Whats on My Bench

Hello again, and welcome to this week's edition of Whats on My Bench. Today Kerry, our WanderingJeweler and fellow JET Team member, tells us about some of the tools on her workbench...

"
When people visit my studio, I get quite a few questions about the items on my workbench. I work with unusual materials to create my jewelry, and that requires some unusual tools and supplies. Here are some of the items I get the most questions about.

1. Hands down, I get the most questions about the hockey puck on my workbench! I use it, instead of wood scraps, for drilling. It works really well for drilling underwater, since it doesn't float and it doesn't dull my drill bits. I picked mine up at a sporting goods store, but if you're (un)lucky, one might fly past your head at a hockey game!


2. The second most asked about item on my workbench is the beeswax block. I use this to lubricate drill bits and saw blades, and I got mine at a local craft fair from a beekeeper. 


3. Nail files are the third most asked about item - I use them to file metal (and sometimes my fingernails get filed by accident). They come in many types of grits, and are great for getting into small spaces!
 


4. Next on the list would be the green scrubbies, which I use for cleaning metal and plastic tools. 


5. Last but not least on the list is my marker. This is one of my most versatile tools, and I use it for sketching, marking spots for drilling, and as a mandrel for creating ear wires. I usually don’t get questions about this one, until people see me making ear wires with it!"




Thank you very much Kerry for revealing the secrets of your toolkit - you certainly have an unusual selection of tools on your workbench!

Until next week,
Donna