Is a solder fume remover necessary for the occasional hobbyist like myself who may only solder a few hours total a week with standard 60-40 Kester?
That depends on how you sit when you are soldering. With any kind of welding, keep your face away from the smoke.
Having gone through many pound rolls of lead solder over years, and then not soldering at all for a long time, I began to notice serious problems with irritability and difficulty concentrating for days after soldering in a confined space, even if just a little soldering. Now I only solder with lead outdoors, under the kitchen vent hood, anything but in a sealed room. Of course soldering in the kitchen presents other cleanliness problems, but I think even an eaten fist full of solder balls (don't try it) might offer less bioavailable toxic material than the fumes, especially if you're soldering a bunch of old parts with heavily oxidized leads. My advice is keep it away from you any way possible. Then you wont have to worry about the problems it might cause. A fan in the window works...
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A fan in the window or a kitchen range hood are much more effective than the average fume extractor. Most of the unit's I've encountered consist of an extremely loud tube-axial fan with some very poor attempts at a charcoal filter. I've installed a 300 cfm bathroom fan over my soldering bench and tossed the fume extractor.
There is little to NO lead in solder fumes. Lead just isn't volatile in that way. What is volatile is a variety of pyrolytic decomposition products from the flux. These are what typically cause irritation and the smoke.
To avoid irritation, choose your solder carefully. You can choose the alloy as well as the flux. So, there is no "standard 60/40 Kester". There are actually a number of possible flux chemistries you can choose from, as well as different amounts of flux, and different types of alloys.
In my experience, Kester 44 flux is really caustic to one's respiratory system. The good part is that a more modern flux like Kester 275 or 245 are either better than, or just as good as 44 in terms of wetting and copper spread test numbers, have zero halides, and are very very gentle if you happen to inhale the fumes. So, while you still should have good ventilation, choosing a good flux can reduce irritation significantly.
In my experience, Kester 44 flux is really caustic to one's respiratory system. The good part is that a more modern flux like Kester 275 or 245 are either better than, or just as good as 44 in terms of wetting and copper spread test numbers, have zero halides, and are very very gentle if you happen to inhale the fumes. So, while you still should have good ventilation, choosing a good flux can reduce irritation significantly.
A fan blowing across the bench is a good idea. Ventilation is good. Exhaust fan is a great idea.
Learn to make the joint while exhaling. Like a sharpshooter learns to fire between heartbeats.
Learn to make the joint while exhaling. Like a sharpshooter learns to fire between heartbeats.
A low chair does wonders too. Being around eye level with your board vice keeps your face away from the smoke.
Yes! The Pine tree rosin from Russia that you get in those little black and red plastic containers is wonderful.
They can be addictive.
Also.. I've been soldering since I was 12, its done me no damage and I've had little to no ill effects from it. However I am cautious around soldering on old PCB's made from dubious materials. Which may or may not contain toxic glues.
The worst thing you could experience is being inside the same room as a cheap chinese computer power supply as the capacitors are violently venting and it sprays the smoke/evaporated electrolyte all around the room.
I'm looking for a small 12v powered carbon scrubbing fan for my own soldering setup. The best advice I can give is to not get your soldering iron hot enough for it to evaporate the flux/other stuff thats in it. But that requires a bit of practice. Getting it in that butterzone where it melts the solder but doesn't cause smoke.
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Any cheap 12V PC fan fed fom an old wallwart , some 4 or 5 feet away, blowing across your work area is fine.
You don´t need a hurricane but gently moving the smoke plume away.
You don´t need a hurricane but gently moving the smoke plume away.
Just open a window. 🙂 For DIY really no issues at all, will inhale more rubbish being in London for the day.
On the old "Bass List" one of the members was a Medical Doctor that work at a Research Hospital in Japan. He actually did some research on the possible effects of soldering with lead solder. His results pointed out that at the temperatures involved in soldering there was absolutely no danger from the lead. Although handling lead solder followed by eating food without washing your hands might be a problem. The Flux, which causes the fumes, was not a danger either, although some people might have slight tolerance problem or a very mild reaction to the fumes that are probably no worse than being in some kitchens while food is being cooked.
Best Regards,
TerryO
Best Regards,
TerryO
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There are some harmful things that can come from inhaling the smoke from soldering, so I would make sure to solder in a well ventilated area or with a smoke absorber like this one from Hakko:
Hakko FA-400 Solder Smoke Absorber - Free Shipping - In Stock
It will absorb all the smoke, so that you don't, thus protecting yourself against any harm that may come from it. 🙂
Hakko FA-400 Solder Smoke Absorber - Free Shipping - In Stock
It will absorb all the smoke, so that you don't, thus protecting yourself against any harm that may come from it. 🙂
Soldering underwater might be an even better way to protect yourself from the Evil, Demonic Smoke!
I soldered loads of pcb's over the years without a fume extractor.
As other said just don't breathe the smoke in.
I had to laugh one day when the boss got his daughter to do some soldering for him, suddenly a fume extractor appeared !
As other said just don't breathe the smoke in.
I had to laugh one day when the boss got his daughter to do some soldering for him, suddenly a fume extractor appeared !
I rigged together mine using a vacuum cleaner hose with an angled extension, a small Ziploc plastic bowl, a small 6V DC fan, and a length of weather strip foam. I punched a hole on the bottom of the bowl the exact circumference of the fan; ran the weather strip foam around the hole on the outside bottom in the shape of the vacuum cleaner hose's angled end opening making sure the seal is airtight; mounted the four corners of the fan on the inside bottom of the bowl making sure it blows into the hose and sucks from the mouth of the bowl; secured the bowl/fan to the VC hose with a couple of tight rubber bands and have it hover over my soldering station; routed the other end of the hose to an open window; flipped the fan power supply switch and voila it sucks fumes away and out while I solder away to my lungs content! Will post a pic when I get a chance.
Nothing fancy,
I use a 20" box fan in the window and a cheapo variac...
for a nice slow laminar flow over my bench.
If doing much rework on bigger stuff for example, through hole, then I turn it up
from say 30 VAC to 80 - 90 VAC.
I also have a small 6 in fan upstream that I can turn on to assist if needed.
I use a 20" box fan in the window and a cheapo variac...
for a nice slow laminar flow over my bench.
If doing much rework on bigger stuff for example, through hole, then I turn it up
from say 30 VAC to 80 - 90 VAC.
I also have a small 6 in fan upstream that I can turn on to assist if needed.
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