To start off, the primary tool I use to weld is the Orion mPulse Plus welding kit that comes with a pulse arc base unit that's touchscreen, a microscope with 5X magnification and shutter-eye protection, swing-arm microscope holder, a welding stylus, 10 tungsten welding rods and USB port and cable. It is one of the best welding kits for a variety of materials such as gold, silver and many other metals. The welder has 27 different Ws settings from 3 to 30Ws in increments of 1Ws. The microscope with shutter-eye protection makes it very safe with looking at the welding point as it shuts closed for a split second to not cause any eye damage.
When welding jewelry, every client will be different height and the way that they position themselves. I use a motorized table that can go up and down easily with two electrical switches, as well as a power outlet where you can plug in your Orion mPulse welding device without having to use an extension cable.
Cutting Pliers (cutters) are a necessity before even beginning the welding process. I use small diagonal (side) cutters to get a clean and small cut in the link in order to attach the non-cut link before welding the bracelet/anklet. The smaller the cutters are, the better, because some chain links are so small and fragile, they are prone to changing shape or bending when pressure is applied.
The second pliers that are great for permanent jewelry of thin and flat needle nose pliers. Having very small, thin pliers makes it a lot easier to handle small chain links, charms and connector rings. Thin needle nose pliers are also used to bend or make smaller connector rings or bending the two cut ends of the split chain link together to make sure the weld will be seamless. I recommend using flat needle nose pliers because some chains are flatter and boxier instead of being round.
Another great set of pliers to use for permanent jewelry is surgical locking clamp pliers. These allow to you grasp small chain links and lock into place. That way, you don't have to hold onto your pliers while reaching over for other tools or your welder! These are one of my top recommended tools and I never complete a job without them.
A fiberglass brush is another unique tool that I use after every weld that I do to brush off all of the charred surface to see if the weld is complete or if it needs to be re-welded. The small fiberglass bristles not only get into the small crevices and brush away all of the blackened material, but also leave a slight polish to the material.
Various grit polishing files are also very crucial to getting your permanent jewelry to not only shine, but to remove all jagged edges. After welding the link together, the link won't always be as smooth as you want it to be. Using a smaller grit like 400-700 to remove all sharp/jagged edges and then following up with a couple higher grit files will make the chain link super smooth, polished and ready to be worn wherever the client pleases!
An jewelry magnifying glass, that's especially illuminated, makes it so much easier to inspect your welds. They are very compact and super easy to use! I highly recommend using one of these to see if your weld is fit for the next step.
After you have finished the weld on the permanent bracelet or anklet, you aren't just done and ready to pack up. Check to see if your tungsten welding rod is charred (blackened) and use a sanding bit on a Dremel tool to sand off any charring in order for the next weld to be as smooth as possible!