Anyone have issue breathing the fumes of soldering?

[Jazz P Bass]

Here is some info from Weller on the subject of fume extraction.

[Alan0354]

Here is some info from Weller on the subject of fume extraction.

That's what I'm afraid of!!! It is very expensive. I looked on Amazon and they are $900 and up.

[waspclothes]

Here is some info from Weller on the subject of fume extraction.

Interesting, on that PDF it shows "Fine metal particles (tin) and others" being generated from soldering. I always thought that the smoke from soldering was just from the flux itself, but if they're measuring fine metal particles of Tin, they must be measuring Lead in the air as well (for lead-based solder at least). That can't be good..

[Audiotexan]

Holy crap. Never thought about that. :x

(2nd the assumption of flux only.)

[R.G.]

The vapor pressure of both tin and lead at soldering temperatures is below what is needed to get significant tin or lead vapor out into the atmosphere. The problem, if there is one, is in the flux, not the metals, if there is no higher temperature source - like a flame under a melting pot. There may be detectable metal ions in the vapors, but the amount is likely to be less than you'd get by handling the solder.

If you're worried about tin exposure too, lead-free solders melt at higher temps, and so the vapor pressure of tin is even higher with lead free.

Heated flux is reactive, by design. Breathing hot, reactive gasses irritates your lungs.

It is possible to become allergic to nearly anything - even including antihistamines.

It is well to be suspicious when some company is telling you how bad something is for you when they're trying to sell you some very expensive bit of equipment. Just sayin'.

[Chuck H]

Maybe it's like the sunblock farce. SPF 15 means you can stay out in the sun fifteen times longer without burning than if you aren't wearing that sunblock. But someone marketed some SPF 20, then 25, etc. Now you can buy SPF 60!?! AFAIK the sun is only up for ten to fifteen hours a day. Even if you have red hair and white skin and can only be out in the sun for a half an hour you could use SPF 30 and be out in the sun for the entire day on the longest day of the year!!! Oh yeah, I had a point...

I make sure there's an adequate path for cross ventilation and operate a small fan over the work. If any flux smoke does reach my face I try blow out a puff of air rather than just breath it in. I expect this reduces my personal exposure enough to make it insignificant at my level of soldering activity. If you're at a bench all day with a hot iron all year you should probably do anything you can to minimize exposure. Even if that system is the equivalent of SPF 60. For the hobbyist like me it's surely overkill.

[Justin Thomas]

Chuck, you can get SPF 120. No joke... after years workng in a pharmacy, I don't remember the system used to calculate, but the basic point was, anything over 30 is essentially meaningless. Hmmm, what other markets are we all familiar with where a bigger number doesn't mean anything useful, and is usually totall fudged anyway?

Justin

I value sweat & waterproof a jillion times more than the SPF 1jillion myself...

[Alan0354]

I just want to share the picture of the filter I bought. I only turn on when I solder, I doubt it is on for over 12 hours all together. Look at this!!! In all fairness, it's not quite as white in the middle as in the picture, but you get the drift. The filter is black, you can see the fume deposit on it. I put the filter about 12" from the point of soldering, so it's not even 100% of the smoke goes through the filter. My guess is 50%. Can you imagine that goes into your lungs?

I do feel better since I use the precaution.

[überfuzz]

Do I have an issue with breathing the solder fumes..? No! I can stop any time I want to. I just don't want to stop, that's all.

[Jazz P Bass]

Aah, vaping solder fumes.

[Chuck H]

Dammit people!!! Just put a low level oscillating fan directly over the work. Not blowing straight on it, but over it. And open the damn window!!! This basically emulsifies the solder smoke and fumes with all the other air in the room, which is also ventilated with fresh air by the open window, thinning the concentration of the offending toxins considerably. Take it from a guy that breaths paint fumes for a living. This works. Save yourselves, it's easy to do.

