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I'm a little surprised someone with as solid a reputation as Ben Hencke wrote all that and didn't bother to dedicate a single solitary sentence to supporting th

I'm a little surprised someone with as solid a reputation as Ben Hencke wrote all that and didn't bother to dedicate a single solitary sentence to supporting the claim that leaded solder represents an actual threat to its user. Here I was, getting ready to point out flaws in his sources but not only doesn't he have sources he doesn't even have claims. The whole article is him disproving the myth that lead-free solder is more dangerous than leaded, which, granted, is a good point but he forgot to back up his thesis at all. Leaded solder is not even slightly dangerous to its user unless you make a daily habit of soldering for hours and then eating without washing your hands. Leaded solder does represent an environmental threat. Fortunately most manufacturers have switched to lead-free solder and the amount of lead put into the environment by hobbyist solder is best described as "fucking infinitesimal".

lolc 7y ago
Maybe you're so used to the safety warnings that you always skip them when you encounter them? Here, extracted just for you: > Compare that to the leaded version with the same rosin formulation. This also creates fumes that are not great to breathe (the same fumes), plus a bunch of really bad stuff because of the lead: > [Long list of bad stuff] > I think most of this speaks for itself, but I’d like to point out a subtle upgrade from P261 to P260 for the leaded stuff. It goes from “avoid” to “don’t” and I think this this is worth calling out specifically. Remember leaded paint? The stuff we banned in ‘78? The primary cause of lead-poisoning isn’t eating paint chips, it is breathing lead laced paint dust. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisonin... > “But solder dust? ‘Cmon, really? How can that even be?” I can hear someone typing already… Have you seen one of these? > [Picture of solder tip cleaner]
- Causality1 7y ago
  Putting aside the need of a citation or at least an explanation as to how tip cleaners create lead dust, that's a reason to use sponges with leaded solder, not a reason not to use lead solder at all.
  - lolc 7y ago
    With pathogens, my standards go the other way: I prefer proof they're not spread before using them. It is very reasonable to assume that grating metals against each other will create dust. That's what happens in a tip cleaner. And as for the sponges, I can see very small balls of solder on them. And I would call balls smaller than I can see "dust". Should I just assume that there is a lower bound to their size? That they're not there because I can't see them?
madengr 7y ago
There were some studies a few years ago that claimed lead free was actually worse for the environment due to a much higher joint failure, resulting in more disposal of electronics.
- KarlKemp 7y ago
  There were also a lot of studies a few years ago that people like to invent unnamed studies to support any inane idea that they just thought of to support their preconceived views.

lolc 7y ago

Maybe you're so used to the safety warnings that you always skip them when you encounter them? Here, extracted just for you: > Compare that to the leaded version with the same rosin formulation. This also creates fumes that are not great to breathe (the same fumes), plus a bunch of really bad stuff because of the lead: > [Long list of bad stuff] > I think most of this speaks for itself, but I’d like to point out a subtle upgrade from P261 to P260 for the leaded stuff. It goes from “avoid” to “don’t” and I think this this is worth calling out specifically. Remember leaded paint? The stuff we banned in ‘78? The primary cause of lead-poisoning isn’t eating paint chips, it is breathing lead laced paint dust. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisonin... > “But solder dust? ‘Cmon, really? How can that even be?” I can hear someone typing already… Have you seen one of these? > [Picture of solder tip cleaner]

Causality1 7y ago
Putting aside the need of a citation or at least an explanation as to how tip cleaners create lead dust, that's a reason to use sponges with leaded solder, not a reason not to use lead solder at all.
- lolc 7y ago
  With pathogens, my standards go the other way: I prefer proof they're not spread before using them. It is very reasonable to assume that grating metals against each other will create dust. That's what happens in a tip cleaner. And as for the sponges, I can see very small balls of solder on them. And I would call balls smaller than I can see "dust". Should I just assume that there is a lower bound to their size? That they're not there because I can't see them?

madengr 7y ago

There were some studies a few years ago that claimed lead free was actually worse for the environment due to a much higher joint failure, resulting in more disposal of electronics.

KarlKemp 7y ago
There were also a lot of studies a few years ago that people like to invent unnamed studies to support any inane idea that they just thought of to support their preconceived views.