Making my own wedding bands with help?

Greetings all,

I will soon be in the market for a wedding band set. I have
considered several options and would really like something with a
unique/personal flair. I have decided on a handmade ring set with a
small twist. I work in the metallurgical / chemical / technical field
and I would like to be involved with the construction of the ring.

Ideally, I would love to have the time to research methods, try
procedures and ultimately make the rings myself. However, I just
don't think this is feasable with my work and the time constraints.
My second best alternative thought...work with a local
jeweler/lapidary who specializes in hand made jewelery and ideally be
a sort of apprentice to the construction.

Since I first thought of this, I have had a chance to do some research
as well as pick up some raw materials...platinum, iridium, loose
diamonds...all that cheap ring-type stuff! I am about to the point of
calling some of the local jewelers to see what they can do for me, but
I thought I'd run this past the group for any pointers? So...

Is this type of scheme totally unheard of or do I have a chance of
finding a jeweler who would be willing to bring someone in "off the
street" and work with them a little bit?

So far I have about 65g platinum and 100g iridium. I know the
platinum will be the limiting element and was considering a 5-10%
iridium alloy. So this is a little over 70g of material total...is
this in the ballpark for materials quantity for a two ring set?
....suppose I could do some calculations, but thought I may get a quick
yeah/nay.

What sort of time frame would be "normal" for a custom ring? Is this
something I should expect in a week / month / half year?

I suspect a custom job like this would begin with a wax ring to make a
mold, casting and finally polishing / stone setting. Are there any
specific questions I should ask (beyond what's this gonna cost me)?

Thanks for any input!

Corey