building a jewellery bench - custom diy martin dolan's sci-fi sculpture and science fiction art...

Sunday, 15 April 2012 Username ●●●●●●●● search...

Subscribe toour Blog

Follow me onTwitter!

System Mainframe

Home

What's it All About?

Art Gallery

Sci-Fi Art & Sculpture

Commissions

Drawings

Jewellery

Workbench

From Science Fiction to FACT

Sci-Fi Art Book Club

Artist Biography - Marty Dolan

Community & Environment

Contact Us

Guestbook

Links

Donations Welcome

Thanks for visiting. If you are

enjoying your stay, use the button

below and buy me a coffee or make

a donation. I appreciate it.

$

7Like

Building a Jewellery bench - Custom DIYBuilding a Jewellery bench -Custom DIY

As I make more sci-fi, unique and quirky jewellery, I need a

dedicated jewellers workbench - So I decided to make my

own.

Why make a custom DIY Jewelersworkbench?

I have a specific location where I would like tomake jewellery, and it's a bit tricky

Being a Virgo, my workbench has to be justperfect - for me

It needs to fit in with the look and feel of the rest of the house

The best way to learn a new skill like carpentry, is to jump right in

On that last point, it is my FIRST carpentry project ever - so be gentle with me in the comments. My carpentry skills improved a few

thousand percent during this project, as did the number of power-tools I owned. and you can never have enough excuses to buy

power-tools. Mwahahaha.

The first step in making a jewellery bench is to do someresearch.

The big question on my mind was: What the hell is a jewellers bench supposed to look like? I spent a day or two searching on

Google for images of workbenches and how-to guides. This gave me enough basic background, and also taught me the 'lingo' so I

knew that the wooden sticky-outy thing is actually called a bench peg.

Now I (sort of) knew what I was talking about, I then went out to many jewellery shops and asked if I could come into their workshop

and look at their benches. After explaining that I was designing jewellery, and about to embark on building my own workbench, they

were very happy to let me look around.

Interviewing professional Jewellers, i asked questions like:

How long have you been in the jewellery industry

Where did you do your training

What do you love about being a jeweller

What do you wish you could change about your jewellers bench

What do you like most about your bench

What modifications have you made to the workbench.

They were all very open and gave me excellent hints and tips on what to do - let me take measurements, photos... People who are

passionate about what they do are usually the experts in their field, and most likely to gush with valuable knowledge and ideas.

Ads by Google

Work Bench

Garage Work Bench

Wood Bench Plans

Intruders Detected

Building a Jewellery bench - Custom DIY | Martin Dolan's Sci-Fi Sculptur... http://www.marty.com.au/sci-fi-gallery/jewellery/287-building-a-jewelle...

1 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM

Quantum Entanglement

sci-fi art work

movie time

science art fiction

new trailer watch alien

district jewellery love

moon sculpture metal

movies world travel

bench people amazing years

artwork aliens bit video life

let book film

Thermal Scanner

We have 31 guests online

The keys to success in any project you are about toembark on: Do research, interview the experts andremember, people LOVE to talk about themselves.

I have used this technique more times than I can count in my years as a business coach. It is amazing and so much fun.

Armed with amazing ideas and a tape measure, I was off tothe local hardware store...

So now armed with amazing ideas and a tape measure, I was off to the local hardware store to look around and see what materials

would be most suitable. With most of my artwork this is a stage where I get more ideas and virtually build the project in question in

my head. I have never been one for drawing things out on paper apart from a few rough measurements. Being able to build things

in my mind step by step, I can see the correct order to do things so I don't paint myself into a corner. If I do see a design issue, I just

mentally take the project apart back to that point and redesign it. This skill served me well in designing and fault finding computer

networks over my 15 years in the computer industry.

Please enjoy from this point the pictorial journal of the build, with lots of notes, and if you feel inclined to build your own jewellers

bench, feel free to use my ideas or ask any questions you like.

...All images can be clicked to enlarge...

This is the area where I wanted to buildthe jewellery bench

It needed to be out of the way, so I chose the right-most window section. The middle

section is where I usually do my electronics and soldering work for my art and

sculpture.

