In the world of permanent jewelry welding, a question often sparks debate: Is argon gas necessary for welding permanent jewelry? This topic has stirred a fair amount of controversy, and it’s something I get asked about multiple times a day. While the answer may not satisfy everyone, it’s crucial to address this issue head-on, sharing my insights, experiences, and some authoritative information from industry leaders. In this video and blog post, we’ll dive into the necessity of argon gas in welding, explore my findings, and provide the official stance from Sunstone Engineering, the creators of the leading Orion series of welders.
Revisiting the Argon Gas Debate
Over a year ago, I posted a video demonstrating the setup of an argon gas system for micro welding and permanent jewelry. In that video, I showed how to connect the regulator to the argon gas tank, then to the welder, and performed several welding demonstrations with and without argon gas. At that time, I highlighted the role of argon gas in reducing oxidation and achieving cleaner welds. However, after further research and testing, I feel it’s time to revisit and refine my previous statements.
The Benefits of Argon Gas in Welding
- Reduction in Oxidation: One of the most cited benefits of using argon gas in welding is its ability to reduce oxidation. When welding metals, oxidation can occur, leading to discoloration and potential weakening of the weld. Argon, an inert gas, helps to create an oxygen-free environment around the weld, thereby minimizing oxidation. However, it’s important to note that argon does not completely eliminate oxidation but reduces it significantly.
- Lower Power Settings: Another benefit I observed is that welding with argon gas allows for slightly lower power settings while achieving the same weld strength as welding without it. This is particularly advantageous when working with delicate metals or fine jewelry components, as it can help prevent overheating and potential damage to the piece.
- Improved Weld Quality on Thicker Metals: The advantages of argon gas become more pronounced when welding thicker metals or components, such as stud posts on earring backs or thicker bangles. In these cases, argon gas helps achieve a cleaner, more consistent weld with less porosity (holes) and better metal flow.
The Necessity of Argon Gas: A Case-by-Case Basis
While argon gas offers several benefits, it’s not always an absolute necessity for permanent jewelry welding, especially when working with fine gauge metals like those commonly used in permanent jewelry (often 22 gauge or thinner). In such cases, the size of the weld is so small that the benefits of argon are less noticeable. Here’s a breakdown of when you might or might not need argon gas:
- For Fine Gauge Jewelry: If you’re working with very fine metals, you can still achieve strong, secure welds without argon gas. You might notice a bit more oxidation, which can be cleaned up with a fiberglass brush, but the structural integrity of the weld is generally unaffected.
- For Thicker Components: When welding thicker components, the benefits of argon gas become more apparent. It helps reduce oxidation, improve weld quality, and allows for lower power settings, which can be crucial for preserving the integrity of the metal.
Sunstone Engineering’s Official Stance
To provide a more comprehensive perspective, I reached out to Sunstone Engineering, the makers of the Orion series of welders. According to Thane Kennedy, Product Manager at Sunstone Engineering:
Argon is way more controversial than it should be. The benefits of argon when used for permanent Jewelry are less noticeable than with other forms of welding, because the size of the weld is so small. In larger scale welding the welding systems would not work, and damage would occur if gas was not used. Simply put, in normal welding (outside of Jewelry) there is no application where gas is not required, it is universally used and required.
The main benefits of Argon are:
• Pushes Oxygen away from the weld site preventing unwanted oxides to form in the molten metal.
• Protects and prolongs the electrode tip. Electrode will remain sharper and last longer.
• Less porosity (holes) in your finished welds. Oxygen & Oxides cannot get trapped in the metal.
• Pulse arc welding uses a plasma arc. This plasma is what generates the amount of heat needed to melt the metal. The ions in the gas are positively charged and help create a stable arc.
• More consistency in creating welds as the Arc will be stabilized by the argon gas.
• More consistency of welds – Less misfires
• Argon will help the metal flow together better – Less oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen contaminated the weld flow)
The key is the use of a Noble gas – there are 7 total, all but two are far too expensive for welding use. Argon & Helium are the two options that can be used for a shielding gas. Argon is used on all metals and all applications, is ideal for every welding condition. Helium is more expensive in most cases, less effective is some alloys. That is why Argon is our most recommended. We have used Helium is our systems and had great luck.
I hope this clarifies why Argon is important.
Conclusion: Weighing the Benefits and Costs
In conclusion, while argon gas is not strictly necessary for permanent jewelry welding, it does offer several benefits that can enhance the quality and consistency of your welds. Whether or not to use argon gas depends on your specific needs, the materials you’re working with, and your budget. For those working with thicker metals or seeking the cleanest possible welds, argon gas is highly recommended. However, for fine gauge permanent jewelry, you can achieve satisfactory results without it, albeit with a bit more effort in post-weld cleaning.
As always, the best approach is to experiment with both methods and decide based on your specific requirements and preferences. If you’re unsure, starting with a lower power setting and gradually increasing it can help you find the right balance.
I hope this post has provided clarity on the controversial topic of argon gas in permanent jewelry welding. If you found this helpful, please like, share, and let me know your thoughts in the comments. Are you currently using argon gas in your welding? What has your experience been like? Let’s continue the conversation and share our insights!
Click here to watch the full video.