I've been evaluating the 'Sput Welder' for months and have made over 1000 welds with it. I've tried it with wire from 8 to 18 gauge and they all work, although the thicker the wire, the more care that is required when making the weld. I think it has at least 3 distinctive advantages over other methods of connection.
1. Strength: The weld strength is amazing...approaching or equalling the tensile strength of the wire being used. Depending on wire gauge used, the welds can easily support over 100lbs. The welds can be used to not only provide the electrical connection to the workpiece, but it can be used to suspend the work in the electrolyte. Even with this strength, the wire can easily be removed after anodizing/dyeing by working the wire back and forth a few times (radial movement).
2. Time: Making the connection only takes a few seconds. I don't have to spend time threading the wire into the workpiece or coming up with some sort of mechanical connection using aluminum nuts/bolts or screws.
3. Reliability: Once the weld is made, the connection point is 100% impervious to anodization, so connection failures have been eliminated. I don't have to worry about the connection failing and can concentrate on other factors. Now, if I have a problem, I can eliminate the electrical connection as the source and can concentrate on other potential trouble sources. I don't know about anyone else, but everytime I have a failure in anodizing, the 1st thing that comes to mind is an electrical connection problem and most of my time is consumed in trying to troubleshoot and resolve the problem.
I've anodized approx. 15 test blocks using the welder as part of some LCD testing I've been doing. I didn't have a single failure due to the electrical connections. I found that after cleaning the workpiece, then making the electrical connection, I could use the wire to move the workpiece from one stage to another without risk of touching the work and potentially contaminating it. Once complete, I just jiggle the connection back and forth and it breaks off, leaving a small crater and a bright, un-dyed spot on the piece about the same size as the diameter of the wire I used. I'll see if I can dig up a picture of a test piece that I anodized and dyed showing the connection point once the wire is snapped off.
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