[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by guzzler Well, not exactly. Think of the typical 63/37 eutectic solder - 63% lead, 37% tin. Not really small by any standard.

Actually that's 63% tin by weight.

Since lead is a bit more dense than tin, probably about 20% lead by volume.

fwiw, the lead not only makes it easier to get a good connection, it keeps the tin from growing whiskers - which is a very real headache given the EU's impending lead-free requirements.

 

[BlazerFRS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxATOLxX Is lead solder better? I'm currently using 96/4 lead free. I was thinking of getting some silver solder for my next project.

I use the leaded silver solder from radioshack, sold on a 2 or 2.5 oz. spindle. I'm quite happy with it, especially after using radioshack's lead-free stuff.

It's lasted my throught several c-moys, a47's, interconnects, and a MINT and a half... so it's a pretty good deal for the use you'll get out if it.

 

[RnB180]

anyone here wash their cables and hands after everytime you touch solder?

I think if you live in an old house, you should be more concerned about the lead content in your plumbing.

 

[skyskraper]

i dont wash my cables, but i do my hands.

 

[ericj]

If you're really concerned that you might have lead poisoning, see if your county health department will give you a free or cheap blood test for lead. If not, check with your doctor's office.

But, before you do, take a shower.

I used to know this guy Jim who was convinced that he was getting lead poisoning from all his projects. All his electronics looked like they'd been pulled out of a dumpster and fixed, and most of them were. I once saw this guy set his couch on fire while trying to clean the goo off a transformer with denatured ethanol and a screwdriver without realizing it was powering his amplifier at the time.

ANYway, the point is, he wasn't the cleanest guy in the world, and his appartment at the time actually lacked any kind of bathing facility.

County health gave him a free fingertip pin prick lead test, and he'd been handling tin/lead solder all day . . . .

He probably did have a little more lead in his blood than most people, due to not washing his hands between tinkering and eating, but not nearly as much as the test said he had.

Have a sister who made a similar mistake wrt pin-prick cholesterol tests and hand lotion. I think this is one of the reasons that general practitioners prefer to have a phlebotomist draw blood and send it to a lab rather than use a pin-prick test.

At any rate, if you have halfway decent insurance, it should be cheap or free to find out. I have Pretty Good insurance, and all my bloodwork is free.