I used to work for a large company, I complained to the health and safety person about the dangers of doing large amounts of soldering every day. The health and safety person went away to look into it, and came back and told me it was perfectly safe, but would not of course put it in writing. This was British Telecom around 1980. My solution was to never solder anything ever again.

@jacobgaysawyer337

10 ай бұрын

good job man. your health is more important than your job. im a tig welder and no one in my shop is using any kind of breathing protection. then they dare to comment about my face mask haha. they are destroying their lungs and health. even informing them doesn't help. hehe

@davidyoung8521

6 ай бұрын

Welders, in general, have a shorter life span. They have a much higher exposure rate than a hobbiest. They are also exposed to associated shield gases.

i was breathing soldering fumes, sometimes for hours. i always had some kind of dizziness after 2-3 hours! Now i just use a PC fan to suck the fumes and i have no problem!!

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+mitropoulosilias Good option. Much better than breathing in the fumes.

@mitropoulosilias

7 жыл бұрын

Simple Audio Tips yes sir, i hope that younger guys may realize that their health is the most value of all.

@informediatech-bruno5766

4 жыл бұрын

realy pc fan sucking that much?

@wheelburnerz3602

3 жыл бұрын

Well i was thinking ab the same way... Now i think im gonna use it too, thank you ;)

@IBasilisvirus

4 ай бұрын

A FAN ITS NOT ENOUGH, YOU NEED TO EITHER BUY A PROPER FILTER OR USE A VETILATOR TO PUSH THE AIR OUTSIDE THE LAB!!!!

Answer: yes. Reason why: chemicals. Solution: ventilation

@air_

4 жыл бұрын

So I can just solder outside with a mask on and not die?

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

As long as you avoid breathing in the fumes Air_.

@heinzguderian9980

4 жыл бұрын

​@@air_ Only respirators will protect from hazardous chemicals. Basic masks don't do anything.

@j_respect5948

3 жыл бұрын

@@heinzguderian9980 ok thanks

@EdwardTriesToScience

3 жыл бұрын

Ideally you would do it in a fumehood, but you can use an ordinary tabletop fan to suck the fumes away and fan it out a window

I use my lungs to filter the fumes.

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+Arshdeep Thind lol - many do.

6 жыл бұрын

:V

@Bupcraft

5 жыл бұрын

XD

@goodun6081

5 жыл бұрын

Gary Davies, I started casting my own fishing sinkers and lures out of lead at age 10, which was about the same age that I first started working on electronics and working with lead solder (and fixing burst pipes in our summer cottage that was unheated throughout the winter). If you squeezed me like a sponge you'd probably get rivets of liquid metal running out of me like the blonde b***h in Terminator 2, not to mention that I'm sure we broke a few of those little handgeld plastic maze toys with the ball of Mercury in them inside the house at one point or another. It doesn't seem to have affected me at all, my memory, command of the English language and my hand control are completely unaffect..e37nd7@%$&>?×f46....ed.....oh, now where was I ?

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

HaHa! I don't think your the only one who has had major exposure over the years. Like a ticking time bomb. Hopefully it won't effect us at all. I have been involved in the construction industry for years and I wonder about a lot of the toxic products like asbestos. Thanks for your comment, stay healthy.

For me the reaction is almost instant. I get severe headaches, worse bit my soldering area is too small and i don't use extractor, thanks for your tips.

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+VoiceSriLanka I appreciate you letting me know how it effects you. Thanks for commenting. As you can see from the comments a lot of others are effected badly as well.

@rich1051414

6 жыл бұрын

I get headaches from it too. Hits me only a couple hours after soldering if I didn't have a fan set up.

@thegeek3295

Жыл бұрын

More likely you're having a reaction to the tree sap (rosin). Do you have allergies? Allergic to pollen? The concentration of lead is 10,000 lower than needed to be dangerous. Its too heavy and does not evaporate. The surface tension from the flowing solder pulls it all together, it does not float away into the air.

