I 've tried posting this query before, but have yet to see it
appear. Has anyone out there in Orchid-ville used either the Tack
II or Tack III electric welding machines? I was at the Rio Catalog
in Motion and they all seemed to think pretty highly of them. We
are considering buying one or the other for the shop here. I would
be most interested in hearing any comments, observations, hints,
tips, comparisons, complaints, etc. Also wondering if any of you
have use the Foredom All Set System, and what you have thought about
it. Thank you. BK in AK
Hi; I have an allset deluxe kit, for doing perfect channels and
eliminating uneven burring it is a must. A lot of the attachments in
the second set I have barely used if at all. I would have to say it
eliminated many mistakes cause by rush jobs or just plain fatigue.
and here’s another… i think there should be a week a year of
vacation just for takin a break… it’s called a mental holiday…
peace ringman
I have a Tack II. I bought it used from Rio Grande. It works fine
for gold, brass, copper, and not very well for sterling. It seems
that sterling is a very good conductor of electricity, thus the
resistance needed to make the welder work isn’t there.
This is a tack welder, and doesn’t usually make a good enough
connection to avoid soldering. On occasion, I have welded a
stainless post to the back of a sterling stone set earring and had
it hold. You do need the kind of post with the tiny point on the
connecting end that is made for tack welding.
Rio has demonstrated the use of a TackII with sterling but I can’t
make it work reliably.
Judy Hoch
Hi BK,
I have both the TackII and Tack III by ABI. I have enjoyed using
both machines. The Tack II is fantastic for placing heads and other
pieces when assembling jewelry. It’s great not having to wrap things
with binding wire or graduating your solder to keep everything from
falling apart. There is a learning curve to go through. You won’t be
able to get it out of the box and instantly put to work. You will
have to practice with it!
The Tack III is great for welding on new prongs without having to
remove delicate stones. You don’t have the same prcision and control
of a laser welder, which I have used before, but what a difference in
price!!!
I believe both are worthwhile tools to invest in.
Kevin Hasko Jewelers hasko@pobox.com www.haskojewelers.com