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Events and News |
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April 2008 News: Lee Marshall to show saws in the Gesswein Booth at the JCK show at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada May 30th.
Also Robyn Hawk Reviews Bench Jewelers and Suppliers Conference in Southern California: Click here to read her comments about our product demos in her latest blog March 2008 News: Tucson Show Highlights Saw Uses Click to Read Robyn’s Tucson Blog
Robyn Hawk wrote:
“You can see the excitement in the face of the girl that is using it! This was her first jewelry class and she thought she would have to use the precut forming dies because she just couldn't "get" piercing! She tried - one more time - with the Knew Concept Saw and just went nuts cutting out her own die shapes! In fact my friend bought the classroom model! You’re Welcome and Thanks Robyn! December 2007 News: Knew Concepts and Mr. Lee Marshall are a MJSA Innovation Award Winner for the Blanking Die Saw. Check out the latest online publication of the MJSA Journal. Check out our write-up on JCKOnline! Read What People Are Saying: Lee Marshall Wins MJSA 2007 Innovation Award Add the Blanking Die Saw to Marshall ’s List of Products that Improve the Lives of Metalsmiths and Jewelers Chicago, IL – January 8, 2008: He’s done it again. Lee Marshall, the creator of the Bonny Doon line of metalsmithing equipment, has developed a new line of products that is already improving not only the productivity but the health of metalsmiths. The Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) has recognized one of the new products, a blanking die saw called the Precision Saw Guide 2, with a 2007 Innovation Award. As pleased as Marshall is to receive the industry recognition, the gratitude he’s receiving from his customers is what genuinely makes him happy. A long-time customer of Marshall’s, Jennifer Friedman of Ventura , California recently told Marshall , “Without your good work our bodies would be killing us. You do great work for us Lee.” You may not be aware of the daily bodily punishment metalsmiths endure. All four of the major causes of work-related back pain identified by the Mayo Clinic – force, repetition, posture, and stress – are of particular concern for metalsmithing jewelers. It takes a great deal of strength to cut, bend, and raise metal, and since 1990 Marshall’s hydraulic press line has been credited with enabling beautiful metal work while saving the backs of the artists who produce it. Another occupational hazard understood by all jewelers is the ubiquitous sternum dent. It’s the painful spot developed by all jewelers as they compress a saw frame between their chest and the bench to tighten every saw blade. This is just one of the problems solved by Marshall ’s Precision Saw Guide 2, on which the blade tensioning occurs by turning a knurled knob on the top of the upper blade clamp. The most aggravating problem jewelers experience when sawing metal is constant saw blade breakage. The Precision Saw Guide 2 significantly reduces blade breakage in two ways. First, the frame is designed for extreme rigidity, with vertical alignment incorporated into the frame itself. This rigidity ensures the blade will not deviate from perfect vertical alignment. Second, a brass hold-down pin prevents metal from binding and jumping - another cause of broken saw blades. The hold-down pin also provides guidance and support to the blade itself, allowing more pressure to be applied to the blade. Jim Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts in Bellingham , Washington and an MJSA Innovation Awards judge says, “The saw frame is in alignment with the work in such a way that you can make precision cuts by hand – cuts that previously were attainable only with a machine tool. This is a tool for someone like me - a small jewelry designer who is trying to do limited scale production but doesn’t have a lot of money to sink into tools.” Another exciting invention from Marshall is his Knew Concept Power Saw, specially designed for metalsmiths to make controlled cuts with safety, and with the slower speeds required to dissipate heat. Renowned artist Daniel Brush is using Marshall ’s power saw for his current body of work in 1/8” thick stainless. He reports, “Every time I’m with the saw I say the same thing to Olivia, my wife. I frankly don’t think I could make these pieces without this saw – not because of the time – but because of the smooth delivery. Cutting stainless by hand is like an ice-breaker going through Alaskan waters, choppy and irregular. This saw eliminates the inconsistency, and lets me cut a nice swath through the very mean waters.” What keeps Marshall , in his mid-70s and certainly successful enough to settle into a well-earned retirement, developing new equipment? He says, “I have a commitment to the jeweler/metalsmithing community, and I can provide them with tooling and equipment that is unavailable elsewhere. I was rattling around in semi-retirement when I noted that my used saws (of an older design) were commanding almost full price on the Orchid market (www.ganoksin.com). Clearly there is a need, so I decided to take another look at the Precision Saw Guide.” The Precision Saw Guide 2 is an excellent choice for the 2007 Innovation Awards. Innovation is best defined as the act of making improvements by introducing something new. The Precision Saw Guide 2 is an admirable example of this concept, improving both quality of product and quality of life for jewelers, and at a price ($385) all jewelers can afford. To see the Knew Concept line in action, go to www.knewconcepts.com and watch the demonstration videos. As Cynthia Eid of Cynthia Eid Designs commented: “I like this new saw frame so much that I have been using it even when I am not making a die. The angle of the handle is comfortable, and the blade-tightening mechanism is much nicer than pressing a saw frame between my chest bone and bench.. The saw frame has potential for appealing to all jewelers—whether they have need of the blanking die capability or not. As with many inspirations, this tool is brilliant in its elegant simplicity.” Thanks to everyone for their great comments and support!
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