There are two problems I would need to sort out. Firstly the poor light in this area. It is

either so bright coming in the window you can't see what you are doing, or it is too dark

as the ceiling light is dim and also hangs behind where I sit, so I am always casting a

shadow on my work. The second problem is that the existing bench is quite high and spans the length of the wall to the point where

it is built in each end. I do not wish to cut into it. The jewellers bench I build will need to be "built in" and also removable without a

trace.

Best wood to use for benchtop?

I bought a solid pine door from the hardware store (on the left in photo) and also had a

hardwood benchtop (to the right) that had been removed when I remodeled the kitchen.

After weighing up the pros and cons of each, I decided while the hardwood benchtop

would prove to be more durable, it was not quite deep enough and had developed a

large crack in the middle after being left outside in the elements for over a year - so time

to start measuring up the pine.

My father, James Dolan, had me memorise an important saying when I was young.

"Measure twice, cut once"

I have also learnt that you can cut something shorter but not longer, so I measure

MANY times, and always err on the side of cutting a bit larger than I need. Later during

this project, after building up my confidence, I started cutting the CORRECT size the first

time. It is a lot quicker and beats the hell out of having to plain or file every second thing

down to size. I also discovered the joy of wood filler, so even if I did screw up, and cut

something a bit small, it was not a total disaster...

Eeek... the first cut, no turning back now!


2 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM

The basic shape starts to form - and I keep in mind that I will need to relocate that powerpoint. My jewellers interviews gave me

some good advice on the actual bench top height.

The fun and challenge of mudbrick walls

The mudbrick walls in my house look fantastic, but are a real challenge if you want something to fit flush up against them. Solution,

make a cardboard template of the wall profile, and cut to that... Takes a while to do this but looks outstanding in the end, and you

don't have to worry about tools and things rolling off the side of the bench into a mini black hole.

Planning the arc and bench pin area

Next step is to plan out the arc for the jewellery work area and bench pin. When I was interviewing jewellers, the depth and

width of the arc was a good topic for debate. I weighed up all the pros and cons from the discussions I had, and made my choice.

Keeping in mind the "measure twice, cut once" rule. Even though, I did need to modify this later...

The next step was to build a base for the bench and give it some decent structural integrity. At this point I could start on draws etc,

as I knew the width of the workbench would not change due to wobbles. I used the plastic 'tongue' from tongue and groove wood

panels as runners for the draws. They work fantastic, and also can be screwed in a bit 'bunched up' to provide some spring to grip

the draws.

Also a great time to have a beer. Thirsty work this carpentry! Don't you love my Family Guy stubbie holder?

Up to now I had been using a friends circular saw. The teeth were damaged, and I think the bearings were shot - It was a struggle to

even hold the thing, let alone cut a straight line due to the intense vibrations when it was turned on. So off to the hardware store to

buy my own saw. Being a gadget freak, I chose the saw with a laser pointer. It was amazing, this new saw cut through wood like a

hot knife through butter.


3 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM

...and dude, my circular saw has frickin' lasers! Pew! Pew!

Added a "back" to the bench to stop things getting pushed through the glass window behind. I also started on the scraps tray. Much

better quality than the other three draws - Really starting to get the hang of this carpentry lark...

Jewellery design needs good lighting...

More intentional wobbly cuts to match the mudbricks. I am

getting bloody good at doing these... (it's still a pain in the ass to

do though!)

This part will form a box to mount a powerpoint above the

bench. There will also be a switch for the light that will be

installed above the bench.

You can see where I used my circular saw to carve out a

channel for the wiring - fun but I think it could be an excuse to

buy a router too...

I have also mounted a powerboard under the bench.

Jewellers tool shelf and anvil

Building the final slide out shelf, and Yep, I have been back to the hardware store and

purchased a router.

Unfortunately I could not find one with lasers.

I can not begin to express how much fun a router is... I had never used a router before.

I started with a little practice, re-cutting the wiring channels as those areas are hidden

from view so no big deal if I made a mess. When I had got the hang of the router, I

routed out a section for a metal plate jewellers anvil to go at the bottom that can be used

for hammering metal etc.

I was very impressed with the way the last slide-out shelf turned out - feeling very comfortable with carpentry now...


