[Jewelry making - Article 00812] - [Orchid] AJM article on Hydroflux on orchid

[John Shanahan]

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    This article originally appeared in the January 2000 issue of AJM
    Magazine. Visit AJM on the Web at www.ajm-magazine.com. 
    -------------------------------
    Making Connections 

    With the help of technology, attaching metals has never been easier. 

    Connections are an important part of jewelry manufacturing. We make
    them with suppliers, with retailers, even with the people who buy and
    wear our jewelry. But some of the most important connections are those
    we make between metals. Whether creating custom one-offs or producing
    in volume, jewelers must constantly make physical connections between
    metal objects?ear posts to earrings, clasps to chains, and jump rings
    to nearly everything. And more and more, they are looking toward newer
    technology to help them do so in less time, at lower cost, and with
    greater convenience. Recently, I had the opportunity to experiment
    with several benchtop welding units that, to varying degrees, achieve
    those aims. These units?two water welders and three fusion welders?may
    operate under different principles, but all increase efficiency: Some
    save considerable time, some save money, and some simply increase the
    flexibility of shop operations. All, however, prove the value of
    incorporating technology into the shop. 

    The first units I tested were the water welders. These machines have
    been around in the jewelry industry for some time now?at least 15
    years, according to Mike McCoy, vice president of the Union, New
    Jersey-based Okai Corp., manufacturer of the Hydroflux welder. While
    water welders are not the newest innovation in the industry, continued
    refinements have reduced their size and cost. Among their benefits,
    the most important is that they eliminate the potential danger of
    storing flammable bottled and piped gases. Instead, they generate
    hydrogen and oxygen on site from the breakdown of distilled water.
    This is especially important with bottled gas; normally purchased and
    stored in pressurized containers, it is coming under increasing
    regulation and may be prohibited in some areas. 

    The two machines I tested were the Okai Hydroflux and the SRA H2O
    #250 welders. While each shares basic operating characteristics, they
    differ in several ways. Both machines generate fuel gas by sending an
    electrical current through distilled water, the conductivity of which
    has been improved by the addition of an electrolyte, potassium
    hydroxide. The current breaks the bonds between the oxygen and the
    hydrogen atoms of the water molecules, releasing them as a mixed gas.
    That gas is then ?bubbled? through a fluxing solution of methyl
    alcohol and boric acid. 

    This solution, which becomes incorporated into the fuel gas, performs
    two functions. First, it lowers the burning temperature of the flame
    from around 5,600 degrees F to 4,850 degrees F, helping operators to
    avoid inadvertently melting parts. (Conversely, this temperature
    reduction increases the flame?s BTU value.) Second, the boric acid
    helps protect the object being soldered from oxides and fire scale.
    This is further helped by the high hydrogen content of the flame,
    which produces a reducing atmosphere that eliminates some of the
    potential for oxidation present in most fuel gases. (It should be
    noted that the fluxing action and reduction flame do not eliminate the
    use of pre-dip and flux at the solder joint.) 

    I can?t recall when, but at some point in the past I had formed an
    impression that the flame from water welders didn?t compare favorably
    with my trusty old oxy-acetylene setup. It might have been from
    observation; the water welder?s torch tip is nothing more than a
    short hypodermic-type needle, the appearance of which looks pretty
    funny to a bottled gas user. But while the flame may seem small and
    anemic, in this case looks are deceiving: The flame is actually hot
    and precise. One adjustment I did have to make was in learning the
    feel of the hotter hydrogen flame?welds occur much faster with such
    high heat?but I acclimated quickly. 

    Suitable for small-scale jobs up to and including the sizing of a
    man?s ring, these welders performed very well in all areas of
    benchwork. I found that they did indeed generate less soldering ?mess?
    in the form of oxides. Also, both torches performed as well or better
    than the oxy-acetylene system I typically use. The only advantage with
    my old oxy-acetylene torch and its interchangeable tips is that I can
    generate a huge flame when necessary, such as when sizing a large
    silver ring with a gem that must be immersed in water for heat
    protection. 

