Members Devi Ever Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 1) I'm asking out of curiosity, and possibly to raise a little awareness on inhalation risks of soldering for all the DIY'ers and new boutique builders. 2) I've been building pedals non-stop for 3 years now. The first year I didn't use any ventilation (my bad), the second year I got a filter/fan, and more recently I have been occasionally using a pretty hardcore mask along with the fan/filter (mainly because of Kim's concerns about long term exposure to fumes), but the mask can make work a real bummer, so I don't always use it, though I'm wondering if I should just suck it up and wear it all the time. The thing is, I still haven't been able to find any solid information on the risks of long term exposure to solder fumes with a fan/filter vs. also with a mask, and from what I've read, no one talks about a mask being necessary (a lot of people will talk about fumes being bad if inhaled and needing proper ventilation, but not many people talk about wearing masks... and not many people talk about situations where one is soldering 6-10 hours a day). Also, I haven't been able to find any solid info about non-lead solder vs. lead solder and long-term inhalation risks. We keep experimenting with non-lead solder, but have yet to find a brand that works as well as the lead variety. - - - Anyhow. Thought this might be an interesting topic to cover, especially with all the new people getting into soldering. - - - BTW, this is the fan / filter we use :http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7331 ... and this is the mask/filters we've been using recently... I highly recommend it for comfort, and from what I've read it's the best if you REALLY want to be super careful about fume inhalation :http://www.allergybegone.com/3m-6291-respirator-mask.html devi- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members i51423 Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 I've been pretty curious about this myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Marshall Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 i have one of those cheese fume filters.. with the hepa type thing over a fan basically.. i dont think it actually does much. When the weather gets a little better, im going to cut a hole in the wall, and put a fan in to actually blow the {censored} outside... and use some tubing and stuff to make a vent. flux fumes can cause cancer at worse, and at best long term exposure will probably give you respratory issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lanefair Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 I dont use anything at the moment. And I solder about once every couple of months on average which is why I never took it too seriously. Although I wil use a regular fan blowing through my general direction if I'm doing a big job. I'm more worried about the effects of my pot smoking days on my lungs than I am solder flux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alteredsounds Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 . I've been using one of these for a little over a year and also have rigged-up a couple pc fans to make sure as much of the fumes as possible are moved away from me. I did alot of soldering about 16 years ago and was having regular asthma problems, my doctor said that the solder was the problem although I am prone to asthma anyway. The extractor is a god-send and I also limit myself to smaller time periods of soldering and well ventilate my rooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 you can track down a Material Safety Data Sheet that corresponds to the type of solder you're using here about the long term effects of inhaling solder fume here's something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Acid Test Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Devi, I'm not sure how effective a mask would be, unless it was significantly more involved than a simple dust filter you get at place like the home depot. There are those made by MSA that have the replaceable cartridges, but they are not particularly comfortable for long periods of time. The suggestions to draw the fumes away from you sounds like a better choice. One last thought - do you know anyone that does ventilation system duct work - the should be able to easily make you something where you can draw air away from your soldering area using a small fan, kinda like the bathroom fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wah Guy Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by Lanefair I'm more worried about the effects of my pot smoking days on my lungs than I am solder flux. Don't worry about the pot smoke. Despite the government sponsored rhetoric since the '50's/'60's, pot smoke is non-toxic and does not cause cancer. The government always rushes to "debunk" any research that proves medical uses for pot. You know the routine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cerebus Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 censored Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vigor&kandor Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 i inhale that {censored} like weed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members autopilot Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 right know i solder close to a window that goes to the exterior, i havent used anything (i solder around 20-24 hoursa week), i'll be getting one of those extractors fans. I wouldnt worry about the mask, cause the greater % of leads stays in your hands not in the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Devi Ever Posted January 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by bieke you can track down a Material Safety Data Sheet that corresponds to the type of solder you're using here about the long term effects of inhaling solder fume here's something Thanks Bieke. That's perfect. Acid Test : Check my original post. The masks we use are the 99% effective kind for solder fumes (and so much more). Also that's a great idea about getting some duct work setup, unfortunately we're still apartment dwellers, though I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to set something up that would connect to a window. Should be as easy as going to Home Depot, so once again, kudos for that idea. Autopilot : Even if a greater % of lead stays on your hands, over time your going to be inhaling a lot more than accidentally ingesting via your hands. I'd rather be safe than sorry in the long run. devi- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Devi