how well does it work for retipping or repairing near an emerald or
opal? does it generate enough heat to damage sensive stones? how
precise is control? thanx,steve
Related Article:
“Product Testing: PUK 2 Precision Welder”
I have had a PUK for 8-10 months now and it has plenty of uses but
retipping doesnt seem to be one of them. I use it for alot of quick
spot welds on costume jewelry, and tacking a head in place before
soldering . Granted I havent had the time to play with it like I
want, but I definitly dont see much use in retipping as the impulse
is not that controllable.
Ed in Kokomo
I am apologizing to Andy at Stuller when I say this, but the PUK
welder is only good for pre soldering assembly. I have played with
this welder and it is so limited in what it can do. It is the best
tack welder on the market, but if you for one second think it can do
even 1/10th of what a laser welder can do then you will be
disappointed. Yes it will tack titanium, but it will not penetrate
the core of the metal, just the outer edge. I was humored by the
original claim that why spend $28,000 on a laser when the PUK is
only 10% of the price.
Scott Isaacs
Berry’s Jewerly Co.
Laserwelder/Cad Cam
Yes it will tack titanium, but it will not penetrate the core of the metal, just the outer edge.
One of my original intentions in purchasing a PUK111, was to repair
eyeglass frames made of titanium, as well as various jewelry repair
situations. So far, it has proven absolutely worthless on titanium
eyeglass frames. Every pair that I have done with it broke within a
day or 2. I have since discontinued using the PUK for that purpose.
Mostly, it is good for preassembly, followed by normal soldering
techniques with a torch, such as attaching heads to mountings in
difficult positions. Its often easier to handhold a head and a
mounting in position with your fingers, than to set up third hands,
or position in charcoal blocks , etc… Then after it is tacked into
the proper position, its a breeze to finish up with a torch on the
piece while its held by a third hand clamp.
Ed in Kokomo
Ed, Do you have the PUK or the PUK II?
James S. Cantrell
Scott, all is good I agree that there is spot in the market for the
puk. I also think it is a great unit for certain jobs. Hope all have
a great season
Andy " The Tool Guy" Kroungold
Tool Sales / Technical
Stuller Inc
Phone 800-877-7777 ext. 94194
Fax 337-262-7791
Hi Scott,
So did you master the laser by only playing with it briefly? Like
the laser the PUK has a definite learning curve. As an owner of the
PUK 2 for a couple of months now I am truly pleased with what can be
done with it. And yes you can do heavy welds like a ring shank.
Would I normally fix a shank this way, no not in the majority of
cases but if I have a repair that is heat sensitive and too much
trouble to take apart to solder then it is a reasonable way to go.
Is it a replacement for a laser? I don’t know, I have only played
with lasers. But For the ten to one price difference between a laser
and a pulse arc welder ($20,000-$30,000 for the laser $2,000-$4,000
for the pulse arc) I would encourage any one looking at getting a
welder to look at the PUK 2 and see if it will do what you need. It
is phenomenal for tacking assembly before soldering. It also is very
useful for fixing pits and porosity. You can also do strange things
like weld gold to titanium. I belive that if you are a goldsmith /
metalsmith who wants a welder for fabrication chores the pulse arc
welders are a very viable solution. If you are a retail shop or
trade shop that does lots of repairs the laser is more likely the
way to go but you have to make a lot of money with it to pay for it
you need to clear about $30 a day with the laser just to pay the
purchase price you also have ongoing maintenance costs to deal with.
So if your operation can support the cost then a laser is a cool
tool, no doubt and while I would love to have one as I am a tool
junkie I just cannot justify the cost. So for me the pulse arc is a
good alternative.
As to the original posters questions about work next to stones yes
the heat level is low enough to be safe when used next to stones. I
haven’t done any re-tipping with it so I can’t tell you if it is a
good choice for this but I have done some work next to stones and
have not had any problems. I would also point out that you can fry a
stone with a misdirected laser shot but the pulse arc will not fire
on a stone as the stone is not electrically conductive so the pulse
arc may actually be safer around stones. No data on that but just an
observation.
Jim Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
Phone (360) 756-6550
Toll Free (877) 408 7287
Fax (360) 756-2160
@James_Binnion
Member of the Better Business Bureau
if you want to weld Titanium reliably create a small plastic box to
work in and flood it with argon. It is not that the PUK makes a bad
weld it is that the Titanium is highly reactive with both Nitrogen
and Oxygen and if it is melted in the presence of either one it will
make a brittle weld. By working in a semi glove box flooded with
Argon you can avoid this contamination and get better welds on
Titanium just like the laser welders
Jim
Jim Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
Phone (360) 756-6550
Toll Free (877) 408 7287
Fax (360) 756-2160
@James_Binnion
Member of the Better Business Bureau