@samfarias

8 ай бұрын

​@@thegeek3295 you're assuming what his rosin is made of--you dont know. There's plenty of other fillers and additives used that could be causing headaches and other buildups that may seem benign at first. And not just in the rosin. Also god knows where you pulled that lead stat from, because you're also assuming lead can't combine with other chemicals. Not to mentioned no one even mentioned lead in this short thread 😅my guy being macho isn't gonna save you. quite the opposite

I solder a lot while working on my radio control hobby gear. It definitely helps to have a fan to circulate the air. I've found that when I've forgot to turn my fan on that I don't feel well afterwards. Great video and a very good reminder that no matter what we are soldering that we should be taking proper precautions.

@GaryDmedia

8 жыл бұрын

Well said! It took me a little longer to catch on. I soldered for years without good ventilation. Thanks for commenting and great to hear your experience.

@E-Kat

2 жыл бұрын

Omg, I hope it was a lead free solder! But even lead free, still it emits chemicals not usually present in the air! I hope you're well.

Great work buddy you earned a new sub! BTW i love how you answer every comment even if its late. Keep going 👍

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate your support. I don’t get that many comments so it’s not too hard to keep up.

Thanks for this. I worked around a lot of solderers, 2013 to 2015, & they all seemed to have respiratory problems, eczema, & psoriasis, so I wondered. I would like my kid to learn, but safely.

Nice video. Very well explained. I repair cellphones and when microsoldering you really get close to the fumes. I knew it was toxic so I decided to purchase an extractor. Much better now! :)

@GaryDmedia

8 жыл бұрын

+Jorge Palacios Good decision to buy an extractor. I appreciate your comment considering you are someone who uses an iron all the time.

Thanks friends. I really appreciate this safety video.

The best awareness video in solder fumes injuries to health

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Raju for your comment. Many people are unaware of the risks.

Great video. You explained it very well.

@GaryDmedia

9 жыл бұрын

Lalita Faroli Thanks so much. I appreciate you commenting.

thanks great video very professional!!!!! i was soldering yesterday and today my eyes hurts an i had shortness of breath your tips are very important to us thanks for sharing!!!!!!!!!! now you have a new subscribed!!!!!!!!

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jorge, stay safe.

Sir, thank you very much for your kind information

thanks. I was just soldering and breathed in the fumes (not to mention the rubber on the cord that accidentally burned that I also breathed in lol) and started to feel unwell. this helped cause I had no idea the fumes were bad for you. thanks!

@GaryDmedia

8 жыл бұрын

Appreciate your feedback. I think there are a lot of people who have been soldering and are unaware of why they get a headache. Work Safe!

@CrazyDanishHacker

6 жыл бұрын

The burned rubber will definitely make you feel unwell very fast and was likely the cause in your case. (It's a very unpleasant smell.)

So sad... I loved the smell of soldering! It had a certain nostalgic effect on me, taking me all the way back to high school, in the 70's, where I was first exposed to that sweet smell of technolgy! LOL

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+Robert Cartier Yes it has a certain familiar smell about it if you loved science and shop work at school. I know what you mean. Thanks for commenting.

@billiepence7123

4 жыл бұрын

Robert Cartier me too. I took 2-3 big wiffs and developed a serious migraine which occurs every 2 weeks. I can’t do anything about it anymore and have to live with this now. I hope I don’t have cancer.

Having just bought a lead testing kit to test the filter on my dinky fume extractor, I can ABSOLUTELY confirm lead is getting in the air. Just because it doesn't *vaporize* doesn't mean it also won't aerosolize or turn into dust that you end up blowing around the room. At this point, I'm thinking that complaining about unleaded solder is like complaining about seatbelts being uncomfortable. (That and unleaded solder is getting much better; to the credit of the video, is better now than it *was* then).

@GaryDmedia

2 жыл бұрын

Great points Adam. Thanks for sharing your findings.

@jackheinemann8780

Жыл бұрын

mate, we are literally talking about trace amounts of a metal that is widespread in the environment

@radnukespeoplesminds

Жыл бұрын

@@jackheinemann8780 as much as I prefer using lead solder from a usability perspective, there is NO safe level of lead. There has never been any scientifically backed safe level of lead. Lead is NOT common in a natural enviornment, it is a heavily refined metal.

