I recently purchased a micro-welder, literally on impulse, at a gem show in the USA. I’ve been wanting a flameless welder for a long time because I haven’t been able to master the torch and flux method of soldering. Apparently I’m not alone in this as there are many experienced jewelers who haven’t yet mastered the method, leaving behind visible blobs of solder that need to be filed down. Regardless of mastery, you still need to clean the solder in a pickle bath to remove the black residue left behind by the oxygen burning flame.
I’d heard about laser soldering machines a few years back but they cost upwards of $50k. Then, during the gem show, I had dinner with our kind and adventurous Hawaiian customers who told me about a micro-welder being sold for US$5000. As you can see that’s a fraction of the cost, but I was still ambivalent about this investment because I don’t possess disposable cash by the box load. The next morning I had to see for myself, so I decided to go to the booth to try out their welding machines.
The mPulse is the entry level model which retails for US$2000 from Sunstone Welders, makers of the Orion series of welders, offers 4 models which i’ll compare in my next blog post!
Orion Welders Comparison: Click here to read it!
Written by Dana Henning
