The jeweller's bench is the dedicated workstation at which most fabrication and repair operations of the goldsmith are performed. Its defining feature is a semi-circular cutaway in the front edge of the work surface, into which the worker sits, allowing close working of small pieces with both hands and with the elbows supported on the bench top. Below the cutaway, a leather catch tray collects filings, swarf, and dropped components for later sweeps and refining recovery.

Construction

A standard bench is between 90 and 110 centimetres in height, somewhat taller than a desk, so that the worker sits on a high stool with the upper arms relaxed at the shoulders and the eye-to-work distance suitable for use of a binocular loupe or bench microscope. The work surface is typically 60 to 90 centimetres deep and 80 to 120 centimetres wide. The cutaway in the front is 30 to 45 centimetres across at the worker, scribed in a smooth arc.

Mounted at the centre of the cutaway is the bench pin, a hardwood projection that supports the work during sawing, filing, and stone setting. The pin is replaceable and is shaped by the worker over time to suit specific tasks, with a vee notch for sawing and a flat surface for filing. Two side drawers, a central tool tray, and a row of rear shelf compartments are common, and most production benches are fitted with overhead lighting, a flexible task lamp, and a pendant motor or flexible-shaft hanger for rotary tools.

Variations

European workshop benches in the German and French traditions tend to be heavier and to integrate a melting and soldering area at one end. American benches are often modular, with a separate soldering bench used in series with the main fabrication bench. Diamond setting benches add a vice mount, a microscope arm, and additional task lighting. Watchmaker's benches share the cutaway design but are smaller and finer, with smaller drawers for the smaller scale of horological work.