How to Design a Jewelers Bench Room

Layout

• 1

  Divide a sheet of paper into five columns.

• 2

  Write down a list of each activity you perform in your jewelry making process in the first column. This may include bead stringing, wire wrapping, drilling, piercing, sawing, polishing, wax modeling, casting, pickling, forging, cloisonné or enamel work. Go through your process step by step to ensure you don't miss anything.

• 3

  Write down the equipment you need for each process in column two, in line with the process in column one. For example, bead stringing requires a flat work space and needles; casting requires far more equipment, including an investment table and flasks, a burnout oven, a furnace and crucibles, tongs, safety equipment and a centrifuge.

• 4

  Enter the materials you need for each activity in column three, such as beads, wire, plaster of Paris for casting investments, wax, silver casting shot and buffing compound. This is important because you will most likely want to store your work materials near the area where you use them.

• 5

  Estimate the size of the space you need for each activity, based on your data in columns two and three, and enter it in column four. For a beading area, you might want a 1.5-by-3-foot bench that includes storage drawers. A polishing area might require a smaller table with a wall shelf for storing buffing wheels and compounds. Enter any notes about what you want to put in that space in column five, such as storage areas or if an area for one activity can be shared with another.

• 6

  Measure the room you are using for your jeweler's bench, using a tape measure. Draw the shape of the room to scale by using a ruler to make each inch on your paper equal 1 foot of your room's space. For example, a room 9 feet wide and 12 feet long would be a 9-by-12-inch rectangle on your paper.

• 7

  Mark an "X" along each wall on your drawing where there is a power outlet, making the location as exact as possible.

• 8

  Sketch in your jeweler's bench and other equipment, according to the sizes you noted earlier. Place your bench and any other powered equipment near a power outlet, if possible. If you have high-power devices, such as a casting furnace, you may need a contractor to install additional circuits.

• 9

  Draw a few different options until you are happy with your layout. Make sure to leave at least 2.5 to 3 feet of space in any area where you will need to walk, stand or sit. Choose your favorite option for your room design.

Materials

• 10

  Choose flooring that is easy to clean and resistant to damage. Beaders any anyone who works with cool metal, such as if you perform only piercing or wire wrapping, can use laminate or linoleum flooring. If you cast or solder, opt for concrete or tile.

• 11

  Select heat-resistant wall materials near any high-heat areas, such as furnaces or soldering benches. Add sound-proofing to your walls if you forge metal, as this activity is very noisy.

• 12

  Add an industrial vent to collect dust and fumes if these are health concerns for your method of jewelry-making.

• 13

  Install bright, soft lighting overhead that covers each area of the room. Add desk or clip-on lamps to each work area for task lighting. Adjustable-arm lamps are best so you can move the lamp head to avoid shadows for detail work.

• 14

  Install a bench that is comfortable for you and offers the storage and working capacities you need. Benches with a slight overhang are best so you can clamp additional jeweler's work items, such as V-boards for piercing, to the edge of your bench.