Manufacturing
Jewelers and Suppliers of America will host a series of At the
Bench Live workshops, sponsored by Stuller,
beginning Saturday. All sessions are sponsored by Stuller and take
place at the ETS Pavilion in the Galileo Ballroom.

The series
begins tomorrow with Waste Not: Economical Repairs and Shop Practices,
from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. This session will demonstrate how retail
store owners can oversee and implement bench practices and policies that
result
in less metal waste and more economical repairs.

Creating
Custom Designs in Alternative Metals will take place tomorrow
afternoon from 1:30-3 p.m. Attendees will discover the benefits and
challenges of working with Damascus steel, palladium, and mokumé gane.

Sunday
workshops begin with Old Becomes New: Three Approaches to
Repurposing an Heirloom Gem, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MJSA Journal
created the “Old Becomes New” challenge, which asked several designers
for their takes on repurposing an art deco brooch. Attendees will hear
from three designers who took the challenge and discover how they
approached the project.

Working on Heirloom Jewelry: Recycle,
Repurpose, Rejuvenate, presented by Gary Dawson, Goldworks Jewelry
Art Studio, will be held 1:30-3 p.m. Participants will learn how best to
work on abused or neglected heirloom jewelry
by identifying the
challenges in such pieces, safely removing the gemstones, and recycling
or repurposing them to create modern jewels.

On Monday, Mastered
Models: Modifying Milled Waxes, by Kate Wolf, of Kate Wolf Designs,
Wolf Tools, will take place 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Attendees will
examine, evaluate, and revise milled wax models to ensure a smooth
casting.

The final session in the series will be Palladium Repairs
and Fabrication, 1:30-3 p.m., which will teach the proper preparation
and techniques for palladium.

JCK