Cardas lead-free solder

[royewest]

I've been using the Cardas quad solder for a while and enjoy working with it, but it of course contains lead.

My kid is starting to show an interest in learning to solder, but I do worry about the lead. I have a little fan-and-tube setup to suck fumes away from my workplace, but still...

Has anyone had any experience with Cardas' tin/silver/copper, Tri Eutectic solder? Or other lead-free solders for building audio gear?

Thanks,

__Roy

[tsingle999]

I did test high for lead after a couple years of building kits. Not sure if i was high before as well though. Wear latex gloves when handling solder as well. Cilantro helps remove it.

[Paul Birkeland]

You'll have to heat the lead to 5x its melting point to get it to boil.  Most lead poisoning comes from contaminated paint that is chipped away or sanded, and that contaminated debris is inhaled or swallowed (note - this poisoning has nothing to do with fumes). 

A little bit of ventilation goes a long, long way, but most of what you're venting away is from the flux in the solder.

The best practice to reduce the lead issue is to wash your hands after you're done soldering. 

(Lead-free solder is garbage, I would only use it as a paper weight)

[galyons]

(Lead-free solder is garbage, I would only use it as a paper weight)

+1!!!

Cheers,
Geary

[Grainger49]

Check the Suggested First Project Tools thread in the Tech Tools folder.  I just have a $4 clip on fan that blows the smoke out of my face.  I also use a lighted magnifying glass when soldering.  That makes it so that the smoke has to be out of my face even without the fan. 

[royewest]

Uncle! Quad solder with lead reordered. We'll use the fan and wash our hands. Thanks, all.

[earwaxxer]

Interesting... I kind of thought that the lead isnt what is in the smoke (flux etc). Still, I can see the caution with kids with developing nervous systems etc. Us old fucks live on toxins. Its the glue that holds my joints together.

[HF9]

Lead free solder isn't much fun to work with, it takes way too much effort to get a nice joint. As the boys mentioned, some good ideas are to wash your hands thoroughly with soap after use, and you can use a fan and filter system to suck up the fumes. Also, a tough one, but one should try and keep food and drinks away from the workbench when soldering.   

Its the glue that holds my joints together.

Haha! Well said.