5 ms·

Yes? I don't know why people still use leaded solder in the first place? I only use lead free solder for my hobby projects, and it works fine.

xyzzy_plugh 9y ago
Because it's easier. When I started soldering, the lead-free stuff was finnicky but I had nearly no problems with leaded solder. Regardless, you should have good ventilation when soldering. A small fan to suck smoke away, maybe even a mask, and take care to clean your hands and the area like you would any other harmful material (e.g. oil).
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- pault 9y ago
  Does anyone know of any ventilation kits that would work in an apartment that doesn't otherwise get a lot of air circulation? I can't drill holes in the walls for air ducts.
  - mmagin 9y ago
    https://www.hakkousa.com/products/fume-extraction/hakko-fa-400-smoke-absorber/hakko-fa400-smoke-absorber.html https://www.hakkousa.com/products/fume-extraction/hakko-fa-4... up close plus a HEPA filter in the room, and you're probably doing quite well. Use name-brand filter replacements and not some random crap.
jjoonathan 9y ago
Flows better, cracks less, doesn't grow whiskers. On every dimension other than safety it is by far the superior product. Noticeably so, even with practice and good JBC irons. I recently made the jump to tin, so the difference is fresh in my mind. I have a bench full of uwave equipment from the 80s on account of the price being 1/10 to 1/100 of newer equivalents -- how much of it would still be alive if they had used tin solder? Would my hobby still be economically viable? Quite possibly not.
- yjftsjthsd-h 9y ago
  > how much of it would still be alive if they had used tin solder? Tin ages poorly?
  - jjoonathan 9y ago
    "Tin whiskers" is the term to google. Makes for an especially visceral image search. There are many mitigation strategies, but lead was a miracle cure, and it will take substantial time and effort to approach its efficacy, especially on the multi-decade timescale. My guess is that companies won't bother. Reliability beyond planned lifetime impacts their bottom line negatively, if at all.
    - pault 9y ago
      Apparently there is a brewery named Tin Whiskers. I would like to meet the founder, I bet we would get along. :)
      - Stratoscope 9y ago
        Now I wish I lived near St. Paul! Not only is it named Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, but their beers have electric references in their names and schematic symbols for logos: https://twbrewing.com/beers https://twbrewing.com/beers I think my favorite names are Barrel Shifter Porter (an oak-aged porter) and Wheatstone Bridge (a wheat beer, of course). It's worth a visit to that page for anyone interested in clever product names and visuals. More background on their "Who are we?" page: https://twbrewing.com/who-are-we https://twbrewing.com/who-are-we They even use circuit boards for tasting flight holders.
    - yjftsjthsd-h 9y ago
      Link for the lazy: https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm Eugh. Yeah, connections randomly bridging to their neighbors is a nightmare.
DanBC 9y ago
Connector[1] pins on a ground plane on an 8 layer board are difficult to solder, and the wetability of lead helps a bit. [1] Or pvc insulated wire onto a piezo brass disc sounder.

xyzzy_plugh 9y ago

Because it's easier. When I started soldering, the lead-free stuff was finnicky but I had nearly no problems with leaded solder. Regardless, you should have good ventilation when soldering. A small fan to suck smoke away, maybe even a mask, and take care to clean your hands and the area like you would any other harmful material (e.g. oil).

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
pault 9y ago
Does anyone know of any ventilation kits that would work in an apartment that doesn't otherwise get a lot of air circulation? I can't drill holes in the walls for air ducts.
- mmagin 9y ago
  https://www.hakkousa.com/products/fume-extraction/hakko-fa-400-smoke-absorber/hakko-fa400-smoke-absorber.html https://www.hakkousa.com/products/fume-extraction/hakko-fa-4... up close plus a HEPA filter in the room, and you're probably doing quite well. Use name-brand filter replacements and not some random crap.

jjoonathan 9y ago

Flows better, cracks less, doesn't grow whiskers. On every dimension other than safety it is by far the superior product. Noticeably so, even with practice and good JBC irons. I recently made the jump to tin, so the difference is fresh in my mind. I have a bench full of uwave equipment from the 80s on account of the price being 1/10 to 1/100 of newer equivalents -- how much of it would still be alive if they had used tin solder? Would my hobby still be economically viable? Quite possibly not.

yjftsjthsd-h 9y ago
> how much of it would still be alive if they had used tin solder? Tin ages poorly?
- jjoonathan 9y ago
  "Tin whiskers" is the term to google. Makes for an especially visceral image search. There are many mitigation strategies, but lead was a miracle cure, and it will take substantial time and effort to approach its efficacy, especially on the multi-decade timescale. My guess is that companies won't bother. Reliability beyond planned lifetime impacts their bottom line negatively, if at all.
  - pault 9y ago
    Apparently there is a brewery named Tin Whiskers. I would like to meet the founder, I bet we would get along. :)
    - Stratoscope 9y ago
      Now I wish I lived near St. Paul! Not only is it named Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, but their beers have electric references in their names and schematic symbols for logos: https://twbrewing.com/beers https://twbrewing.com/beers I think my favorite names are Barrel Shifter Porter (an oak-aged porter) and Wheatstone Bridge (a wheat beer, of course). It's worth a visit to that page for anyone interested in clever product names and visuals. More background on their "Who are we?" page: https://twbrewing.com/who-are-we https://twbrewing.com/who-are-we They even use circuit boards for tasting flight holders.
  - yjftsjthsd-h 9y ago
    Link for the lazy: https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm Eugh. Yeah, connections randomly bridging to their neighbors is a nightmare.

DanBC 9y ago

Connector[1] pins on a ground plane on an 8 layer board are difficult to solder, and the wetability of lead helps a bit. [1] Or pvc insulated wire onto a piezo brass disc sounder.