Have any of you glass experts been going after jewelery shops? all of the glass on the tops of their display cases get scratched from all the diamonds that move about.
seems like a possible goldmine for glass restoration
Iāve done a little bit of research, but I still have some questions Iām looking to get answeredā¦
-what/how are you charging these shops?
-how much are glass installers charging to replace these tops in your area?
-do you have any tips for this particular type of restoration? tips for securing these clients? and for the actual work?
Iām thinking that to be profitable, I would need to charge ~$6.50/sq ft. (based on 10-15 sq ft per hour, would yield ~$60-100/hr)ā¦ do you think this is a reasonable figure?
thanks, all. Iām really psyched about this possibility :D. there are quite a few high-end jewelery shops around here, especially in the malls, and Iād like to get some of these before the shopping season hits
most of the businesses ive talked with it cheaper to replace the glass. plus where are you doing the work in their shop. glass dust and polishing splater. Also the glass usually sit in a a case and the system would scratch up the chrome or metal housing the glass. If you bring the glass out side to the side walk or parking lot youve got a long thin pice of glass that could crack very easily and youve lost all profit. everyone thats called me about it once i describe what has to be done and how its done its not feasible and they stay with scratch top or get a new piece of glass.
I have done a number of display cases in my day. Doc is right, in some stores the glass is super cheap, however in the higher end jewelry shops the cases are super nice and the glass is not as cheap to replace. We have several GlassRenu users who focus just on Jewelry stores and make a good living doing it.
Tempering is a process that occurs after the glass is cut where they heat treat it for extra strength. Removing a small leyer wouldnt weaken it but actually strengthen the glass. Scratches in the glass cause break points. removing them removes the break point and actually makes the glass stronger with less material
Thanks Tony, very informative.
still doesnāt answer whether removing scratches from glass will restore its structural integrity, thoughā¦ I donāt want to make any claims I canāt back up.
right now Iām trying to put together a flier that I can give to shop owners later this week
lemme know if you guys have anything to add!
I think of it this way - when you want to cut a piece of glass to size you score it (read scratch) then break it by putting pressure on both sides of the score. The scratch is the weakest point in the glass. Remove it and you restore the strength.
well, I have a job to price now!
I cold-called a bunch of jewelry shops, almost all of them in the Holyoke Mall were corporate ownedā¦ . Then I tried something a little more local- a privately owned shop right here in Bratt. The owner was very interested :). Sheās had glass replacements before, and she wasnāt too pleased with the ordeal. One shop just couldnāt get the cuts right.
Anyway, she has 15 plates of glass that need restoration, with mostly superficial damage, but several deeper scratches here and there. the panes are all 4 feet long and between 18" and 22" wide. The glass is cheap (4.50/sq ft), and installation is dead simple, so I think I may be low-balling this one, simply because I need to get my name out there, and get some work pics and testimonialsā¦
any more advice/tips regarding this? Iām excited, but also very waryā¦
Hope this helps and there are pros and cons ofcourse. My 24 yrs experiance in glass service, 14 yrs glass shop owner, most qualified jewelry cases are utilizing anealled laminated glass consisting of (2) 1/8" thick anealled glass with .030 PVB interlayer. Same as your windshields in vehicles.
These jewelry stores prefer laminated glass due to the āsmash and grabsā which have always been subject too. Anealled glass (raw) and tempered (heat treated-5 times stronger than annealled, but breakable) break apart then expose the contents of the case. Laminated glass will break but not fall apart unless ripped, torn, and must be beaten through to expose jewelrycase contents. Laminated Takes much more time and smash and grabs are severely reduced. Most burglars will get discouraged and leave, or get caught.
The store policy as well is to remove the contents at night and place them in the safe-Zales, Jerrods etc.
That being said, laminated glass is approx 9.00 sq ft in my area plus labor. It does not take very long to exchange the glass if experianced, and the jeweler will not allow any service tech work in direct contact with the jewelry exposed. The case is emptied and service is completed during off hours.
Cleanliness is a very big issue inside the store and many have leather interiors in the āniceā cases. Wet scenarios will scare many.
I can upsell the new glass to the owner verses scratch removal and mostglass shop owners probably can as well. If the store owner/mangr has a glass need, it is my bet they will call the glass shop before the scratch removal guy. Timing would have to be impecable for the scratch guy to obtain the acct. and personally canāt see the time it would take to find the acct to pay off.
Anealled laminated glass 1/8" thick will weaken when scratch removal is finished. 1/8" is not strong and but has a huge advantage when laminated.
It may be advantagious to work with a competant glass replacement service and make a commission. You can expose both businessā when working together.
Thanks Jep, for your observations- Iāll make sure to keep these in mind. Iām curious, though- how much <i>do</i> you charge (on average) for a typical 8 sq ft laminated display pane, with installation?
on another note- I just finished talking with a potential client from a high-end store near meā¦ He seems to be especially nervous about residue from the either the glass stock or polishing compound being left behind in trace amounts. He thinks that if some of this got in with the jewelry in the ultrasonic cleaner, it would destroy the jewelry. I tend to agree that thatās a risk.
Any input on this?
I believe that if Iām careful, vacuum up around, and in, the display cases when the repair is done, there shouldnāt be any residue leftā¦ Your thoughts?
I have been asked a few times to look at jewelry cases, 9 out of 10 times it is cheaper to replace the glass. The biggest issue in my opinion and the store owners is the amount of glass dust that will be flying around, a vacuum is not going to get it all as it is so fine and spinning around, you just cant catch it all. I dont want to have to dust every square inch of a jewelry store. Most of the cases I have looked at have smaller scratches but they cover the entire case, itās a lot of area to cover, theirs easier money to be made out there.
Just something to think about, when I was working for this other company, we were hired out to clean their glass and a few crystal chandeliers. The lady and her family were complete nutters and extremely sue happy. There is a crew cleaning the vent system when we get there. I am up on the ladder cleaning this chandelier and over hearing what is being said between the mother and daughter and things do not sound very good. Get outside and talk to the vent techs and they say they are the second company sent out to clean the vents, first company may have been sued,or not paid donāt remember. They were wondering if they were going to get paid also, now on their second day on the job. Long story short, this is what I over heard from the crazy mother and daughter and their lawyer as well as what the tech told me. The had a maid that had been servicing their home, something happened where the maid needed to leave/fired. The maid goes into destructo mode on the inside of the house pouring chemicals on flooring and countertops cutting wires and all sorts of crazy stuff and bolts. She hires out to have some repairs done, replacing the marble flooring. These guys were cutting tile and creating all sorts of dust to the inside of the house. The H/O are taking pictures of everything going on, silica dust and whatever other types are everywhere. Is this the whole truth I donāt know, just felt the minute I stepped into the house that things were shady (suing company a to pay b type stuff) The kicker is she wanted an over inflated price on the bill, stating that we only did the the lights for a higher price, with the windows not being listed on the bill at all. So what ever you decide to do work smart and cover yourself.
Micah,
This showcase application at jewelers has become a magnet for laminated glass when replaced and the new ones are commonly made with lami. This greatly reduces the smash and grabs, compared to annealled and tempered. the buttheads smashing have to literally beat thier way through the glass and it takes too much time and effort. I woulkd believe itās best to hook up with a glass shop for referral and move on to productive jobs.
. Then I tried something a little more local- a privately owned shop right here in Bratt. The owner was very interested :). Sheās had glass replacements before, and she wasnāt too pleased with the ordeal. One shop just couldnāt get the cuts right.
