Scalefour Forum

I’ve just seen on BBC’s “Repair Shop” a laser welder being used by a jeweller - looks just the job for fine “soldering” work. Only problem could be the cost... but laser cutters have reduced in price a great deal so there may be hope. Has any one had experience with this technique?

As my other hobby is jewllery making (though costs have meant I've not really touched precious metals) I'll have a look into it if I can get chance, I wonder if cookson gold sell a unit?

A quick look on aliexpress shows a wide variety of jewellery welding units, some laser, some not, from $120-3500 ranges. So it looks like it might be affordable, but whether that is a good quality unit for intricate work...

andrewnummelin wrote:I’ve just seen on BBC’s “Repair Shop” a laser welder being used by a jeweller - looks just the job for fine “soldering” work. Only problem could be the cost... but laser cutters have reduced in price a great deal so there may be hope. Has any one had experience with this technique?

See this from about 4:00.


This guy uses the laser as a spot welder and then solders between the welds. The machine he uses costs €2111.00 (that's Swiss precision for you)

A quick web search turned up one LW unit from China for £150. However, you need to wear an Arc Welding helmet when using it, which may reduce its usefulness for our needs.

Cooksongold do list one, which looks rather more suited to the amateur model maker/jeweller, but at £2300 it may be beyond most peoples' budgets (RSU's at £210 are still considered an expensive luxury by some).

Bill that's not a LASER welder it's TIG welder.

Does the same job but works differently.

regards

Alan

Jol Wilkinson wrote:A quick web search turned up one LW unit from China for £150. However, you need to wear an Arc Welding helmet when using it, which may reduce its usefulness for our needs.

Cooksongold do list one, which looks rather more suited to the amateur model maker/jeweller, but at £2300 it may be beyond most peoples' budgets (RSU's at £210 are still considered an expensive luxury by some).

If you means this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163357821377 then that is not a LASER either, despite what it says. It is also a TIG welder.

So yes you do need arc goggles.

regards

Alan

Alan,

despite appearing in a search for "jewellry laser welder" the ones from Cooksongold are, on further viewing, described as pulse arc welder, so possibly not laser technology.

This is the least expensive they list;

https://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-T ... channel=uk

Jol

Having seen this video

,

I'm not sure that laser welding is something that has any relevance to our model making.

Oh I don't know, but nothing you couldn't do just as well with one of the spot welders at a much lower price?

You do wonder what happens if you let your finger et in the way.

I think TIG type spot welders would be better for what we do, even if the joint has to be flooded with solder afterwards. The laser welders would be useful where a small joint needs to be made with only local heating.

What a great toy!

What I'm missing is how they hold the bits together before they do the welding. Clever design, I suspect.

You could do your fingernails, too - on purpose, I mean.

DaveB