[Jewelry making - Article 00615] - Re: [Orchid] Casting Procedures Around the World

[Neil George]

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Ariella,

    Here are my thoughts on the matter, 

>      1) Do you assume that there will always be rejects and just order
>     a certain number more than you need and keep the rejects? If so,
>     how do you factor the extra costs into the final piece of
>     jewellery? 

    A 2-5% cull or reject rate is acceptable by most enterprises. The
    way I used to do it when I was in the casting business, was to
    deliver the 100 pieces and I personally would add the amount I felt
    was reasonable into the mix, depending on the type of piece I was
    dealing with. If all 100 looked good, they went to the customer. If
    by any chance a couple of pieces where a problem, I would the swap
    them out. No questions asked. Once the customer gave me the green
    light that he/she had what they needed, the extra pieces went back
    into the melt. Nothing for you as a customer to factor as a loss into
    your pricing. If the caster feels that he needs to get paid a little
    more, he should tell you up front. However, I never did this. In my
    opinion, I am not going to give you a discount on labour because the
    job was easy, but I am not going to charge you extra either when a
    job requires that little extra effort. Swings and roundabouts. 

>         2) Do you give the rejects back to the caster and expect to
>     have those pieces recast until they are "perfect"? If so, how many
>     times is reasonable before you start paying extra? 

    It's the casters job to deliver to you the best work that they are
    capable of doing in my opinion. If that individual is incapable of
    delivering to you decent castings, and consistent from one cast to
    the next, then you need to find another caster. Why should you pay
    for the incompetent procedures of a Company or individual. 

>         3) When I pointed out some "rejects" to my caster here in
>     Israel, he said that casting isn't always perfect (which I know)
>     and that if I wanted for example 100 perfect pieces I should pay
>     him for 200 and he will cast 200 and then sort out the 100 that are
>     perfect. Does anyone work this way? 

    Technically he is telling you that he expects a 50% cull rate. My
    advice to you is run like hell. He is charging you, for his lack of
    skill and knowledge regarding the casting solution. His job is to
    deliver to you what you order and that is 100 pieces. Nothing more
    and nothing less. Granted some pieces because the master model has
    problems, may require a little extra work at the wax level or even
    the casting level. But as a Caster he should know how to get around
    these issues. 

Best Regards.
Neil George
954-572-5829

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