On the Road Again: How to Simplify Remote Welding

​A successful permanent jewelry business is on the move—a lot! Even if your PJ business has a retail store- front, you’re still taking your service to your customers, whether at farmers markets, home parties, bachelorette parties, or whatever. The bottom line: You got places to be and people to see.
Many PJ artists, in addition to mastering the art of permanently welding fine chain and jump rings, have also mastered the art of packing smart for welding remote. You’ll find many ingenious solutions on the Permanent Jewelry Community Facebook page.
To add to what you can learn from the PJ community, here are some basic tips to remote welding:
Mobile Power vs Extension Cords
For outdoor events, finding an outlet and stringing an extension cord can be problematic. Extension cords are a constant tripping hazard. They’re not cheap. And nobody wants to wrap up a dirty cord. Of course, when an outlet is nearby, that’s a score for you.

An alternative to extension cords is a portable power station, a small toolbox-sized appliance that is pretty much a big battery pack. The difference is a power station is much more efficient at storing and providing energy. For example, the Yeti 200X or 500X from Goal Zero will provide enough power to keep your pop-up popping and your permanent jewelry welder zapping for day. You can recharge the Yeti in four hours using an outlet. Or connect the Yeti to a solar panel or your car’s 12V outlet. Pricing for the Yeti 200X starts at $299 and is available at www. sunstonewelders.com.
Protect Your Welder Investment
Without your permanent jewelry welder, you won’t be doing a lot of permanent jewelry welding. You would do well to protect it from unintentional drops, knocks, and weather. You’ve seen photographers or surveyors trans- porting the tools of their trade in rugged plastic carrying cases with molded foam interiors. That’s the type of protection you should provide your welder.

Sunstone offers its Orion mPulse and Orion PJ customers with a similar case. The interior foam is customized to fit the welder and all its various accessories and cables. The case will protect your welder from bad knocks and bad weather. You can also lock the case for added protection. Sunstone’s case is only $149 with customized foam.
The Answer to the Argon Paradox
If you’re serious about permanent jewelry, then you’re serious about argon. Professional PJ artists use argon. With argon your welding will be stronger and cleaner. The science behind argon is twofold: One, argon acts as a shielding gas that prevents oxidization during the welding process. Two, argon and its chemical properties assists in creating a stronger joining of the two ends of a jump ring or chain link.

Unfortunately, argon and remote welding are a grand paradox. Argon comes in a compressed gas tank that is heavy and bulky, not something you want to take to a pop-up. Thus, the paradox: You need argon but it’s not mobile friendly.

Fortunately, the Argon Mini from Sunstone resolves the paradox. The Argon Mini is exactly what the name implies: A small bottle of compressed argon that should provide you with enough argon for 650 zaps. How small is the Argon Mini? It will fit in your purse, a bag, a baby carrier (with the baby, though that’s probably not a good idea), or even your back pocket! Available in 2, 4, 6, or 8-pack, starting at $145.

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