@jackheinemann8780

Жыл бұрын

@@radnukespeoplesminds lead did not naturally occur at widespread low leavels in the emviroment, however they due to nearly a century of burning leaded fuels amongst other thingd, trace evels of lead and other heavy metals can be found in antartica. It is now widespread at very low levels, if you were born before the mid 80s, you had what is now considered dangerous levels of lead in your blood. It's funny I was actually doing some soldering today and thought of this video and comment section as the smoke wafted by my snout...and yes I held my breath

@sentakatsuki

Жыл бұрын

@@jackheinemann8780 how long have you been soldering for? i'm afraid of lead poisoning from inhaling the fumes or dust getting on to stuff in my room because I don't have a specialised workshop or something like that. i sleep in this room. how big is the risk (using 60Sn 40Pb solder)?

All I know is from my welding teacher that don't mess with lead, zinc, and a few other toxic metals. Soldering is sadly using lead but I saw a few ways to reduce the hazards by having a fan blow the smoke away from near you.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, good idea. Much better to do that than risk breathing it in.

i have been doin this for so long without knowing that lead can be harmful ... after knowing this fact I was frightneed but your video made me happy and satistfied

I just started getting into soldering a week ago and was worried about fumes and this is the first video I watched. Thanks for the information. I'm on a budget so I'll probably build my own filter with a CPU fan and som carbon filter cloth lol. I hope that would be alright. :)

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

I'm sure you will develop your soldering skill quickly with practice. Making a carbon filter extraction system is a great idea. Hope it goes well.

@honey78665

3 жыл бұрын

@@GaryDmedia Thank you! :)

Great video! I've gotta get me one of those fans! No solder smoking...got it...

@GaryDmedia

9 жыл бұрын

Thanks samdasurfinman appreciate your feedback.

This is interesting to see, I was soldering some hours today. But I wasn't protecting myself from the fumes other than holding my breath or blowing air on the smoke.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

John I think most practice the same method as you but there are some real dangers over time it seems.

@thegeek3295

Жыл бұрын

The facts are real but the concentrations are so low that its harmless. Dont stress, you'll be ok. Its just tree sap and the lead is too heavy so evaporate. Only the tiniest of tiniest particles will make it high enough to breath in. Enjoy your hobby and breath easy.

@samfarias

8 ай бұрын

​@@thegeek3295 did you come to the comments just to push a bias? I hope you saw the video instead of just saying 'the facts are real'

Thank you so much!

I have a large "air conditioner" That is on wheels. I used it when moving houses but am thinking if setting up its inflow pipe to where I solder and using it as a fan. Then pointing it out of the window to get rid of all the fumes.

Really good video, thank you Sir

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

I’m glad the video was helpful. Thanks Neilbert G.

Thanks Sir Great information 💗

Nice, helpful video!

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tevin, I’m glad the video was helpful.

I really don't realize it when I do it but when I solder a connection, I take a deep breath and as I solder, I slowly exhale directing the air stream towards my soldering blowing the smoke away. Now that I'm much older the smoke seems to bother me a lot more than it did when I was younger so now, I work harder at not breathing any smoke at all.

@GaryDmedia

2 жыл бұрын

Yes many do the same thing. Good ventilation is the key. Stay safe Dan.

Working for my university project just curious about the fume. I use a exhaust fan to take the fume outside of my room

I own a 3m cartridge based respirator and I wanted to know what filters would work best for protection against fumes when soldering I know about proper ventilation but I’d like to avoid it as much as I can due to my asthma

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

I carbon filled canister is best. It will absorb any toxic chemicals.

Thank you, for your advice. Hey do you guys have an idea about the best way to solder pick ups in a guitar?

@GaryDmedia

6 жыл бұрын

I created a video on soldering a while back that will help: kzread.info/dash/bejne/p66JzKWAicq8j84.html

Good info...thanks!

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

I'm glad the video was helpful. Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks for the video 👌👌

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

I’m glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me know.

nice work...thanks

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+Al Hodge Thanks for the feedback.

I'm sold, time to buy one after I had a soldering fume related wake up call recently.

