Concealed welds
Concealed welds enable precise connections in places that are almost impossible to reach with conventional soldering – without heating the entire workpiece and without flux, which would require time-consuming pickling after the work. This tutorial shows how the PUK 6.1 can be used to join individual components in a targeted and invisible manner, even in close proximity to sensitive stones or finished surfaces.
1. the task
A bent setting, in which the stone is already set, should be welded cleanly onto a base plate. All parts are already trimmed, so an external seam should be avoided.
2. concealed welding on the rear side
If the material thickness of the base plate ensures good accessibility to the welding point, welding can be carried out on the back of the workpiece. The stone should ideally not rest on the bottom of the socket to avoid possible damage.
3. preparation
Several holes with a diameter of around 2.5 mm are drilled into the base plate. Different hole arrangements are possible. This variant with three holes provides sufficient stability for subsequent loading in all directions.
4. the settings
The welding parameter settings depend on the material and the material thickness. In our case, with a base plate of approx. 0.7 mm, a setting of around 45 % power with a welding time of 4 ms in joint mode is recommended.
5. welding from the rear
The socket must fit snugly on the base plate so that there are no gaps. Then weld all around inside the drill holes.
6. fill the holes
If the back is to be visible, the holes can be filled with material of the same alloy.
7. serging
It is then trimmed and polished if necessary.
8. concealed welding from above
If the material thickness does not allow welding from the back and the stone can also be set later, it is also possible to weld concealed inside the setting from above.
The holes are drilled in the base of the setting for this purpose.
9. welding from above
Using the same settings as mentioned above, the parts are welded inside the holes from above.
