PUK Welders pros and cons

Jewelry Discussion
1

We are thinking of purchasing a PUK Delux welder for our repair
shop. We have sticker shock on laser welders and think this may be a
place to start. Would apreciate any feed back, pros and cons on the
PUK welder.

Thanks
Mick

2

Note the PUK welder does not stand alone in the field. Look at the
Orion welder too.

http://tinyurl.com/d584h9

Bill

3

I love my PUK, while they are not a complete replacement for a laser
they certainly can do many of the jobs that a laser is used for. How
good an investment it is for you will depend on what kind of jobs you
need for it to do. It is great for tacking to fixture for soldering.
It can be used to make welds that are good enough for fabrication but
it can be somewhat tedious to do a large long seam. I have tried
tipping prongs with it and it can be done but it is not the machines
forte. It can leave carbon deposits on the work that are mostly
easily removed on metal but if used next to stones or organic
materials there can be some damage to surfaces from the arc so
protection of delicate surfaces is a must.

Jim

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

4

Hi Mick,

I’ve got a PUK 3+, and like it a lot. But what I use it for is
rather different than what I expect you’re trying to do. Rather than
retype a whole mountain, I’ve got a review of it on my website, here:

http://www.alberic.net/Toolbox_Index/PUK/PUK.html

Regards,
Brian Meek.

5

Hey Mick,

I have an old PUK 111, now ancient technology. Even though I usually
work in silver, I still find it useful. It’s really great for tacking
those really small pieces prior to soldering. On gold repairs it’s
very friendly, but of course like any piece of equipment there’s a
learning curve. (Think of it as trying to control lightning…not
always a tamable beast.) The new models are surely more capable, but
like anything with more “options,” that curve must be steeper.

I think it’s fair to say a welder will never do what a laser can do,
but you’re right about the price difference. The only other option
we’ve considered is a lease/purchase for a laser. At last years
Stuller workshop the lease price was pretty attractive, and if you’re
doing a lot of work where a laser can be employed, perhaps you might
look into that method. Before you make the plunge it might also be
worth you time to get a hands on trial. I wonder if there’s someone
in your neighborhood who would let you have a look before you write
the check. Good luck, and we hope this helps.

Rgds…Ski & Cathy
Rocks to Gems

6

While tack welders serve an excellent function, be sure to
investigate fully about laser welders. Laser welders truly offer many
more benefits than tack welders. The time savings and average payback
does depend on what type of work you do. With models starting at
around $15K, be sure to talk to knowledgeable companies. Lease
purchases are also a viable option but have pro and cons as
everything in life does.

Check out our Made in the USA welders at laserstar.net. Good luck in
your quest.

Best Regards,
Andre Friedmann
laserstarnc.com