, and a stone setting. Therefore has made a homemade cranked support which is fixed on a wall ahead and on the right. When the microscope isn't used, I turn it to the left that the support was parallel to a wall, and he doesn't prevent to work.
In addition, no blows to a table are transferred to a support, and the image in eyepieces doesn't shiver
 

WSammut

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Traverse City, MI
IMG_1483.jpg
The solution I came up with for those interested. 1.5" butcher block I cut to size and heavy duty draw pulls and a shelf for all my units on the side. Still saving for the lieca and could also use a smaller ball now but its a start
 
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