Posted by Angel on June 12, 2002 at 09:29:58:
In Reply to: Re: Lead free Soder? posted by Gary Dodge on June 11, 2002 at 23:51:59:
By gosh, it's not often that Gary and I agree totally on any subject, but on this one, he's dead right. Lead Free Solder SUCKS...even when you do spell it with an 'l'.
I predict that if you try to learn soldering with lead free, you won't be doing glass for long. Frustrating stuff. You're not in any danger from lead/tin solders if you don't chew on it, make fine particles you can breathe in by sanding it or drop it on your foot (as my friend Brady says)). Lead doesn't vaporize at soldering temp so just wash your hands, don't eat, drink or smoke while using it.
The biggest danger in soldering is with the FLUX fumes...they need to be vented away from your respiratory system....and it helps to use a GOOD flux that doesn't produce a lot of fuming. That's a topic for another message.