4 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM

As I mentioned earlier, I had to change the angle of the "arc" cutout for the bench pin as

I had not really allowed enough elbow room on the left. Once modified I could then

mount the bench pin in the middle of the jewellers bench. This area was routed

out to allow for a a 6mm steel plate. It would help anchor the bench pin and also give

another area for hammering, heating etc without damaging the working surface. I have

also added a strip of wood on the left and the back, again to prevent things rolling off

and running away.

The sanding and staining process has also begun.

Securing the bench pin

While drilling out the holes in the steel plate, I

snapped about three drill bits. I welded one of

these onto a bolt to form a 'T' handle, and also

welded a corresponding nut to a small steel

plate. This will be the mounting method for

the bench pin. As you can see I have routed

out a hole for this, so when the screw is

turned, the bolt pushes up against the bench

pin, and pushes the pin into the metal plate

above, thus wedging it in place. The red paint

is just to coat the steel so it will not go rusty. ...and I had more red paint than any other spare...

Protecting the jewellers bench & other finishing touches

Everything gets two coats of varnish over the wood stain. This will give a professional finish and also drastically improve the

strength and durability of the benchtop.

Next was to build a footrest. This was needed as I could not change the height of the existing bench that the jewellers bench was

sitting on top of. And it was much too high.. Now I have the right height stool, and my legs are not hanging in the air. The footrest

has a notch so that the stool can be pushed all the way under the jewellers workbench when not in use.

A few finishing touches - like a pliers rack.

Another revelation that came out of my

jewellers interviews was that while almost

everyone used a piece of coat hanger wire for

hanging their pliers, they ALL complained how


5 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM

ReplyReplyReplyReply

Tuesday, 29 November 2011 02:45

(Ben) said:

Tuesday, 29 November 2011 12:20

Martin Dolan said:


Saturday, 06 August 2011 14:50

(kathy) said:

it gets tangled in the springs of their tools.

To prevent this happening to me, I used a 2cm

wide strip of steel. I welded it up and slapped

on a coat of black paint for protection.

Perfect!

Let there be light!

...and finally to finish mounting my light above the jewellers bench. Ta-dah!

Well, That is about it for now. No doubt there will be more modifications to come as needs become

apparent through use. So far it has met all the objectives and requirements I had.

It was also lots of fun to make, and a great excuse to buy a few more powertools...

You can never have enough powertools...

...or frickin' lasers... Mwahahaha!

Many thanks to Ruby Tuesday Jewellery, Warrandyte and Magenta Creative Jewellery , Eltham for several visits and lots of

questions about their jewellery benches, work areas and the jewellery industry in general.

If you have any questions, or would like any advice for your own jewellersbench if you decide to make one, feel free to leave a comment!

Tags: Jewellery Mixed Media

Comments (6)

Thank you for sharing this, its amazing helpful. One question I had was how easy it is to find a

solid pine door? I have called some timber merchants and have been told that most actually are

not 100% solid, so you can't cut into them without the door collapsing. Can you offer any advice?

Hey Ben,

Well, if you are in Australia, try Bunnings. That's where I got mine. Bunnings is a big general

hardware chain.

internal doors are usually hollow, but external doors are generally solid.

When I say "solid pine" door its not one piece of timber, but actually laminated.

- so lots of smaller bits about 15cm x 5cm x 5cm - which is good, as it means it wont warp etc.

Hope this helps, Warmly, Matry

hi, very nice unit, I thought I was going to have a hard time finding a bench that I could put in that

would look nice- yours is great. I wonder if I could ask you if you have done a closet for materials

as well? thank you for publishing this, Kathy


6 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM


Saturday, 05 February 2011 07:44

(Sue) said:

Saturday, 05 February 2011 11:44

Martin Dolan said:


Monday, 09 August 2010 05:02

(James Allen) said:

Monday, 09 August 2010 08:38

Martin Dolan said:

I was wondering if you can give me any advice on the arc size, shape..I am making a top for mine

and was going to make a smaller arc in the center as it is a teacher's desk size..but now seeing

the large arc open shape of yours i am wondering if that is ok

Hi Sue,

The first piece of advice I would give is that you can always make the arc in your jewellery bench

bigger, but you can't easily make it smaller

As you probably read, the first cut out I made was a little cramped - so I made it larger. Even

though it was about twice the size of the cut outs at school.

