Anyone have issue breathing the fumes of soldering?

[pdf64]

An example of fluxed rosin free solders is Multicore ecosol 105 D610SCF222-250G - MULTICORE (SOLDER) - SOLDER WIRE, 60/40, 0.7MM, 250G | Farnell UK
I'm not sure what's available in the USA.
If you try searching for something, ensure that it's rosin free, not lead free.

Here's a good UK govt lab investigation of fume control from soldering http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr900.pdf

If you really want to do it properly, I think that a tip extraction system is all but mandatory for workplace soldering stations in the UK.

The hazard from lead was mentioned earlier; my understanding is that with normal soldering operations it is very unlikely to be released in a breathable form but handling solder and soldered products is seen to make lead ingestion a hazard.
Normal good workshop practice of washing hands before eating / drinking / smoking(!) / using the toilet etc should help to mitigate it.
Pete

[John_H]

So is there advantage of 63/37 that melt and solidify at one temperature point?

Yes, try it. You'll like it.

[Justin Thomas]

Our friendly neighborhood guru got lead poisoning a few years ago - not a slight case, but nearly died. It took him two years to recover, of STRICT diet and other means. The diet basically cost him everything he had, he had to move in with his parents (in his 50s), and he never totally recovered. Hexasked if it was the fumes, and they said no. It was from using his mouth as a third hand, and not cleaning the shop. They said although the lead doesn't get into the fumes, it can boil or spatter off into very tiny particles which settle out as dust, which he unknowingly tracked throughout his house. Point is, it sucks.

I'm not doing it on a large scale, but if I can do it outside or in fresh air, I do. And any kind of hot vapors and dust is bad for the lungs... I can't speak for guys like who do this all day every day, but I bet if most of us use some common sense we'll be okay.

I call him a guru because he treats an amp as an extension of the instrument; the neighborhood tech makes sure it meets spec.

Justin

[Alan0354]

Reading that makes me glad I’ve never smoked. A lot of my relatives died of smoking related diseases and most of them were in denial until the end. “It wasn’t the smoke. It was the dust at the bakery.”

If I did not have a burning passion on Tai Kwon Do at the time, I am sure I'll be still smoking now and I am sure I die holding a cigarette. If you and other people don't smoke, don't even think about trying.

Problem of quit smoking is not even quitting, it's keeping up that is the major problem. I am sure a lot of people can endure the first month or two just like loosing weight. That you are so excited you make a positive change. Then come the confidence part, you think you are out of the woods after two months, what is the hurt of one puff....just like one cookie for people on diet. Then another one, and another one. I have a friend that quit together with me. We did good the first month, but quietly he went back smoking. Just like 90% people loss weight gain it all back. It's a constant battle for a few years. It took me 7 or 8 years before I felt confident I quit.

[Alan0354]

Update....Review of the Fume extractor I bought. The extractor itself works fantastic. I did a soldering section without having problem with coughing so far. BUT the adjustable arm is lousy, the arm kept swinging up. In fact, when I first took it out of the box and release the tie, it swung up and hit my face..........I got punched!!!! It could not be tighten and I kept tighten until I broke the screw.

Lucky I was a photographer and I have all sort of flexible adjustable arm that clamp onto shelf. I use one of those and made the best and easy adjustable arm. 10 times better than the arm that came with it.

You can see it pull the smoke into the unit. There is no smell in the room. I think I can use any solder I want.

[Randall]

This is a very important issue. I know a very nice man dying from breathing paint fumes. I have asked people about this for years. I am 50+ and although I do not smoke, dying from fumes is not how I want to go. I will be setting up a new workspace when I relocate soon, and among my ideals of good lighting and a flat screen monitor on the wall for schematics and such, will be some sort of soldering ventilation.

And a wine cellar.

[Silvertone Jockey]

"I love the smell of rosin flux in the morning!!

[Alan0354]

Ha ha, I like the smell........until I started coughing. I had been smelling all these years, it must be old age.

[Leo_Gnardo]

"I love the smell of rosin flux in the morning!!

I love the smell of rosin flux in morning too, in fact almost all around the clock.

What's funny is when a customer walks in and thinks I've been hittin' a bong. And some of my customers are cops. No, Sergeant Sphinxter, that's Ersin Multi-core. Learn the difference.

[loudthud]

Ever use any really old solder? It smells different. Does it change with age or is the formula different now?

[Audiotexan]

Ever use any really old solder? It smells different. Does it change with age or is the formula different now?

Yes. I believe it was a change in the formula...but I could be wrong.
The other thing is, it was alot more common to have acid core around way back when than resin/rosin core....so you might look into that. Acid core was mainly for plumbing of course, but I know at least two instances where I've cleaned up the aftermath of someone using acid core on electronics. Not pretty to say the least!

[Audiotexan]

I love the smell of rosin flux in morning too, in fact almost all around the clock.

What's funny is when a customer walks in and thinks I've been hittin' a bong. And some of my customers are cops. No, Sergeant Sphinxter, that's Ersin Multi-core. Learn the difference.

Ersin?!!?? ERSIN?!! j/k
I'm a Kester or Alpha man myself ;P

[Leo_Gnardo]

Ersin?!!?? ERSIN?!! j/k
I'm a Kester or Alpha man myself ;P

Mostly Kester 40 here but I still have half a roll of good old Ersin 5-core, must be 35 years old or more. It works excellent, and sometimes I grab that roll at random. Kester's easier to find but I did have a snoop for Ersin a while back. It's available all right, just at vendors I rarely deal with. Prices for all solders have gone bazerko so I usually get whatever 60/40 or 63/37 Kester that's on special at CE/Antique, even if it's skinnier than I like. .050 suits me for most tube work, and I have plenty of skinny solder already. At these prices, it doesn't much matter whether you buy the cadillac or the mercedes. One of these days I'll get the Ersin, and keep my customers a-sniffin' at the "atmosphere."

Agree with avoiding acid-core for electronic work. What would my customers think if I started using that? Go ask Alice . . .

[The Dude]

"I love the smell of rosin flux in the morning!!

Speaker glue does it for me.

[bsco]

over the years in working with all kinds of chemicals and stuff, I ended up with throat cancer....it was wicked....lost 67 pounds in 4 weeks....gave me a new perspective on life in general.......