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+uK8cvPAq Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. I appreciate you making a comment.

I started working at a repair shop and me and the other technicians joke about being "chrome brain" from all the soldering we do

A link to the referenced fumes analysis would have been useful.

I was a leadman on an aerospace electronic assembly line working on intricate computer point to point wire soldering using 60/40 tin/lead rosin core solder and common soldering irons. Neither I, nor my soldering assembly workers ever complained of illness due to lead fume inhalation. Later on I was briefed on forthcoming PC board solder bath production techniques using lead free solders and fluxes. I do not use lead free solders and fluxes for my present day RC hobby connector soldering. Lead free solders require significantly more heat which can damage plastic connector bodies and is much harder to use in getting good solder flow connections.

The few times I solder without ventilation, small Arduino stuff without lead in it. I get a strange feeling in my head for 20 minutes, it goes away pretty fast. Don't think that is any more dangerous than passive smoking. Good tip is to not breath when the smoke comes up, at least you will breath a less concentration of it, but always open a window if you can.

@GaryDmedia

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, good advice. It is a must to have good ventilation in the room. Thank you for sharing your comment.

My main concern was lead fumes, so thank god for that. Still, I have a question: Alloys tend to have a lower melting/boiling points than the pure metals, so may the solder have a lower boiling point too?

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

You are correct. Alloys, made up of two metals have a weak link so to speak. Solder is lead and tin inmost cases. It seems that as temperature rises the lead will boil first as it has a lower boiling point. Lead is about 1750 degrees and tin about 2600 degrees. As you see they are well above the working temperature of 450 degrees that you use to solder with. Even so, the fumes from many other additives that boil off at a lower temperature is the concern. Thanks for asking.

@elus89

9 ай бұрын

@@GaryDmediaYou've made an error in how the fumes are created. The flux does not boil. It is a hydrocarbon so it burns when it is exposed to oxygen at the right temperature. That's why there are so many products that make up the fumes, that were not present in the liquid state. Those products have metabolized. Even below burn point many products will metabolize due to the unstable nature of hydrocarbons when exposed to atmospheric oxygen ions. That's why a wooden log doesn't melt, the gases that metabolize burn: Hydrogen (H2), Carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4).

Great video

@GaryDmedia

2 жыл бұрын

Sarah, glad the video was helpful. I appreciate the feedback.

I was dumb yesterday since I decided to solder in my kitchen and I felt drowsy after inhaling the smoke let off.😢

A few minutes ago, I just tested using a 3M heavy duty respirator (with 2097 filters) by melting some solder. The filters effectively prevented me from inhaling eau de solder fumes, and was around US $30 for he respirator frame and the filters, which came as a kit.

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

That’s great Emily, just make sure you store the respirator in a sealed container like a zip lock bag when your not using it. You will extend its working life as it will continue to soak up odours in the air while your not using it. Also try to still have some fresh air coming into the room while your soldering.

@funnyarc

2 жыл бұрын

@@GaryDmedia Also note that active carbon (vapour filter) wears out after time of usage, may last 3-6 months, or longer? the particle filter will not though, unless damaged through various means, though it can become harder to breath as the particle filter becomes more full of particles... Just saying so someone doesn't like, use a active carbon filter, like, forever, even after the carbon filter is as good as useless. Also cleaning a respirator according to recommendations by 3M is a good idea, so fungi and pathogens can't grow in it, and it doesn't get dirty in way you can't get good positive and negative air pressure, especially with the breath and maybe snot getting to places inside with usage, cleaning with those pure dish soaps (no oils, parfums, coloring, etc, just non-ionic and anionic surfucants) at a temperature under 49°C, maybe dismantling the mask to better clean (be sure to correctly assemble the mask), you also can check for damages/tears too. 3M also recommends doing disinfection after cleaning, though i wonder if it's meant for hospitals where bacteria, viruses, etc can live that are resistant to heat and soap and dangerous enough you can't allow any to survive and spread to the yourself and the rest of the world, but perhaps some used material in the mask can be porous enough that bacteria hide in the material over time? Anyway, best do then i guess, just in case... Also warning, you Must Not clean the filters (the bare filters like 2135(P3), 2097(P100+active carbon), or the filters inside those with plastic shells), must Not be cleaned, Any cleaning of the particle filter and carbon filter Will damage them, reducing filter efficiency. Most that can be cleaned, if you were to use filters where filters are inside plastic shells, like for example 6035(P3)/7093(P100) filters, could carefully disinfect outside with 70% isopropyl without touching the filter inside.

