I recently took a stone setting course where we practiced on brass
settings. All types, prong, cluster, channel. I would love to find a
source for these settings. The instructor said he has them made
special. Is there anyone out there who knows of a source. I need the
practice.
Thanks, Doug
I recently took a stone setting course where we practiced on brass settings. All types, prong, cluster, channel. I would love to find a source for these settings. The instructor said he has them made special. Is there anyone out there who knows of a source. I need the practice.
I’d second the call for brass or even sterling practice blanks that
didn’t require the rigmarole of Stuller’s insane qualification
processes.
Thanks,
Dana Whitehorn-Umphres
Birdfish Designs, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Dana
Wherever you find those designs, have them cast in Sterling Silver.
This metal is so forgiving, especially for the novice. I always cast
in silver, again it’s a confidence builder. The metal is lot’s
softer, than HARD brass. After you finish the setting, you can
refine and melt it back again and cast up more. Once you finish the
brass rings, you loose the metal fee, finishing fee. When ordering
the silver, ask the caster to “magnetic tumble” the mountings. I use
the same finishing method in my many setting classes, where ever I
go…
Gerry Lewy!
Hi All;
I’m in the process of making prototypes for a number of different
setting styles to mold so I can teach one of my employees setting.
I’ll keep you all posted. I’d like to produce a quantity of them in
brass, as I think that will have the closest working characteristics
to 14 karat gold without a lot of cost. It’ll probably be a month
before I get it done considering my present work load.
David L. Huffman
ask the caster to "magnetic tumble" the mountings.
Gerald please explain to me the practice of “Magnetic Tumbling”
Sam.
Dana,
I'd second the call for brass or even sterling practice blanks that didn't require the rigmarole of Stuller's insane qualification processes.
Stuller is so huge that getting something like this done has to go
through so much red tape that it’s like dealing with the government.
No offense intended. Have you tried some other places like Overnight
Mountings? They cast some of their own settings and perhaps they
could help you out. Another thought is New York Findings. They job
out their casting to others and may be able to get some custom cast
for you. Good luck.
James S. Cantrell CMBJ
Stuller is so huge that getting something like this done has to go through so much red tape that it's like dealing with the government.
Not to defend Stuller, but to try and get the comprehension rate
higher, think of it this way.
You need a car part, you know that the wholesale distributor has the
best price, so you call and ask to buy a part, they say who are you,
do you have a resale license, you say no, they tell you to get the
part at Pep Boys or Checker auto parts, ect. If you wanted a special
part made, you ask the wholesaler, they tell you to go to the
machine shop.
Stuller does not have red tape. Stuller actually has a market it
serves, it is people who make a living making and selling jewelry.
These people understand the requirements and meet them as a normal
matter of course of doing business. They are not selling supplies to
learn on for hobbyists and wanna be’s. That is not their goal or
their market.
Companies that can supply practice setting are Tripp’s and Rio, and
the settings would be sterling silver.
If you are going to be in this business, I would suggest getting use
to practicing and ruining things as a matter of course, as the only
way to learn is to make mistakes, and there is a learning curve.
Most countries do not have brass practice setting to learn on. They
would have to make a setting, and learn by screwing it up, and
having to make another one. Learning curve much shorter.
Solder, file, set, Richard Hart
My Orchid friend…Sam Trump
“Magnetic Tumbling” is a well known process where fine steel "shots"
or beads of steel are put into a hard plastic container. All of the
new castings are placed into this receptacle, and again, placed on a
flat plate. With the aid of the steel shots are added cleaning
solutions that ‘aid’ the tumbling and cleaning process. UNDER and in
this ‘Flat plate’ is a strong magnet that revolves around in a
circle. The strong magnetic ‘attracts’ the steel shots, and tumbles
the rings and other items with the steel shots over and over again.
This tumbling action IN THE PLASTIC container will give a satisfactory
shine to he new castings. Many new casting companies supply this
service as an added bonus to its customers. Also, many jewelry
companies have elected to use this method prior to the delicate
pre-polishing and finishing.
The rotary tumbling action in a overnight process took literally
overnight. But this ‘almost’ new process takes only 1/2 hour
maximum!!! Rotary tumbling creates a waste of time, waste of
electricity, but it still does not compare to the 'magnetic tumbling’
process of today. This new method will allow steady watching to its
completion, by the administrator, all during this tumbling process.
Have I cleared the air on this topic? Gerry Lewy!..:>)
Hi Dana, You can find hundreds of brass, copper and steel settings
at Wolf Myrows in Providence R.I. Some are vintage! Helen in Ct.
Skip Stuller and go to WR Cobb in Rhode Island. Stuller just buys
from Cobb and marks everything up. I hate Stuller’s snootiness. I
want to buy materials, not beg for them. Bypass Stuller’s and maybe
they’ll learn some humility lessons.
Brian Corll
Vassar Jewelers
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Tel.: (717) 691-0286
Dear Gerald thank you for putting me straight on the magnetic
tumbling, I have printed this off so that I do not have to search my
computer files when I need it again.
I am so pleased at the response and interaction of the "Orchid"
members, I only joined one week ago and already have had much fun and
increased my knowledge, although it has added at least an hour to the
time I sit at my computer.
Sam.
I have had people come in my store and try to buy something and they
want to use their resale license and not pay tax. They are not
buying it for resale, they are buying it for personal use. That is
not the purpose of a resale license, to cheat on tax, and implicate
me in their fraud. It is offensive to me that they assume I want to
be a party to this behavior. People who complain about Stuller remind
me of these people.
