Tool Tip - Bench Brushes

by Judy Larson

Any time a filing, sanding, or grinding mess is made on my desktop, it needs to be cleaned up. Even when I use a dust collecting box, some of the particles end up on my work surface.

Instructions

A large bench brush is an essential tool to clean up those messes and gets used often during every work session so I keep it handy, along with a dust mask and safety glasses.

Judy Larson's Tool Tip - Bench Brushes - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Filing, Finishing, bench brushes

After sweeping my work surface (a cutting mat used by quilters) I will use sanitizing wipes (we all have them since stocking up a bit at the beginning of the pandemic) or a wet sponge to clean away any fine dust that is left. Besides wiping down my work surface, all the other surfaces in my work-room (the laundry room) are wiped down as well.

I save all my silver scrap and silver dust. Because I do not want it to be contaminated, I use two brushes dedicated for use just with silver. The large bench brush takes care of the larger particles, but I am surprised at how much is missed when I go back over the surface with the smaller brush.

My work surface is not a traditional jewelers workbench so does not have a sweeps drawer. It is an old partners desk rescued many years ago from a store remodel. I use it when I sew, scrapbook, and do art projects as well as make jewelry. When I saw out silver pieces, I put a plastic shoebox in my lap to collect silver particles as they fall. Any other silver particles created during sawing are swept into the box using the small bench brush. Every so often, I go through the box and pick out larger silver bits-I missed one here. The dust can be melted down, or it can be used as is in projects, as in those earring pieces seen here where it was fused to metal discs.

Other brushes used on my workbench are two I inherited from my watchmaker father-in-law, and an old toothbrush. The middle one is just like the smaller bench brush above, but smaller. The other two have stiffer bristles. A divided craft/hobby store box keeps everything I use often within reach on my work surface.

Materials

14 Gauge Dead Soft Argentium Silver Sheet - 6 Inches

H19-14SM6

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
Price: $159.88
Gold Club Price: $119.91

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Tools

2/0 Relentless Sawblade - Sold by the Dozen

SAW-400.05D

SAW-400.05D
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $3.97
Gold Club Price: $2.98

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4 Saw Frame with Tension Screw

SAW-334.00

SAW-334.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $21.97
Gold Club Price: $16.48

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Glasgow Bench Brush

BRS-359.04

BRS-359.04
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $7.95
Gold Club Price: $5.96

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Large Bench Brush

BRS-969.10

BRS-969.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $8.95
Gold Club Price: $6.71

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Safety Glasses

G21-1

G21-1
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $2.97
Gold Club Price: $2.23

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Category: Tools
Technique(s): Filing / Finishing

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!