Semper HiFi
Head-Fier
I've got a nice headphone cable that I would like to re-terminate. Is there a particular type of solder that anyone would recommend using? I've only worked with typical 60/40 and 63/37 tin/lead rosin-core solder before.
Plus, I've been using lead solder since the 1970s ahahahaha and I never had <hysterical laughter> any effects ahahahahahah from lead ahahhahhhFor making audio cables, I would recommend what I've been using for decades: 60/40 (Tin/Lead) rosin core solder, which is pretty much the standard for soldering wires to connectors. I'm not convinced exotic formulations with silver and other materials offer any measurable benefit.
There is a trend in the electronics industry to move away from solder-containing lead since it is poisonous and therefore both a health and environmental concern, however, lead-free solder melts at higher temperatures and thus is harder to work with.
Yep 60/40 works well. I like 63/37 a little bit better, and I like Cardas Quadeutectic most of all but it's expensive. Just an FYI, but if you are rewiring a driver, be careful not to leave the heat on it too long or it can damage it.
Honestly, if you are using lead solder you should do more than just minimal precautions. You should use a respirator. It's fine if you want to risk your own nervous system, but it's bad practice and bad advice. I work as a rehab specialist and I have worked with a lot of damaged people who have been exposed to toxins. Bottom line is, you can't really tell what damage is happening until it's way too late. I used to work on cars and motorcycles a lot when I was younger and I had the same attitude towards fumes and solvents, now that I have seen so many people with permanent irreversible damage I wish I had know better. And it varies a lot, I have young guys in there early 50's who are pretty wrecked. And by wrecked I mean like parkinson's symptoms, not being able to walk or control your bladder or swallow without choking on a bad day. Just something to think about. Here is a good reference: https://weldingmastermind.com/can-you-get-lead-poisoning-from-soldering-heres-the-truth/Plus, I've been using lead solder since the 1970s ahahahaha and I never had <hysterical laughter> any effects ahahahahahah from lead ahahhahhh
Seriously, if you're worried about lead use rubber gloves, work with reasonable ventilation, and wash your hands after you take the gloves off.
Lead free solder is brought to us by the same clowns who fly to Brussels in private jets to attend eco-conferences and is just bad for more reasons than just melting temp. Use what works...
Honestly, if you are using lead solder you should do more than just minimal precautions. You should use a respirator. It's fine if you want to risk your own nervous system, but it's bad practice and bad advice. I work as a rehab specialist and I have worked with a lot of damaged people who have been exposed to toxins. Bottom line is, you can't really tell what damage is happening until it's way too late. I used to work on cars and motorcycles a lot when I was younger and I had the same attitude towards fumes and solvents, now that I have seen so many people with permanent irreversible damage I wish I had know better. And it varies a lot, I have young guys in there early 50's who are pretty wrecked. And by wrecked I mean like parkinson's symptoms, not being able to walk or control your bladder or swallow without choking on a bad day. Just something to think about. Here is a good reference: https://weldingmastermind.com/can-you-get-lead-poisoning-from-soldering-heres-the-truth/
I was not speaking about specifically just soldering, but occupational exposure to toxins. How any particular person is affected can be a real crapshoot, the human organism is complex. The bottom line is that it typically takes years to decades for the damage to manifest, and by that time it is way too late. The unfortunate thing about that kind of timescale, is that people can shrug and say, "well I do it, my friends/coworkers do it, and I don't notice any problem." One person may start getting nervous system dysfunction in their 40's and one person might get it in there 70's, and one may never get it at all, but if it hits, whenever it hits, you will be very sorry.since you are in that field, what % of the problem you see is caused by lead and what % from the solder fume (and lead just happens to be present at the same time)?
flux fume is a very real problem. I suspect the flux fume from RoHs/lead-free solder might be more toxic than the fume from conventional lead solder. To me, wearing a respirator/N95 mask is a must when doing a lot of soldering.
Lead in metal form is not easily absorbed. I think the RoHs thing is more about the electronics wastes which usually end up in the landfill (and eventually oxidize, turn into some kind of water-soluble salt and leaches into the ground water), it is not there to better protect the electronics worker.