@GaryDmedia

2 жыл бұрын

Good points, thanks for adding the details.

@SebVEVO

7 ай бұрын

I'm also considering using my 3M for this coz, even in a well ventilated area, I just got an irritation in my nose and had to stop what I just started.

A material does not need to boil to have some of it evaporate. How this relates to lead and tin I don't really know, but it's worth thinking about.

All of the fume extractor’s on Amazon say they only remove 80% and the other ones are honestly out of my price range. So I’m thinking about going to Harbor Freight buying a air mover with a tube and sucking on the toxic fumes out into my neighbors backyard.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

HaHa! Well that’s an alternative but I think you will find in practice an economical extraction fan is fine as long as you have good ventilation in the room.

I definitely feel my asthma when I have been soldering, worse as I’m getting older. It’s a good reminder not that I use extraction as is noisy and annoying. I will have to think seriously about extraction. The fan is a good idea it at least dilutes the fume and exposure.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, even some cross ventilation is a real benefit. Sorry to hear your troubled with asthma, all the more reason for caution. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment.

@allthegearnoidea6752

5 жыл бұрын

Gary Davies it a great pleasure to watch your videos, you have quite a body of hard work and I share your audio interests.

Would a PM2.5 mouth mask work? I don't know much about the difference between different types of Facemasks. Could you recommend a cheap facemask I could use to protect myself? Thanks!

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Lowe, the PM 2.5 mask rating is for general air pollution and would be better than not having a mask on at all. In saying that you should always suck the smoke away from where you are working. Any mask should be viewed as a LAST line of defence. When choosing a mask if that’s your choice be sure to choose one that filters smoke particles.

Interesting, I had always assumed it to be toxic because of the lead. Now I understand how toxic *FLUX* is!

I bought a cheap high velocity fan ($7) from the local home improvement store + extractor filters off Amazon ($13, instead of the expensive extractors available). I'm using wire ($2) to attach the filters to the fan, to make my own inexpensive extractor, which will blow away from me, toward a window. I'm setting up a work table right near a window, that I can also open for ventilation, with the filter extractor fan pointed toward this window. I'm using a 2nd fan (I already owned) in the window, pointing out, to extract the fumes more thoroughly as well, (to use as needed... when weather permits/ or for limited 'air clearing' bursts, etc). To isolate window air flow (& prevent air blowing in): I'm simply taping plastic from a roll between my window frame & onto the edge of my window, with slack, so when i open the window, the plastic will spread out to cover the area above the fan, to help channel the air the way I want it to go. Very inexpensive.... about $22 since I already have a roll of plastic & tape for it & 2nd fan. (This will help with all sculpture type art work I do that creates fumes as well).

*Thank you* 👍👍👍👍👍

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad the video was helpful.

Very nice video.. Is it worth having a desk carbon activated fume extractor if the exhaust is not routed to the outside? Aren’t you still breathing in what’s coming out from the back of the extractor?

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

Good question, the carbon filter is designed to soak up the toxins in the air as they are sucked through. It does become saturated after a while so the filter paper would have to be replaced. The filters will have instructions on this time frame.

@Ivar1231

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video and the info, very good..... 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

I use solder wick to clean the point on the circuit board before soldering. :)

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

That’s a good practice Sean. Thanks for commenting.

Thanks

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for letting me know. 👍

Yesterday, I was soldering and my teacher didn't put this extractor on properly and me and my mates were soldering for a good 1 - 2 hours. We all smelt and inhaled the smoke and it was gross. At one point I had a coughing fit and my friend had one shortly after i mean we were bright red. We didn't think that much of it but then today I was cycling my bike and it felt like someone kept punching my chest. I had a coughing fit and i couldnt breath and my throat was almost burning. Whenever i try to take a large gulp of air my chest tightens and really hurts :(

@Jlang-es9lc

8 жыл бұрын

+Affirmative Negative we were also soldering circuit boards

@GaryDmedia

8 жыл бұрын

What a lesson to learn! We all have to look after our personal safety.

