For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m showing off a dust collecting system that has made my work environment MUCH safer and saves me money: the Bench Guru! As jewelers we NEED to protect ourselves from inhaling metal dust, polishing compounds and other harmful particles. Once you get metal dust in your lungs, it is there to stay. Prior to installing this I was using a 3M respirator mask however If I’m honest, I was not 100% about using it. Since upgrading to a Bench Guru I realize it is a game changer! The way it works is you install it to your bench (I have mine right under my bench pin) plug the Bench Shield in, and do your grinding and polishing right on it as it sucks all the dangerous dust into a recovery bag. A very important thing to note is that the install requires a few tools you might not have lying around, and depending on what type of bench you have you may need to take some extra steps to get it properly installed ( I created an IGTV video to show my process ) If you’re not a MacGyver you may find certain steps tricky but I assure you it’s worth it once you get it installed. I recommend getting both the BG-K002 PREMIUM PMRS® BENCH SHIELD KIT and the PMRS® Recovery Vacuum. While the Bench Guru is compatible with any shop vacuum I really like their vacuum (which is a separate purchase) because it’s quiet, compact and a breeze to use. Once you fill the vacuum bag you can send it off to the refiner and in time the system pays for itself and then some! There is no doubt that the Bench Guru is collecting metal that used to just go everywhere in my shop, and therefore is saving me money! The Bench Shield is also protecting my face! You can always wear your safety goggles too if you want to double down on the safety front! Since installing this I use it 100% of the time when I’m polishing with my flex shaft, it’s very quick to take it on and off and since I use a @grstools Benchmate System its quick to switch from my bench pin to the Bench Guru. Definitely adding this to the “Safety” section of my #tooltalktuesday website page so you can find links to purchase there! @benchguru is giving our community 10% off with code MSS10 #sponsored #metalsmithsociety