    Both welders also offer the benefit of portability. When their
    methanol/boric acid chambers are emptied, these machines can travel
    with craftsmen who take their benches with them for demonstrations, or
    for on-site repair and sizing in the growing ?craft show? venue. Even
    in a static shop situation, the portability of these machines may
    prove useful, since they can be moved from bench to bench easily. 

    The two machines do have some differences. The SRA machine has a
    relatively small footprint, 11 inches by 6.5 inches, while the
    Hydroflux welder is a little larger?16 inches by 10 inches. Also, the
    Hydroflux flame can be controlled by simply changing the torch tip;
    the unit has a pressure switch that reacts to a tip?s size, cycling on
    to maintain a pressure of about 3 psi. The SRA machine uses a
    combination of amperage to regulate gas output and tip size to
    regulate flame, so that gas output can be more specifically matched to
    a job. 

    Although both welders performed admirably, I had to wonder: Would I
    be paying more if I did away with bottled gas? I decided to find out
    and called my bottled gas supplier, who provided a price of $34.10 for
    a container holding 197 cubic feet of gas. Since one cubic foot
    converts to 28.317 liters, the math reveals that I pay about 0.6 cent
    for a liter of bottled hydrogen. With gas cylinder rental at about
    $6.50 per month, I speculated that bottled hydrogen approaches about 1
    cent per liter overall?a crude cost comparison, but a start. 

    I also needed to determine how much the water welder would cost in
    electricity, an expense I don?t have with my oxy-acetylene hookup. I
    called the president of SRA, Stan Rubinstein, who said that the #250
    produces about 45 liters per hour and uses about the same electricity
    as a 150-watt bulb. McCoy agreed with that estimate for his machine as
    well. I then contacted Michael Lang, an energy management specialist
    with my local utility company in Eugene, Oregon; he informed me that
    the average residential cost for operating a 150-watt bulb for one
    hour is roughly .006 cent. 

    Dividing that figure by 45 liters of gas gives me a cost of .0001333
    cent per liter. I had to add in the overhead of about $138 per year
    for electrolyte, methanol, and boric acid?but then I remembered that
    bottled hydrogen requires bottled oxygen, which costs about $16 per
    bottle. Given this, it seems a fair assessment to say that these water
    welders produce fuel gas less expensively than my current setup with
    bottled gas. With an initial capital outlay that can run up to about
    $1,100, these machines seem like a good investment for any jewelry
    manufacturing business. 

    Fusion Fun 

    Another method of making connections does not involve any fuel gas at
    all. Fusion welding systems have been a mainstay in the jewelry
    industry for many years; properly set up and used, they can provide
    fast, clean bonds between similar and dissimilar metals. 

    Some of these systems require the use of specially designed findings
    (available from many suppliers) that have a small? approximately 0.01
    inch diameter?nib in the center of a flat contact plate. The actual
    welding takes place when an electrical charge flows, by a process
    called capacitive discharge, through a fusion finding touching the
    surface of the receiving metal. A small explosion occurs, which blows
    all of the oxides and gases away from the weld. For the next
    millionth of a second or so, a vacuum exists, allowing metals to bond
    in the residual heat. 

    One such fusion welder is the Sparkie II, manufactured by Triad Inc.
    in Chartley, Massachusetts. During my tests, I found it to be a
    potentially useful tool for manufacturers involved with high
    production numbers and standard, or at least predictable, shapes that
    can accommodate the nibbed finding (e.g., tie tack backs and earring
    posts). Success with the Sparkie involves the coordination of pre-fit
    moving parts: a spring-loaded cylinder with a collet that holds the
    fusion finding, and a jig that steadies the workpiece and engages the
    collet. The jig, jig holder, and collet have interchangeable parts for
    adaptation to different welding applications. 

