In every field the top artisans have their favorite ways of solving common problems. Making a piece of fine jewelry is no exception. The work is intricate, but accomplished jewelers have a variety of techniques, special tools and shortcuts that are proven to save time and improve the quality of your work.This book is written as a resource for jewelers with skill levels from beginner through advanced. The bench tips come from Brad Smith's 17 years of experience in the jewelry industry, including a decade teaching hundreds of students. 101 tips are detailed and illustrated with closeup pictures as ready solutions for common problems at the bench. They include over 20 ways to save time when soldering and polishing, 8 common hazards to avoid, many ways to cut costs, 10 tips to improve stone setting skills, and the "Must-Have" tools for increasing productivity at the bench. Charles Lewton-Brain, Teacher, Author, Jeweler October 22, 2012 Post to Facebook Congratulations on your new book! I look forward to seeing a copy! Your tips here are excellent. ---------- Robyn Hawk, Jeweler and Social Media Expert January 9, 2013 Post to Facebook Bench Tips for Jewelry Making .....comes from years of experience. This little book will save you so much time and effort - why re-invent the wheel - Brad has already figured it out for you! From sources to recipes for patinas to tips for organizing that tangle of wire....and my favorite tip, his mobile flexshaft stand! BRILLIANT! Razine Wenneker, Saint Louis, MO Founder, The Society for Midwest Metalsmiths January 14, 2013 This small treasure covers a multitude of solutions to a myriad of issues facing the jewelry artisan. Cutting a bolt, drilling a gemstone, sanding tight spots, modifying pliers, testing for silver, identifying solder, easier prong setting., etc., are all there at one's finger tips. The easy to understand text and very good photographic black and white images makes this book quite self-explanatory. I would give Brad Smith a DM "Doctor of Metalsmithing" degree and top honors Florida Society of Goldsmiths, Winter Newsletter - Bruce Carlson This is a well written reference book by a very experienced studio jeweler and classroom instructor. ... The photographs and diagrams clearly point out the finer points of the various tips he demonstrates. ... Many of his tips include less expensive alternatives to commercially made products. ... His book is written with a subtle sense of humor that highlights the obvious pleasure he receives from both producing work and assisting his students in achieving their goals. Being a jewelry instructor, I've always been interested in adding good bench tips to my knowledge base. My students seem to find them helpful as well. As they grew in number and popularity, I realized they might be of interest to other jewelers and decided to publish them in book form. Brad Smith is a studio jeweler, lapidary, and jewelry instructor in Santa Monica, CA who enjoys working with silver, gold, exotic woods, bone, fossil ivory and meteorite. A long-time member of the Culver City Rock Club, Brad has taught lapidary skills, led field trips, organized gem and mineral shows, and served as club President. As a member and Vice President of the Metal Arts Society of Southern California, he has worked on their Board of Directors and organized workshops with visiting artists. He taught Advanced Jewelry in the Los Angeles school district for eight years, and since 2009 he has taught both beginner and advanced jewelry at the Santa Monica Adult-Ed Center.