So Happy with My New Jewellery Workbench

And Here It Is – My New Workbench Set-up

I actually went a little (a lot!) overboard with my workbench set-up, as you can probably tell from the photo.  I took the lazy way out and ordered the Workbench Starter Toolkit and Starter Soldering Kit, both from the Cookson Gold website.

The workbench and soldering kits have all the items mentioned above and more! The workbench kit includes a scribe (useful for marking metal), a steel ruler, a set of needle files and an anvil and bench pin! The soldering kit came with a soldering block and sheet, some hard, medium and easy solder, flux and pickling salts! I’ve used pretty much all of these things, so I think it was a pretty good investment.  And don’t forget to order safety goggles!!! I did exactly that and was quite frustrated about not being able to get stuck in straightaway.

Extras!

I’ve since added to my toolkit with bits that I’ve bought from Ebay and the Tools 4 Jewellery website – things like a ring mandrel, ball pein hammers, ring sizers, burnishers, bezel rollers and set-squares (all of which, I probably could have lived without!).  My big investment has been in a rolling mill (budget version from Cookson Gold), but which I absolutely love – I’ve used it once now to try to texture a ring! I’m looking forward to experimenting with various materials and seeing what textures I can imprint onto my jewellery.

(Separately, I can really recommend the suppliers that I’ve been using, particularly Cookson Gold and Tools 4 Jewellery. Both have really great customer service!)

While I was away last week, my husband set me up with a computer monitor. It’s attached to the wall and out-of-the-way. So now I can watch tutorials and follow instructions on-screen without having to balance my laptop.  He also bought me a desk-top lamp (with magnifier!) to light up my work. And did you see the cubby holes he’s organised for my equipment and books?

I’ve just treated myself to a Dremel 4000 multi-tool – I primarily bought it so I could drill holes into my metal to make pendants and to create bezels.  But I’ve since discovered that I can also use it to polish and finish my jewellery (which is great compared to the manual way I was doing it before) – and I have started to realise that there really is a fine art to finishing a piece.

A Proper Workbench

I did have a look at getting a proper jeweller’s workbench (complete with a drawer to catch falling bits of metal), but quickly realised that they are really expensive! So, for now, I’m using a computer workbench – the idea was that it has a sliding tray, which might work to catch pieces of metal.  Unfortunately, once I set-up the bench pin, I can’t get the tray out! So, my husband has made me a make-shift drawer out of an old flower-pot tray! It seems to be working for now!

So that’s my workshop – I’m all set-up and raring to go (and possibly a bit over-stocked, but at least I haven’t gone all out and got a pickling unit… yet).  Next, I have to get good at using this stuff to make the investment worthwhile! Stay posted to see how it pans out!