Welding Applications

3. Attaching an earring post to a head
Although attaching an earring post to a head is a quick and simple task with any of the three welding units tested here, you may want to stop and think twice before you pulse. Sometimes, old-fashioned soldering may be your best bet.

According to Bob Lynn of Lynn’s Jewelry in Ventura, California, a laser welder is one of the worst tools for this job. “The problem with a laser welder is it will partially anneal the post, so the post bends more easily right above the weld,” he says.

Operator error or difficult alloys (nickel white golds, for example) can further complicate matters for laser welders or pulse-arc welders in this application. These systems can actually cause brittle welds that simply don’t hold up well for such tiny attachments.

When installing earring posts, particularly on a production basis, other technologies may be better suited than those researched in this article. A fusion welder such as the Sparkie II manufactured by Triad Inc. in Charlton, Massachusetts, seems to be a very useful tool for this application. Small shops with limited production may want to stick to old-fashioned soldering for a solid weld.

According to Wayne Lenkeit, a Temecula, California-based Certified Master Bench Jeweler and owner of a PUK 2, a well-joined and filleted solder joint is best for this application. “A solder joint is extremely strong, relatively quick to do, and requires no clean up other than polishing,” he says. “It’s time-consuming to fillet such a joint with the PUK, and it’s not very strong without the fillet.

“For applications where the torch can’t be used, I make a post with a small pad on the end, and then weld the pad to the piece with the PUK,” he adds. “The larger circumference of the pad provides for a greater weld area and hence a stronger joint.”

4. Applications That Require a Particu-larly Steady Hand: Retipping prongs next to gemstones that are particularly sensitive to heat or a stray pulse
Both pulse-arc machines I tested for this article provided a variety of grounding options, including a ground pad upon which the piece may rest during welding operations, as well as grounded tweezers and grounded pliers. The tweezers and pliers make both of these welders more flexible to use, but by virtue of its operational design, the PUK 2 requires a greater amount of operator skill in applications that mandate a particularly steady hand. As the electrode retracts away from the work piece, there is a tendency for the operator to push toward the piece. If the electrode hasn’t properly retracted, there is a greater chance for electrode contamination or a poor weld. The PUK manufacturers acknowledge the tool’s sensitivity to touch in their instructions for use, which emphasize a braced, steady hand position: “always support both hands on the base (work table), as trembling hands will distort the parameter of the device.”

The Mini Pulse instructions condone freehand work. In fact, the recessed electrode and foot-pedal operation allow you to simply rest the ceramic collar against the work piece and activate the pulse, making it somewhat easier to work in this fashion.