[Alan0354]

I can't open the window, I play very loud to test the amp. I have true double windows with 1/4" laminated glass. People that came over said it's loud even with window closed.

[Chuck H]

I can't open the window, I play very loud to test the amp. I have true double windows with 1/4" laminated glass. People that came over said it's loud even with window closed.

We're all old and tired! I don't like having to change things up or perhaps even wait for a low population opportunity to "crank it". It all comes down to priorities. I play about as much in two months as I use to play in a day!!! And that's no $h!t. But I do it because I'm motivated. I'm not really a player anymore as much as a builder/designer. So I do what I have to when I need to actually hear what I'm doing.

I tried. I have a good attenuator I designed. I plug it into a speaker emulator I designed and run it through headphones. It sucks. I've stopped using that rig in favor of not playing at all on a regular basis The circumstances under which you play are VERY important IMHO. I've even thought about starting a new band for the first time in eighteen years just so I'll have an environment to play in that has all the allure. Unfortunately I'm sadly out of practice and suffer embarrassment issues. Yet I know there's no way out other than just doing it. That's the point. If you're an artist and you're still inspired you'll find a way. But as I said, we're all old and tired. That's what happens. Typical death of a musician stuff. Maybe there's a wife involved. Maybe she had to give up cello because of rotator cuff issues and somehow feels better about it if her husband has to give up on his music also!!! Not that I would know anything about that But I'm still keeping the dream alive. Even if I'm not completely living it. It's all priorities and choices. Maybe it pushes the limits of a marriage.?. Not that I would know anything about that It's still all priorities and choices.

[Alan0354]

My music interest is long dead!!! Before, I keep telling myself I have capo tunnel with my hands and I cannot play. I had the surgery, I recovered, I can play as much as I want. I did try to practice............it lasted 3 weeks. My music days are way over, I am more into electronics end of it and use my guitar playing just to test the amplifiers and pedals. It is very hard to believe I once consider guitar playing was my life and I was going to make a career out of it.

The thought of playing in the band disturb me, I don't want to haul instruments, dealing with all the personalities, practice and all. Electronics is my true passion even after almost 30 years career in electronics. Now that I designed two guitar amps, I already have plan to design and build an audiophile power amp as my next project. I spent over a week studying the book on SS amp by Cordell, now I am going to get started on the tube power amp book by Morgan Jones. I am trying to decide whether I want to go tube or SS on the power amp. Most likely build one of each.

My wife has been quite understanding. Only thing she complains is the mess. I completely take over the library/storage room and make a total mess, having amps and cables all over the floor. I keep telling her, at least I am not into gambling, women, or keep wanting to buy new cars. This hobby is cheap, a few hundred dollars of parts can keep me busy for a few months. She pretty much let me buy transformers, speakers, parts at will. So I can't complain at all. An audiophile power amp is a whole lot more useful for me. I actually have my system hooked for tv and I use it like 6 hours a day. It is a lot more useful than guitar amps. So far, I just design and build the guitar amp, work on it until I am happy, then it just sit there. I did not even turn on the first amp in the KMD chassis for months after I finished it this summer!!! So I am actually stoked about getting into the audiophile power amp.

This is my cross word puzzles for retirement. I cannot imagine playing bingo, poker, fishing type of things usually old people do. I still like a good challenge.

[Dave H]

...The circumstances under which you play are VERY important IMHO. I've even thought about starting a new band for the first time in eighteen years just so I'll have an environment to play in that has all the allure.

Too true that, It's not much fun playing by yourself in the bedroom It's much better playing in a band but my band broke up six years ago. I hardly ever play music. The guitar is just a signal generator for testing amps these days. The drummer and I keep saying we should get a new band going but I've turned procrastination into an art form (so my wife says) and I can't face dealing with musicians. They are all flakes. There are only two types of musicians - those who have let you down and those who will let you down

"Capo tunnel syndrome" Is that unique to guitarists?