I have used Stuller a minimum of 2000 times over twenty years. I
have not had any problems, and I have posted several times that they
have the most comprehensive supply of gems and findings of any
company in the U.S, and in my opinion the most knowledgeable and
courteous sales staff. Because of my wife’s health problems, I got so
disorganized I lost a package with 11 princess cut precious topaz. I
found it and called and they allowed me to return them because it
was still under a year (by a few days!). Try that with any other
company. Over the last two or three years I remember only one issue a
member of this board had that I remember, and it was Sun Spirit
Gallery in Loveland Colorado. I do not understand the comment about
red tape. I do not understand :
I hate Stuller's snootiness. I want to buy materials, not beg for them. Bypass Stuller's and maybe they'll learn some humility lessons."
There is no fact in these comments, no specific issue. There is
opinion. To me it is slander and maligning to say such things. People
ask for help on this forum, and I do not hear people trying to
resolve issues with Stuller. I hear that people resent Stuller’s
policy. Another jeweler feels the same as me and replied that
Stuller’s policy supports jewelers. They run their business in a way
that limits who has access to these supplies, so they are truly a
wholesale supplier.
The part about teaching Stuller humility lessons is truly laughable.
Gotta go now…ordering pearl posts for Tahitian pearls, bail for
the pendant, and a men’s ring for a 10 x 8 oval aquamarine. 24 hour
online ordering is such a pleasure…overnight next day delivery for
under $10…makes my life sooooo much easier.
My opinion that no professional is sympathetic to the whining about
Stuller. My experience has been that Stuller has always been
proactive in resolving any problem I have had. I have always been
nice to them, and they have always been nice to me.
Richard Hart
Richard,
Stuller, however, is intrusive in the amount of they
want you to provide. They can get all of that info from the credit
agencies like Experian. They just don’t want to pay for it. They’d
rather get it from you for free. In my mind, all they need is my
sales tax number and my EIN for my corporation, and they can go
fetch.
Brian Corll
Vassar Jewelers
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Tel.: (717) 691-0286
Brian,
Stuller, however, is intrusive in the amount of they want you to provide. They can get all of that info from the credit agencies like Experian. They just don't want to pay for it. They'd rather get it from you for free. In my mind, all they need is my sales tax number and my EIN for my corporation, and they can go fetch.
I have never heard of any company that will “fetch” info (other than
the C.I.A., F.B.I?) under the circumstances presented in your post.
Sounds like some conspiracy theory. Stuller asks for what it needs
for verification. Period. Just about as simple as simple can be. It
is just about the business of doing business.
Do you have any concept of how many jewelry business’s use Stuller,
without the conceptual (mentally created) issues presented on this
forum.
You think Stuller has an secret agenda, a corporate vendetta, a
clandestine operation foisting itself upon the unsuspecting
unwitting masses to have some control or make an extra buck off
them?
When a person has resistance to something, usually there is
something going on psychologically that may not have anything to do
with what they state their issue is. Especially when a system is
used for twenty years, by tens of thousands of people.
What are you going to do when you get Patriot Act paper work from a
supplier? I have gotten it from several of my suppliers. In my mind,
seems that registering under the patriot act should give you at
least as much of a mental wedgie as this Stuller business.
Sometimes I tell my employees that I appreciate creativity, but in
some instances I just want them to do what I want the way I want.
Seems like you will be at odds with Stuller until you see things
their way, or until you really need something from them, when it will
cost you money to not acquiesce. But that is just my opinion…and
sometimes the point of all this, to me, is just to experience how
different people perceive the same Quite fascinating, is
it not?
Richard Hart
Stuller, however, is intrusive in the amount of they want you to provide. They can get all of that info from the credit agencies like Experian. They just don't want to pay for it. They'd rather get it from you for free. In my mind, all they need is my sales tax number and my EIN for my corporation, and they can go fetch.
Sorry Brian,
but is it not you volonteering to become a customer? Why should they
spend office time to gather all the (cost or no cost)
you already can provide when contacting them? I tend to agree with
Richard, you’re (figure of speech, not you) the one catering to their
business and they are stictly business focusing to provide
professionals with professional service thereby excluding “the one
off-walkby-might want to buy if we haggle alot” as waste of time.
Time they can spend on pros.
michaela
Richard,
I hate Stuller’s snootiness. I want to buy materials, not beg
for them. Bypass Stuller’s and maybe they’ll learn some humility
lessons."
There is no fact in these comments, no specific issue. There is opinion. To me it is slander and maligning to say such things. People
Opinion is not slander. Anyone is entitled to an opinion. You’re
entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to openly attack
someone for expressing their opinion and insinuate that they are
breaking a law of some sort simply because you don’t agree with that
freedom of expression. You’re taking it much too far my friend, and
it sounds to me like you’re getting lathered over a trivial matter.
Accusing someone of “slander and maligning” isn’t in the Dale
Carnegie course. If you want to pay too much to buy from Stuller, go
ahead. Why bug the rest of us because we don’t happen to think
they’re wonderful people and we know better companies (in our
personal opinions) to buy from ? If we don’t happen to like the
company (and I’ve met people with decades of experience in the
jewelry industry who don’t like them), it’s our prerogative to state
the reasons why and buy elsewhere. This is the way the market (all
markets) work. Let the buyer choose, casting a critical eye.
Brian Corll
Vassar Jewelers
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Tel.: (717) 691-0286