Ever Posted January 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Speaking of lead on your hands (or any solder / pedal building stuff for that matter), what's a good soap to use in tandem with such things? devi- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 got soap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Marshall Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by Wah Guy Don't worry about the pot smoke. Despite the government sponsored rhetoric since the '50's/'60's, pot smoke is non-toxic and does not cause cancer. The government always rushes to "debunk" any research that proves medical uses for pot. You know the routine... while im not an anti-pot guy, i can tell you that the physicaly properties of just about any smoke which comes from smoldering at a low temperature will cause cellular damage to the lungs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Marshall Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by Devi Ever Thanks Bieke. That's perfect.Acid Test : Check my original post. The masks we use are the 99% effective kind for solder fumes (and so much more). Also that's a great idea about getting some duct work setup, unfortunately we're still apartment dwellers, though I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to set something up that would connect to a window. Should be as easy as going to Home Depot, so once again, kudos for that idea.Autopilot : Even if a greater % of lead stays on your hands, over time your going to be inhaling a lot more than accidentally ingesting via your hands. I'd rather be safe than sorry in the long run.devi- Lead from solder pretty much does not end up in the air. all the smoke is from the flux... not lead. Lead has to get pretty hot to turn in to a vapor, and would have to remain that hot to remain a vapor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alteredsounds Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by Brian Marshall while im not an anti-pot guy, i can tell you that the physicaly properties of just about any smoke which comes from smoldering at a low temperature will cause cellular damage to the lungs. Exactly right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CapnMarvel Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by Brian Marshall while im not an anti-pot guy, i can tell you that the physicaly properties of just about any smoke which comes from smoldering at a low temperature will cause cellular damage to the lungs. Yes. There's a reason the EPA puts public health air quality standards on particulate matter. If it's not cancer, then it's emphysema or a host of other resperatory problems. EPA's now phasing in a 2.5 micron PM standard and is considering restricting even smaller particles on the order of 1 micron or less. That's cigarrette/pot smoking levels there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Devi Ever Posted January 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by Brian Marshall Lead from solder pretty much does not end up in the air. all the smoke is from the flux... not lead. Lead has to get pretty hot to turn in to a vapor, and would have to remain that hot to remain a vapor. "Lead is used in the soldering process in the form of lead/silver filler metals. When heated, lead oxide fumes are formed. Excessive exposure to lead oxide fumes can result in lead poisoning." from http://www.osha.gov/ ... but either way, there's plenty of other nasty chemicals in there to warrant a certain amount of caution. devi- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members M900 Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 I like the smell of solder. Sometimes, I burn solder just for the smell -- it helps me reminisce about my dad.. You see, he worked on vintage TV's (the ones with tubes) and teh smell of solder always reminded me of him. Specially around this time of year, it's been almost 15 years since he died from inhaled lead poisoning. c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RoboPimp Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 I think you should always wear a mask, for the consideration of others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpeedBallBlues Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 The only ways for lead (assuming you use lead solder) to really do damage is if you eat it, or much worse is BREATHING it! It goes right into the blood like a hit of crack does and once in your tissues it doesn't really come out, causing brain damage, immune system damage and numerous other problems. Now I much prefer leaded solder but don't have a good way to not breathe it other than sitting by an open door with a fan blowing out. I don't really think that's adequate. So I'd love to hear some ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpeedBallBlues Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by Brian Marshall Lead from solder pretty much does not end up in the air. all the smoke is from the flux... not lead. Lead has to get pretty hot to turn in to a vapor, and would have to remain that hot to remain a vapor. How do you know this? even if only 10 or 20% of the lead went airborne it would be a real health concern to anyone who soldered often. And isn't that why they came up with no lead solder in the first place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gil1 Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 I wonder about those hoods they use in kitchens. They could live out of the way above you, and suck fumes outside (there are models that will vent outside. Drawing it up will get the vapors clear of you quickly, and then outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CapnMarvel Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by gil1 I wonder about those hoods they use in kitchens. They could live out of the way above you, and suck fumes outside (there are models that will vent outside. Drawing it up will get the vapors clear of you quickly, and then outside. Those will do the trick. The semiconductor facilities I've done environmental audits on essentially use similar hoods for their solder-intensive operations. It's all about face velocity. And yes, lead from solder can become airbone. No, it's not because it volatilizes...it's in microscopic particulate form, which is far worse. It's not as likely to do so as many other things, but trust me, it does. I've seen the exposure studies of two facilities right here in Dallas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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