Laser Welder

[mari eluned]

Hello,

I am thinking of purchasing a laser welder. I work with slate and the main reason I am after a Laser welder is because I can't solder the jumprings after I've attached to the slate. Can anyone recommend a small and reliable laser welder that is suitable for this and for a reasonable price,

Thank you, Mari

[ps_bond]

The most immediate question would be do they *need* to be joined, or can you work with thick enough wire that it doesn't matter?

After that:
Why a laser rather than a pulse/arc welder?
What's your break-even point for it?
What power supply do you have available to you?
What do you call a "reasonable price"? Benchtop lasers are in the ~£15k region and have to do a lot of work to earn their keep...
Are you going to give it enough work to be worthwhile or would contracting the work out be a more cost-effective solution?

[mari eluned]

Thanks Peter,

Well, I have been trying to use tick wire and work harden them too, but they sometimes do open, especially if I'm working on small pieces that require small rings.
I had a quick look and there are some for sale for around £150 - £200, ond ebay ect
It doesn't need to be a laser welder, anything that wouldn't apply too much heat to affect the slate
Because I do work like this all the time, and work on a tight time schedule, don't think that contracting the work out would suit me,

Thanks again, Mari

[ps_bond]

I had a quick look and there are some for sale for around £150 - £200, ond ebay ect

Really? Could you point me towards one, please - I haven't come across any laser welder at that price level.

[mari eluned]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Spot-...25.m3641.l6368

haven't looked into this much, hence me asking on here first!

[ps_bond]

Ah, that explains it.

Firstly, that is not a laser welder. That is a spot welder - I can't even call it a TIG welder because it doesn't appear to have a gas feed for argon. A laser welder uses a pulse of light to heat the target, this uses a pulse of electricity to heat it.
Secondly I would not touch that with a 10 foot bargepole, even if I had checked the resistance of the pole first. That thing is unsafe in so many, many ways - it will not have a valid CE mark.

Please don't. If you need a welder, buy a known, tested one from a reputable supplier. It'll cost much more, but it's much less likely to kill you.

[mari eluned]

Ha! OK, that explains a lot! Don't worry, won't touch it!