Does anyone have any experience with the Orion Welder?
http://www.orionjewelrywelders.com/
Do you have any ideas of what questions we should ask.
Thanks,
Louise
I did a review of this machine for MJSA. I think you can get the
review from them. In short, this is a good machine with some features
not found on it’s competitors. It’s easy to use and capable of most
spot welding tasks. ( jump rings, shanks,wires, sheet, findings) The
learning curve is a little greater than a laser and less than TIG.
You need to let your advisor know what you are wanting to do with the
machine. This welder, like others, is a capacitor discharge (pulse)
welder. There is a thread here in the archive that explains the
differences between PUK and TIG.
The PUK, ABI, RDO, and Orion use very similar technology. It is not
possible to modulate the amperage within a extended weld sequence.
You will not be able to run a continuous weld seam with this machine
or weld aluminum and palladium. I feel it is a good value for this
type of welding machine. The manufacture is dedicated to producing a
high quality machine.
Regards, Kevin
Hi Louise,
Once I decided I really needed a micro welder it came down to which
one. The Orion arrived 2 weeks ago and my choice was based on the
following:
-
Price
-
Microscope - the no-name microscope that comes with the Orion is
very clear and the shutter is better than a darkening screen (they
are always dark). I wanted 5x magnification because I know that it’s
plenty. The field of view is about 23mm at 5x…a bit small
considering I want to use the microscope for other things like
engraving and setting emeralds but it will do just fine because it’s
the one I have! It can switch to 10x and that’s handy for some
gemological stuff. There is a big working space under the microscope. -
Versatility. I am mainly interested in micro-welding and the Orion
does very well on the projects I’ve attempted so far in gold and
silver jewelery. I have added a 9ct claw to a garnet, tacked 18ct
white gold claws to a diamond ring before soldering (a nasty job
because the claws were not on the outside); and micro welding many
bits in place before soldering in gold and silver. I have micro
welded posts onto the back of ceramic/silver ear rings, welded jump
rings, and 1mm stainless is no sweat. I have not tried the
spot/fusion mode yet. There is a learning curve and I’ll keep
going…definately practise on similar sized pieces because bits can
be blown away! -
Features. The 18 presets are a huge help. I have saved one of the
available custom settings - micro welding the posts in silver. If I
remember correctly there are 19 more saves available. -
Service.
What can I say…I hope you receive the same because I got 110% on
the other side of the world. The User Manual and DVD that comes with
the package are most helpful.
Yeah I’m a happy customer.
Alastair