    For the uninitiated, the Sparkie welding process can seem very
    dramatic, but it?s actually very simple and straightforward. The
    cylinder is engaged by locking it in position with spring tension. The
    fusion finding is placed into the collet, and the unit?s capacitor is
    charged simply by pressing a button and observing the voltmeter.
    (Though determined by the parts to be joined, the charge usually falls
    in the 80 volt to 120 volt range.) The operator places a workpiece in
    the jig, holding it in place with a finger (properly protected, of
    course, by a rubber glove). With the release of the cylinder, the
    finding plunges toward the piece. A brief pop, a small spark, and you
    have an immediate, secure bond. A slight residue of carbon left around
    the welded parts can be easily wiped or washed off. The instruction
    manual provided with the Sparkie adequately explains the process of
    setting and maintaining the machine. The unit can accommodate custom
    jigs, including a Triad-supplied fixture disk in which jewelers can
    make impression molds in a two-part polymer. 

    One important note about quality control, as stated in the Sparkie
    instruction manual: ?The simplicity and speed of fusion welding can
    be misleading. Proper alignment of the machine and preparation of the
    pieces to be welded is very important and cannot be overemphasized.?
    In my experience, I found that in most cases improper alignment
    resulted in a failed bond. But even considering the care needed to
    properly align parts, I feel that the Sparkie II may be an invaluable
    tool for production welding applications, resulting in increased
    output compared to traditional soldering. With very little practice, I
    found that we could weld about six to 10 parts per minute?which is
    about four to five times as many as I could do through torch
    soldering. 

    Off the Beaten Tack 

    While the Sparkie works well with predictable applications, another
    system offering increased flexibility is the Tack II. This
    fusion-bonding machine, manufactured by Aelectronic Bonding Inc. in
    Cranston, Rhode Island, works similarly to the Sparkie II. However,
    it?s geared not toward permanent bonds, but toward the pre-weld step
    of precisely aligning parts. 

    The Tack II basically comprises a capacitor; one electrical lead
    attached to a copper contact pad; and one other lead connected to a
    fusion pencil, a pair of tweezers, or any of several other electrical
    conductors. As with the Sparkie, the capacitor produces an electrical
    current between the lead and the workpiece, producing a bond. It?s
    important for an operator to experiment with voltage levels. With too
    little voltage, the bond may not occur. And with too much voltage, a
    small part could be fairly well vaporized?as we nearly did a few
    times. 

    To illustrate the Tack II?s operation, let me describe how I used it
    to place prong heads on a ring mounting. Holding the ring mounting to
    the contact pad, I used the tweezers to hold the prong head in the
    desired position. I then depressed a foot pedal to discharge the
    capacitor, which ran a sufficient current between the two parts to
    tack them in place. 

    This procedure works well for any assembled part requiring precise
    alignment, especially since it allows for mistakes: If you don?t get
    the correct position on the first try, you can twist the prong head
    away from the mounting and repeat the procedure. Once the parts are in
    place, traditional soldering permanently attaches the head or other
    object. The instruction booklet and video that accompany the unit
    provide numerous similar examples of ways to use this handy machine,
    such as the always tricky tacking of chain ends together and the
    fabrication of free-form parts. 

    One use that I wasn?t able to try?but am anxious to experiment
    with?involves a new way to place beads for granulation. One of the
    discharge attachments available with the Tack II is a small tube to
    which a miniature vacuum device is attached. The vacuum can be used
    to pick up a single bead and hold it in place on a surface to be
    granulated. Upon discharge, the bead is minutely fused to the
    surface, securely held in place without the necessity of any chemical
    glue. When all beads are placed, you can then fuse them to the metal
    through oven soldering. I can only imagine how much time this could
    save an artisan involved with granulation. 

    Another machine built and distributed by Aelectronic Bonding, the
    Tack III, is another beast altogether. Originally designed for the
    specific use of tacking hollowware halves prior to oven soldering, the
    Tack III is actually an ?arc welding pencil??which means it also uses
    capacitive discharge to fuse metal, but in a different way. It uses a
    tungsten electrode that, when held a very slight distance away from
    the piece to be welded, passes an electrical arc that liquefies the
    metal and forms a bond. 

