Keep It Simple

Testing the Orion PJ pulse-arc welder

By Melissa Muir

(Originally Published by MJSA August 2023)

Jewelers interested in taking advantage of the recent permanent jewelry trend have been purchasing pulse-arc welders for the task. While many welders on the market are small, portable, and easy to set up (making them ideal for offering on-location welding parties), they weren’t designed with permanent jewelry in mind. This means that they usually have too much power and not fine enough control for welding the thin chains used for permanent jewelry. To answer the needs of these jewelers, Sunstone Engineering created the Orion PJ pulse-arc welder.

About the System

Designed specifically for permanent jewelry artists, the Orion PJ features better control, better cord management, and even customized branding capabilities than other welders offered by the company. While other welders, such as the Orion mPulse, feature energy ranging from 3 to 30 watts with 1 watt increments, the Orion PJ has an energy range of 1 to 15 watts with half-watt increments. What does this mean? The new welder can handle those very fine gold chains that other welders blew away at their lowest setting. Sometimes 3 watts may be too little energy and 4 watts is just a little too much, but with the PJ welder, jewelers can use the 3.5 watt setting and find that it is just right.

Orion PJ Pulse-Arc Welder

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Another big change is better cord management. Using a welder to secure an anklet on a customer can be rather tricky when the stylus cord is just 30 inches long. The Orion PJ comes with a 36 inch stylus cord that has an optional 6 foot extender, making the stylus cord 9.5 feet long. Included with the extender is a 6 foot grounded alligator clamp. In addition, the cord and extender can be removed, which will make packing and unpacking the welder for a pop-up event easier.

The Orion PJ welder features a simple to use interface that allows you to see and change all the settings with the touch screen. In fact, since there aren’t as many things to control, the interface is much simpler than on larger welders. To increase or decrease the energy levels, simply push the oversized energy up and down buttons. These will change the energy levels in half-watt increments. This is certainly a welcome setting for permanent jewelry artists for when very small energy changes are desired. There is also a lock button that prevents unwanted or inadvertent energy changes that could cause a bad result. The weld on/off button at the top will also prevent unintended welds.

While the screens of Sunstone welders showcase the brand’s signature energetic orange color, it doesn’t always match the branding of permanent jewelry artists. The Orion PJ allows users to select from nine color backgrounds. From Wild Rose and Baby Blue to Spring Sage and Midnight Black, jewelers are certain to find a color setting that works well with their aesthetic. In addition, users also have the option to purchase vinyl covers and custom wraps to make the machine look less industrial.

Just like other pulse-arc welders, the Orion PJ should be used with argon to create strong welds. In addition to being used with 20+ liter tanks, the welder can be used with the new argon mini tanks for maximum portability; however, a special regulator is required for use with the mini tanks.

The Orion PJ easily changes energy levels in half-watt increments—a welcome setting for permanent jewelry artists for when very small energy changes are desired.

The Orion PJ welder comes with one of three optic options: the original Auto Darkening Lens (ADL), Upgraded ADL, and microscope. I personally prefer the Upgraded ADL, as it offers more versatility and space that is customizable to better fit my needs. The viewing screen measures 93 mm by 98 mm (compared to the original ADL’s 40 mm by 90 mm viewing area), and it has 20 LED lights versus the ADL’s 12. In addition, the Upgraded ADL’s screen can be tilted as well as raised and lowered, as can the stylus, which gives you more freedom to work with your customers and positioning.

However, if you need magnification, the microscope is the best option. People ask if you can use a regular microscope for use with the welder. The answer to that is no. The microscope offered by Sunstone features a shutter that closes when the weld is happening. It is important not to look at the spark created when welding. Welders use special eye wear for a reason, and this is still TIG welding, only on a micro level. The possible damage done to the eyes is still the same. The microscope comes as standard with 5x magnification but can be swapped out for an optional 10x or even 15x magnification if desired.

How Well Does It Work?

Putting this welder to the test shows it is quite capable of welding really fine chains starting around 30 gauge (0.25 mm) and up to 20 gauge (0.8 mm). When I attempted to weld an 18 gauge (1 mm) wire, I found that the machine did not have enough power to make a good smooth join. I was often left with pits or splatters, but no metal bonding, connecting, or actual weld. In terms of permanent jewelry, I think this is a good thing as it will keep permanent jewelry artists from welding a chain that is too thick and not appropriate for permanent jewelry.

In addition to being used to secure permanent jewelry chains, the Orion PJ can be used to attach crystals to chain or to ball up the ends of sterling silver wire.

While testing out the Orion PJ, I wanted to see what else I could do with the welder. It made quick work of closing the jump rings used to attach crystals to a chain for a pair of earrings. It also worked well at balling up the end of sterling silver wire. This opens the door to permanent jewelry artists to consider adding complimentary items such as custom-made charms, earrings, and pendants to help maximize their investment. However, the welder does not offer enough power to resize a ring, unless it a very thin one. I also would not suggest retipping a prong with this welder, as the power and spot size is a little large to be working next to precious stones.

When deciding which welder is the best for your operation, consider how it is going to be used. If you only want it for doing permanent jewelry or simple jump ring closes, the Orion PJ would be a wonderful addition. However, if you also do jewelry fabrication and repair, I recommend looking into a pulse-arc welder that offers more power. With the popularity of permanent jewelry, many jewelers are able to pay off their machine after just two or three permanent jewelry events. For those just getting started, it’s feasible to use the Orion PJ to pay for an upgraded welder down the road without too much effort.