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Author Topic: Lead Solder  (Read 1183 times)

G3EDM

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Lead Solder
« on: June 16, 2021, 02:20:20 AM »

I bought a small spool (100g) of Tin60/Lead40 solder online from a famous UK electronic parts retailer. When it arrived today, it included 13 pages of safety information, printed on A4 sheets, single sided. There was also a self-adhesive sticker listing the salient hazards of the product.



It's amazing that I am still alive, after all those years of using this stuff! (Hint: British sarcasm.)

73 de Martin, KB1WSY (for now)
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SWMAN

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2021, 03:23:39 AM »

Wow, yes me too. That is the only type of solder I have ever used. I guess I may have brain damage from all of the Heathkits that I built over the years. Thanks Heathkits.
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W9FIB

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2021, 03:35:05 AM »

MSDS info is commonly sent with most every consumable (and I don't mean food) item sold where you become exposed to potential hazards. That way the supplier can say you were warned of the dangers of using the product. Thank you legal weenies for that. In many cases common sense should prevail, but there is no legal leg to stand on unless it is properly communicated to you.

Basically more trees killed to keep the lawyers away.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

KG4RUL

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2021, 05:19:08 AM »

There even exists an MSDS for water   ???
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W7CXC

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2021, 05:59:27 AM »

Just think of all those lead split shot sinkers that I crimped with my teeth. Likely not a good idea but sure was convenient!
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N7EKU

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2021, 06:11:49 AM »

There even exists an MSDS for water   ???

Well, people have died from drinking too much water (look it up), so there is that!
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Mark -- N7EKU/VE3

G3RZP

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2021, 07:11:12 AM »

Some years back there was a letter in one of the chemistry institutions professional magazine about the  number of pages with warnings about 250 gram bottles of glucose! People using glucose should wear full protective equipment including masks and impervious  clothes....

I am waiting for toilet paper to start coming with a "Best Before End.." date on it...In the UK, at least one brand comes with instructions of how to use it.....
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K3UIM

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2021, 07:35:30 AM »

RZP: "I am waiting for toilet paper to start coming with a "Best Before End.." date on it.."
Use "before"  or "upon"?? ::) ;D
Charlie
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

N8NK

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2021, 08:49:43 AM »

I used to collect wheel weights to melt down on mom's stove. I sitll have the Band Aide can shaped lead block. lol.
I used to find boxes of discarded mercury batteries from the drug store, I'd crush them with pliers to get a single drop of mercury from each one. When I had a pool of mercury, it was time to make 'silver pennies' by placing a puddle of mercury in the palm of my hand, and rub the penny into it. Rubbing briskly. Into my skin.
And yet - here I am, a retired biomedical engineer.
If I had an MSDS for every time I came into contact with solder, lead, mercury, cadmium, etc etc it would outweigh me. And I'm a fat old ham radio op!
73-
Chuck
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G3EDM

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2021, 09:38:22 AM »

I've just notice (bottom right of photo) that you are supposed to wear "hearing protection". I realise this must be a generic piece of advice for all hazardous materials, because the same sentence includes all sorts of other protection. Still, next time I do some soldering, I must remember to watch out for the loud boom.

73 de Martin, KB1WSY
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K6BSU

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2021, 10:02:25 AM »

And so, they promoted "lead-free" solder.  I bought a spool of it, and I haven't yet been able to make a decent solder joint with it.  Liquid flux seems to help, but lead-free solder just doesn't want to "flow".
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N7EKU

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2021, 12:34:29 PM »

Hi,

I'm not sure anyone promoted it for homebrewers.  It's main purpose is to reduce the use of lead in consumer electronics.  This is important to do.  As can be seen even here on radio forums, many consumers treat electronics as disposable items -- buy the cheapest one can from China and if they don't last or don't work for our needs -- no big loss, just throw them in the garbage.

But even if they then manage to make it to a decent landfill, they need to be managed basically forever, in order to keep the lead from leaching out into our groundwater supplies.  And this is in developed countries; in other ones they just sit there leaching out lead and other minerals and chemicals, or are burned or acid bathed by people trying to get any gold or other valuable metals out.  The remains just go out into the environment.  At least if  manufacturers remove the lead from the product to begin with, that is a good start.  And in controlled industrial conditions, lead-free soldering can be done pretty sucsessfully.

Use of lead solder by homebrewers is just a drop in the ocean.  And it is pretty difficult to get it into the bloodstream of adults, so it's just very important to keep any of it away from the young.  The main pathway is through ingestion so bits should be cleaned up carefully and not left around for babies and toddlers to swallow.  Once a person is past that stage, it is unlikely they will be eating pieces of lead even if they are melting it down for hobbies.  And lead only easily enters the bloodstream in not fully developed digestive systems, so adults are pretty safe.  That's why lead was removed from paints, because teething babies would end up gnawing on woodwork in the house or just getting flakes on their hands and of course putting their fingers in their mouths.

73



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Mark -- N7EKU/VE3

AA4PB

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2021, 01:17:19 PM »

I'm convinced that water causes death. Everyone I knew that died drank water.  ;)
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Bob  AA4PB
Garrisonville, VA

VK2TIL

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2021, 02:24:08 PM »

In Australia we need instructions to open a wine bottle;



But there are no instructions for replacing the cap and my liver is is a bad way.  :)
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K6CPO

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Re: Lead Solder
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2021, 02:29:36 PM »

I routinely get five sheets of paper printed on both sides with all the cautions whenever I renew my prescriptions.  It doesn't matter that I've been taking the same meds for years.
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