CBJ Tools and Technology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the function of a drawplate in the jewelry studio?
- Holding work flat during soldering
- Reducing wire or tubing to a smaller diameter (Correct answer)
- Marking parallel scribe lines
- Polishing wire to a bright finish
Correct answer: Reducing wire or tubing to a smaller diameter
A drawplate is a hardened steel plate with tapered holes through which wire or tubing is pulled to reduce its diameter.
Question 2: Which type of pickle solution is most commonly used in US bench jewelry studios today?
- Sulfuric acid
- Sodium bisulfate (Sparex) (Correct answer)
- Hydrochloric acid
- Ferric chloride
Correct answer: Sodium bisulfate (Sparex)
Sodium bisulfate, sold as Sparex, is the standard safe acid pickle used to remove oxides and flux residue after soldering.
Question 3: A flex shaft motor running at too low a speed for a polishing operation will most likely cause:
- Overheating and discoloration of the workpiece
- Inadequate cutting action and smearing of the polishing compound (Correct answer)
- Breakage of the bur shaft
- Excessive vibration and chatter
Correct answer: Inadequate cutting action and smearing of the polishing compound
Polishing wheels and bobs require sufficient surface speed to cut the compound properly; too slow a speed smears rather than polishes.
Question 4: What is the primary advantage of an ultrasonic cleaner in a jewelry studio?
- It strips metal plating from unwanted surfaces
- Cavitation action removes dirt and polishing compound from complex geometries (Correct answer)
- It anneals metal without a torch
- It tests stone hardness non-destructively
Correct answer: Cavitation action removes dirt and polishing compound from complex geometries
Ultrasonic cleaners use high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles that dislodge contaminants from intricate areas.
Question 5: A ring clamp is used in bench work primarily to:
- Hold a ring steady while filing, setting, or engraving (Correct answer)
- Measure the inside diameter of a ring
- Clamp a ring in the pickle pot
- Secure a ring on a mandrel for sizing
Correct answer: Hold a ring steady while filing, setting, or engraving
A ring clamp provides a comfortable, secure grip on a ring shank during hand operations like filing, setting, and engraving.
Question 6: Which hammer is specifically designed for setting rivets and cold-joining metal without soldering?
- Chasing hammer
- Rivet hammer (riveting hammer) (Correct answer)
- Ball-peen hammer
- Planishing hammer
Correct answer: Rivet hammer (riveting hammer)
A rivet hammer has a narrow cross-peen face to spread metal precisely over a rivet pin without damaging surrounding areas.
Question 7: When using a torch, the 'reducing zone' of the flame refers to:
- The hottest, oxygen-rich outer cone
- The feathery zone just beyond the inner cone, which is fuel-rich and prevents oxidation (Correct answer)
- The area of the flame closest to the tip
- The cooling region at the very outer edge of the flame
Correct answer: The feathery zone just beyond the inner cone, which is fuel-rich and prevents oxidation
The reducing zone is the slightly fuel-rich area around the inner cone where oxygen levels are low, preventing metal oxidation during heating.
CBJ Tools and Technology 3
What is the function of a drawplate in the jewelry studio?