Early supplier quotes: send a concept print, not a full GD&T print, while the design is still changing

When a machine shop asks for a print but the part is not frozen, a fully toleranced ASME print reads as ready-to-buy and makes the shop price tolerances nobody has agreed. What worked: a short concept print with (1) a clear status box: concept for a budgetary quote, design not final, not for manufacture; (2) overall size, material and mass; (3) the cost-driving features in full (hole counts, diameters, angles, depth or L/D); (4) a general tolerance (e.g. ±0.1) plus ONE target tolerance on the features that set the price, phrased as please tell us what you can hold, because with no tolerance at all a shop either assumes the tightest case or cannot quote; (5) secondary features as details to follow; (6) no datums, GD&T frames, finish symbols, inspection or marking notes. In the cover email ask capability, rough cost and lead time, and whether a likely design change (e.g. larger holes) would make it easier. Keep the detailed print generator around with a flag (e.g. --full) for when the design freezes.