Solder fumes

What do people do about solder fumes?

I'm thinking of some kind of hood over my workspace - like one that goes over an oven. I don't want to wear a mask/respirator.
Other ideas?

I'm concerned about lead -

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2917196/

I tried lead free solder but didn't like it.

I don't think lead is a problem, the fumes are from the resin, still not good. Working in a ventilated space is good, if you are you could place a small fan sucking air away from you (or blowing). For sucking you need a bigger fan an closer to your work, I don't like blowing because I don't like how solder joints end up, but if your blower don't blow directly into the work but higher between you and the work should be fine. If your place is closed you may prefer a bigger sucker with a filter, the ones for air conditioner should be fine.

JS

We have a fume extractors at work they are not to expensive but not cheap either a good one will run out about 75.00 bucks. I made one ouf a desktop computer size AC fan, it works well and sucks the fums away.

That probably explains my dementia...  ;D

Back in the day I stripped wires with my teeth.. I probably ate more lead that way than inhaling fumes.

JR

I sometimes worry more about holding the soldier and getting the lead through my hands.
I don't ware gloves so I wash my hands every so offten.

I do not believe that "lead fume" exposure in recreational electronics soldering is a problem. Lead has to get a lot hotter to make much Lead vapor. The pool of hot lead is small and quickly cooled. If you are soldering right, 2 seconds of just-barely above the melting-point, then re-set to do the next joint.

That NIH report does not mention solderING, but "sources of exposure... paint, industrial processes, water contaminated by corroding pipes or solder, mining, pottery, and folk medicine."

Hand-washing is an excellent thing. Skin is not so good at absorbing metals, but then you need a snack (or a smoke!) and anything on your skin gets inside you.

Note that my attitude is corrupted by a childhood snorting lead from car tailpipes. If you are so young that you have never seen leaded gasoline, have never drunk from soldered pipes (home school or work), then you may wish to be more careful than I.

If you solder for hours at work, make your boss buy a fan.

If you work with solder-dip, a vat of molten solder, lead fumes can be substantial and you should observe ALL safety rules and report all fume-hood problem.

The "fumes" in soldering are mostly the flux. Electronic soldering flux is usually Rosin. Rosin is pine-tree sap. I live in the Pine Tree State and I say pines are your friends. Most people (~~95+%) get only minor irritation from casual rosin fumes. However like any complex bio-chemistry, some people have unusually strong reaction, and must switch to needlepoint or motorcross, something that does not involve rosin fumes.

dmp said:

What do people do about solder fumes?

I'm thinking of some kind of hood over my workspace - like one that goes over an oven. I don't want to wear a mask/respirator.
Other ideas?

Click to expand...

I have one of these things, and there's a window near my workbench. Since I do a lot of SMT soldering under a magnifier, my face is closer to the work than normal, so getting the fumes away helps.

I tried lead free solder but didn't like it.

Click to expand...

Consider upgrading your tools. I've done be lead-free for a decade and it's not a problem.

-a

I do wash my hands - I didn't realize the lead is not going to be in the fumes. That makes me feel a lot better.

I have one of these things, and there's a window near my workbench.

Click to expand...

That seems pretty nice.
Is it easy to connect a tube from the fan to the window? My desk is about 4 ft from a window.

They have a filter, so not much use of the window if you buy one of those. Even if not directly blowing to the window a vented space and taking the fumes out of your face should be enough for a long life of soldering. How much do you do this activity anyway? I didn't have really care about it but never did it really a lot of it.

JS

Lead is most readily absorbed after soldering is done and you don't scrub your hands before eating. Or you bite your nails or have a tendancy to touch your lips while thinking etc....

A well ventilated space is all you need. Yes I agree lead free solder is the way to go! I use WBT Silver solder myself and love it no problems at all. Yes its pricey but its worth it.

http://www.parts-express.com/wbt-0820-silver-solder-4-silver-content-1-2-lb--093-584?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pla

yes the body gives off heat which sets up convection currents which draw the smoke towards you,

good to be old where other things are going to get you first, 

learn to hold your breath until you pull the iron back, then exhale the fumes away,

and don't tale apart transformers from the 50's,

For better or worse, I developed the habit [ from a friend ] of lightly blowing on the solder
not sure if this was to cool the solder or blow the fumes but I do it.

I really don't like blowing on the solder, and if I have somebody besides me that make that for helping me as ask him to not do so, I don't like the finish work doing so, solder looks more fragile. I do hold my breath and blow the smoke but higher than the solder point.

JS

I made an extractor using a little empty speaker box, a pair of PC Fans, a wall psu and a footswitch to turn it on/off just when I solder, useful, but I note it gets the solder tip and the material a bit cool. I like to hold it a bit over the soldering zone

What I do is when the fumes go up, I move my face over, so as not to inhale.  Kinda like "Backdraft", when the probie asks how they'll know if there's fire on that floor.  (When the doors open, if it's hot, don't get out. )

Sorry, just couldn't resist.  I don't really worry about it, I guess there's so much other stuff that's probably gonna give us cancer, this is not as big a deal.  BUT, as I pointed out, I don't stick my nose directly over the fumes.  Frankly, I probably got WAY more second hand smoke when I was a kid (and from inconsiderate people these days) that will cause WAY more damage.

I worked for years with an open basement or shop window with a 10" fan in it. I am upgrading to a 10" flexiduct over the bench connected to the fan at the other end. I think the bench filter fan is OK but it has to vent somewhere.
I have had various degrees of heavy metals blood tests over the past few years and no lead present at all.
Mike

Relevant/interesting post from bcarso...

At one point a friend with access to a mass spectrometer asked for a sample of the solder I used, and came back quite excited: the lead in it had an isotopic constituency that made it readily identifiable as from lead mines in Australia.  Thereafter he got a blood sample and was able to tell me what portion of lead in my blood was from the solder inhalation and other ingestion.

The result was that about one-quarter was from the solder.  The remainder was due to living in LA during the years when gasoline still had lead additives.

Click to expand...

http://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=6283.msg74338#msg74338


David

jstark said:

Relevant/interesting post from bcarso...

At one point a friend with access to a mass spectrometer asked for a sample of the solder I used, and came back quite excited: the lead in it had an isotopic constituency that made it readily identifiable as from lead mines in Australia.  Thereafter he got a blood sample and was able to tell me what portion of lead in my blood was from the solder inhalation and other ingestion.

The result was that about one-quarter was from the solder.  The remainder was due to living in LA during the years when gasoline still had lead additives.

Click to expand...

http://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=6283.msg74338#msg74338


David

Click to expand...

Excelent information! who doesn't have a friend with access to a mass spectrometer?  8)

Thanks for sharing.

JS