Soldering

Hey guys,
Yesterday i took my first stab at soldering. Then later on i realized i didn't even have to solder. DOH!
At any rate, the packaging says "contains lead". Basically, i wiped down the desk i was soldering on with a wet paper towel and then i washed my hands with soap and water, then showered.

Is that all i need to do to clean up? The desk is my computer desk and i'm there quite a bit. Sometimes i even eat there. So i just want to make sure i did everything clean.

thanks in advance.

It's always wise to wash your hands after handling anything with lead. The shower part is a bit excessive (for soldering anyway :laughing: ).

Something else to consider are the fumes. You should have a fan to blow the fumes away from your face as they can be harmful. You can buy expensive fume extraction devices but they are overkill IMO for the casual hobbyist. Just use a fan, and open a window if you can.

Regards,

Dave

NickelPlate said:

It's always wise to wash your hands after handling anything with lead. The shower part is a bit excessive (for soldering anyway :laughing: ).

Something else to consider are the fumes. You should have a fan to blow the fumes away from your face as they can be harmful. You can buy expensive fume extraction devices but they are overkill IMO for the casual hobbyist. Just use a fan, and open a window if you can.

Regards,

Dave

Click to expand...

lol, didn't mean to overkill it with the shower thing. It was only about 2 inches of solder used up. Most of it was wasted becuase i stink at soldering and it went everywhere. None of it went directly onto the table though. I just wanted to make sure that there was no lead residue leftover since just about everyone uses this computer desk in here.

thanks

and always remember; you can lead a horse to water
but a pencil must be lead...

TedTheLed said:

and always remember; you can lead a horse to water
but a pencil must be lead...

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ummmm...erf???

Prolly a spin on things.

Pencil's have graphite in them these days.

no lead chips for breakfast for this mr shmartypants eh?

how about "..but solder must be lead.." then?

or better yet, "...You can lead a horse to water, but Ted must be Led.." yeah.

final answer.

ps -- erf? :huh2:

TedTheLed said:

no lead chips for breakfast for this mr shmartypants eh?

how about "..but solder must be lead.." then?

or better yet, "...You can lead a horse to water, but Ted must be Led.." yeah.

final answer.

ps -- erf? :huh2:

Click to expand...

erf = sound one makes when confused.

Alin10123 said:

ummmm...erf???

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erf indeed.

oh I see, GA... lead and lead, same spelling, pronounced differently depending on use. get it? it's fun with words. we do that here sometimes..

ok?

If you do a lot of soldering (hours per day) you may want to invest in a fume extractor (http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/weller/fumeextraction/wsa350.htm) since the fumes from the flux always head towards your nose, and I've heard they contain some lead.

Greg

i always after i handle something with lead rub my entire body in lard and put on a pair a purple shoes and a propeler hat but thats just me so i dodnt think ya should do the same .but the ladyss dig it

raggie, you must mean the ladyBUGS...

If you do all that just for 2 inches of solder, don't take up reloading bullets any time soon. :laughing:

I still hold solder with my teeth when I need a 3rd hand, and have done so for 40+ years. Lead is most damaging to the very young and not to be trifled with. Contradictory, yes! Maybe that's why Some people spend 40 hours a week at a rework/repair bench, and the cumulative exposure risks are very real. For hobbiests (other than bullet casters ) the risk is relatively trivial. When my employer went "politically correct," I scored a lifetime supply of Kester 63/37!

Larry

tvodrd said:

...When my employer went "politically correct," I scored a lifetime supply of Kester 63/37!

Larry

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I'm also waiting to score some of the leaded stuff when we pull the switcharoo in a few weeks. Thank the Europeans

I've been soldering for decades and I've never had any ill effects attributable to lead. I've sustained more injuries from accidentally grabbing the wrong end of the soldering iron or accidentally burning my hair while doing close-up work.

well that sounds like perfectly norbal things to do !

PhotonWrangler said:

..... I've sustained more injuries from accidentally grabbing the wrong end of the soldering iron .......

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What always amazes me when I do that is the delay time until the pain hits. I always have enough time to start wondering "What's that sizzling sound....?" before it becomes all too apparent!

PhotonWrangler said:

I've been soldering for decades and I've never had any ill effects attributable to lead. I've sustained more injuries from accidentally grabbing the wrong end of the soldering iron or accidentally burning my hair while doing close-up work.

Click to expand...

haha yea, just that same day i accidentally dropped the soldering iron on my foot and it hit my sock only for a split second. It didn't hurt or anything. but i noticed the toe end of my socks all had holes in it. The soldering iron actually melted the mylon thread that's used near the toe. Man.. that thing must be hot.