    Because this process will occasionally cause oxidation around the
    point of contact, the Tack III has been designed so that an argon gas
    line can be attached to the welding pencil. The tungsten electrode of
    the welding pencil is housed in a ceramic casing that has a diameter
    slightly larger than that of the electrode; this allows the inert gas
    to flow around the electrode and bathe the arc and surrounding metal
    in a non-oxidizing argon atmosphere. When the foot pedal is depressed,
    the gas line is activated a split-second before the discharge takes
    place, so very little gas is used in the process. 

    Safety is, as with any tool, an issue with these fusion and arc
    welding devices. A painful shock could be experienced if the
    operator?s skin becomes the path of least resistance for the capacitor
    discharge. Rubber gloves are advisable, and some sort of eye
    protection is mandatory. For better corneal protection, you can wear
    dark welding glasses?I recommend #5 shades at a minimum?but they make
    it difficult to see anything but the spark. Since the capacitor
    discharge is so brief for all of these machines, I found it routine to
    blink as the discharge takes place. Another, safer method is simply to
    look away. 

    When these safety precautions are in place, I found the Tack III to
    be of great value. In fact, I had the machine set up for no more than
    about a day when I discovered just how useful it could be. A new
    client came into the shop with a necklace of beaded amber and pearl
    strung on nylon, and she pointed out that the end caps had pulled away
    from the clasp. The traditional repair would have called for
    restringing with a stronger end cap or stringing directly to the
    clasp. For her necklace, a multi-strand, I estimated the cost would
    have been around $65. 

    Remembering the technology I had recently acquired, I made her a
    proposal. I would try to fuse the tab end of the end cap with the
    Tack III so that it would not pull loose again. If successful, I would
    charge her only my shop minimum, $15. If not, I would complete the
    repair in the traditional method and she would pay the full $65. 

    Honestly, I was surprised at how well the system worked. My weld was
    a bit sloppy, since I had had only a day of practice, but the tool
    worked perfectly. Not only did I successfully fuse the end cap tab, I
    did it without melting the nylon to which it was strung! I saved my
    client $50 on her first job with me, completed it while she waited,
    and perhaps gained a client for life. 

    In the days that followed, my workers and I became very comfortable
    with the Tack III, finding it useful for various routine shop
    procedures. We rarely use a torch now for soldering jump rings; the
    Tack III produces a perfectly bonded jump ring in seconds?with no
    cleanup needed. I?ve also used it to fuse metal in casting pits, with
    great success. 

    Of course, sometimes we have to live with a new technology before all
    of the possible uses are discovered. But finding those uses is one of
    the many things that excite me about my work, and about the jewelry
    industry as a whole. I have a friend, a ceramist, who ebulliently
    expresses her connection to her medium by proclaiming, ?Touch clay
    every day.? As jewelers, we have very much the same connection with
    our metal?and, with tools such as these welders, that connection will
    no doubt continue to evolve. 

    Editor?s Note: In addition to thanking the manufacturers of the
    products tested for this article, AJM would like to thank Eisinger
    Enterprises in Newark, New Jersey, for its help in procuring the
    Sparkie II fusion welder and the Hydroflux water welder. 


	Welders Reviewed

	Hydroflux Water Welder

	Okai Corp., Union, New Jersey
	Price: $975

	SRA H2O #250
	SRA Inc., Foxboro, Massachusetts
	Price: $1,075

	Sparkie II

	Triad Inc., Chartley, Massachusetts
	Price: $1,195

	Tack II

	Aelectronic Bonding Inc., Cranston, Rhode Island
	Price: $1,295

	Tack III

	Aelectronic Bonding Inc., Cranston, Rhode Island
	Price: $3,900


John Shanahan, Associate Editor
AJM magazine
The Authority on Jewelry Manufacturing
Editor, AJM Online
http://www.ajm-magazine.com
800-444-6572, ext. 3037 

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