Not knowing the size of your bench (I am imagining that it is about the size of the ones at school) I

would say that you want to have enough elbow room, but also have enough room on the bench

top so that you can put things. If for example you are using a torch, you want enough room for your

heat proof brick etc. and a bit of clearance for the flame.

So if you are going to experiment a bit, make it on the smaller side if you are not sure. Keep in

mind too that cutting out too much might have an effect on the core strength of your bench top.

The size I went for was about 75cm wide and 30 or so deep... That way I could have a 'flat part' at

the back of the arc where the peg and the steel plate is - mainly because cutting an arc in a steel

plate would be more trouble than its worth!

Perhaps draw the arc on your jewellery bench top in pencil, including the 'peg' and then get one of

your bigger files and ask your self

'If I was using this file would there be enough room between the peg and the side of the arc? or

would the bench top get in the way?"

I hope this helps.

Feel free to ask more questions if you need

Warmly, Marty

Hi there,

Very well executed! I am about to embark on making a bench for myself and this will be very

helpfull for reference. My question is, do you regret using Pine for the top, I am thinking that a hard

wood such as oak might be better but i'm on a budget and pine would be so much cheaper.

No problems what so ever with the pine. I know pine is a softer wood, however I have that metal

plate on top if I want to whack away at something, and when using the torch it is always on heat

resistant blocks....

The bench will get marks on it over time (added character)

I think the advantage of pine is that:

- The piece I used is laminated (made up of lots of shorter sections - which you can see in one of


7 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM


Tuesday, 11 May 2010 18:04

(Marcus) said:

Wednesday, 12 May 2010 07:36

Martin Dolan said:


Wednesday, 31 March 2010 12:12

(Jenny) said:

Add your comment

Your name:

Your email:

the photos) so that it will never warp.

- I was actually a thick pine door so its DEAD FLAT

- Price As you pointed out...

- As it is a little softer it absorbs the vibrations a little

- Pine is easier to work with - I have since started making something else out of a harder wood (as

its going out in the garden) and if you try and do routing and curved cuts, it can tend to crack off

along the grain...

In summary, it's a workbench, and a lot of the benches I have seen during my interviews/research

of jewellers in jewellery shops look like they have gone 12 rounds with a combine harvester... No

matter what they have been made of...

Glad that you found some good ideas from my bench.

Make sure you send me some photos of your bench, and I will put them up on here!

Warmly, Marty

What do you use for cutting on your jewellery bench? The benchpeg or something else?

Love the science fiction art by the way

Hey Marcus,

Thanks for the complement.

I have a wood bench peg for working the metal, and just the other day added a metal cutting peg.

It is a piece of 5mm steel, about 5.5 inches long (sorry to mix up the metric and imperial there!)

with the typical "V" cut out.

It is attached to the left of the wood bench peg, and can be swivelled out of the way when not in

use.

I will grab a photo and upload it in the next day or so...

I already have a jewellers bench, but I love your idea for the pliers holder. Will have to make one of

those ASAP

Thank you for sharing!

Jen


8 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM

Comment:

PostPostPostPost PreviewPreviewPreviewPreview

I am enough of an artist to draw freelyupon my imagination. Imagination ismore important than knowledge.Knowledge is limited. Imaginationencircles the world.Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

Womb with a View: SciFi ArtificialWomb Sculpture

SciFi Sculpture of an alienartificial womb with human

clone baby inside.Updated!

In 2871 a survey ship, the CASPIN IV encountered a

faint signal beacon while charting systems at the edge

of the explored Galaxy. Upon closer investigation, they

found a derelict craft of unknown origin in a decaying

orbit around the moon of...

Click through to read on and see updated pictures!

Read more...

Looking for something and can't find it? View the Sitemap | Use the Contact us page if you have questions or comments about this web site.

mArty Gallery™, Sculptures from Another place, Another time™ and the mArty Gallery device logo are trademarks of Martin Dolan & mArty Gallery

Artwork, photos, logos and stories and all other content are © Martin Dolan & mArty Gallery unless otherwise stated

Copyright © 1999 - 2009 mArty Gallery. All rights Reserved. We are serious. We sue!

How To Make A Bench

Save on how to make a bench. Great durable work benches here!SuppliesIndustrial.net


9 of 9 4/15/2012 2:57 AM

building a jewellery bench - custom diy martin dolan's sci-fi sculpture and science fiction art...

Documents