Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #00018
To: beam beam@corp.sgi.com
From: Richard Piotter richfile@rconnect.com
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 22:55:29 -0600
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Flux smoke
For those who wish to know, I used to get a nose bleed during or after soldering
for as little as 30 minutes, guaranteed! Shows it's doing SOMETHING!!! Then I
learned solder had lead (I started soldering when I was 5). I then would sit on
the table witht eh back door open and the nose bleeds stopped. When I started
doing TI calculator upgrades and would have my iron on for sometimes 3 hours for
a job, I once again got the nose bleeds after so long of a time without them
(Interestingly, my blue soldering iron died and didn't get a new one till I
started do te upgrades). I reduced the calc work and was fine again. Then When i
made Walkman Jr., they started. After the robot's episode of Algo's FACTory, I
tooka break, and so did the bleeds. Guess what, I made MECI IV M, and the
bleeds were back! Interestingly, when I used silver solder for the new upgrades,
I did NOT get the nose bleeds!
I know it doesn't sound to nice to talk about, buy apparently that's my reaction
to lead. I make it a point to use open windows, and fans when it's warm enough.
It is cold outside, but I just crank the heat to 85 and crack the windows
anyway. Believe me, small amounts of lead do infact accumulate into larger
amounts, and solder does produce a good amount of lead in it's fumes. I think
It's a very serious matter!
I could lay in front of a stop sign and say, well the cars will stop, but will
every single car stop before the sign? Why take chances, and why make light of
it! Several years ago, those bleeds were bad enough that i wanted to be checked
out for it. I think i realy should have! I've been fine lately. But you never know!
Lead is in solder, therefore solder is serious. You don't need to worry much
about solder if you take good preparations. That's the key. I bet you wouldn't
have any lead risk if you used gloves and a good ventilator.
> I am taking the fear of *soldering* callously, not lead poisoning...
--
Richard Piotter
richfile@rconnect.com
The Richfiles TI Hardware and BASIC web page:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/5081/Richfiles.html
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