Any Professional Jewelers On Here?

[TXAG]

I need help making an item for my own personal use (I won't be selling them)...I'd like to talk to someone that is familiar with dapping. If you don't know what that is, then you probably aren't who I need to talk to. (Not trying to be a jerk, but it's true...I need someone that has done this before...preferably several times).

Anyway, the item I will be making will be silver and will have a gold emblem soldered onto it.

If you are familiar with dapping and can help me, please send me a PM. Thanks...

[mikesmith648]

Try Scott Somerlatte on FB........he is local to Tx and does wonderful work

[TXAG]

I appreciate the tip...hopefully he'll be willing to advise me...due to the emblem I'll be putting on it, I will have to make it for myself. I talked to a guy here local to us and told him exactly what I wanted...even sending him a very detailed drawing...and he basically ignored what I wanted, drew up some different crap he wanted to make instead (it looked absolutely horrid...like some kind of crap you'd get out of one of those .50 kiddie machines in a grocery store!)...and then he has the nerve to tell me he was going to try to get $300 for it -- get this -- ON TOP OF MATERIAL COSTS.

I reiterated that that was NOT what I'd described or asked for and I wasn't going to pay him $300 + silver and gold to make the stupid thing he 'designed'.

Sorry for rambling... I basically came to the conclusion I'd just make the doggone thing myself... I am very handy with tools, torches, etc. so I'm sure I can do it...just need some general guidance on the techniques and what order to do things in.

Edited October 8, 2013 by TXAG

[camano ridge]

I am not a proffesional jeweler, however I make some of my conchos. I am q1uite familiar with dapping block and dapping as well as hard and silver soldering. I may be able to help. Feel free to PM me with questions and I will see if I can help. There is also a PDF tutorial for making conchos that might help you. I have attched it in case you have not seen it before. Here is a picture of a blankconcho I just finished, I am getting ready to do a little engraving on it.

concho tut pdf.pdf

[TXAG]

That is awesome...thank you so much! I will read the tutorial first and then PM with questions.

Thanks again!!!

[TXAG]

I need to clarify -- I am not looking for a jeweler to make this item for me. I will be doing it myself...what I need is information and guidance from those familiar with the processes I'll use (dapping being the primary one) to make this item on my own...by myself.

I've already tried going the "custom jewelry" route and it was an absolute disaster -- I won't be doing that again...probably ever... (It seems that what really happens is they ask you what you want, you give them a very detailed drawing outlining EXACTLY what you want it to look like, the size, etc. and then they come back with some sort of horse #### that you wouldn't pay $2.00 for and they want to charge you $300 PLUS MATERIALS to make it...I am just not going to go through that headache anymore...I'm tired of it and I won't do it.)

...in fact, with any luck, I will get good enough at it to put a dent in those people's businesses (the ones that want to do what they want to do and couldn't care less what the CUSTOMER actually wants...THOSE jewelers... )

Finally, I would like to note that when my parents went to have custom jewelry made, their jewelers actually LISTENED to what they wanted and made the pieces exactly as they wanted them. I don't know what in the heck has gotten into the jewelers I've talked to here lately, but it's irritating how arrogant and uncooperative they are. Maybe they are better elsewhere, but...I'm not paying any $300 plus materials to make something that should cost $50 at most (along with me supplying my own materials).

Edited October 9, 2013 by TXAG