@wtssmaller

6 жыл бұрын

Affirmative Negative i had soldered in my room since i was 8 years old (now im 16 and it was probably around 0.5 to 1 time per month on average). Nobody told me that it was unhealthy and i didnt feel bad or anything, only one time i got headdache after an hour of breathing close to the steam

I was just given a soldering iron as my first, do you think a big stand up fan would help to take away the fumes

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Great to hear you got a new iron, nice! You just have to suck away the fumes. Don't solder in a breeze, it will upset the soldering process. Have plenty of fresh air in the room.

I've been soldering for a few months, I never directly breathed it in, I would always put my shirt over my face or hold my breath and blow the smoke away until it was gone, then I would start breathing again. Do you think I could get sick, even if I actively practiced this habit? I am such a germaphobe I always worry if something is toxic or dangerous for me, so I never breathed it in, I may have one for a few seconds but not a whole lot.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

In most cases where people get sick it is because of long exposure to these toxic fumes. It is always a good idea to good idea to minimise your exposure to these fumes.

@blanky1876

5 жыл бұрын

@@GaryDmedia ahh ok, thanks.

@Raven_of_Doom

4 жыл бұрын

If you can smell it, you're breathing it. You're shirt wasn't doing anything.

What do you mean by well ventilated area ? My room has no windows, lol.

It's always the case the smoke drifts towards my face (think I saw a video about this) but I always have the window open and hold my breath when it blows towards me

Hi, I've been soldering with baker's soldering fluid and rosin free solder the past two days, I only started using a protective mask and goggles in the last few hours - is that really bad? it also was all over my hands, I didn't use gloves either... i'm a bit nervous, as i've never soldered before and just went straight into it without thinking of my health haha..

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

Hanan A, sadly we can't go back in time. Your best option is to work safe from now on. The good thing is that most damage is caused from exposure over a long period of time. You basically are only getting started. Take care.

Thanks for the video! I haven't soldered in a number of years but just recently bought an adjustable temperature iron and some 60/40 solder to go with it for an upcoming project. It's good advice not to inhale the fumes. This should be the same for any kind of industrial work. However, I have to say that I have never had any ill effects being described by the others from soldering in the past. Likely a combination of not inhaling the fumes, being in a generally open area and not soldering for hours on end.

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+Richard Forester Yes I have experienced the same as yourself. If you develop an allergic reaction to fumes it could be a major health issue. Great to hear your comments. Good to hear not all enthusiasts have had problems.

@davidyoung8521

6 ай бұрын

Best condition is using a hood extractor vented to the outdoors or doing it outdoors.

that explains why solder smokes so much the first time, but never afterwards.

@GaryDmedia

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment.

My gf came home one day, into the workroom and proclaimed "woah the house smells weird" - lol..... it was because of the copious amounts of flux i had been using on the board to replace a HDMI port. With no ventilation! Tonight after working for a few hours doing the same task on 2 boards i figure lets look into this. I find this whole thing disturbing now to be honest. Definitely have experienced the headaches whilst soldering, that cant be good. Its difficult because in an industrial situation you can understand the need for fume extraction. when you are seldom soldering for particular repairs its almost like in your mind "nah don't need it, don't do it enough to warrant it". Definitely starting to think the other way about this subject, going to get some kind of extractor setup. whats worrying is that upstairs in house completely stinks after the soldering, cant be good. I did wonder if an air-conditioning unit with the fan tube stuck out the window would be sufficient, you know just to get the air moving or "pulled" away such. Arguably even a desk fan, but i feel like that is just moving whatever already in the air around. do carbon scrubbers really remove the baddies in the flux fumes though? extraction seems the best option i think, with the air con or even a deskfan facing out a window lol.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Yes carbon scrubbers or carbon filters definitely help instead of blowing it around the room. They must be replaced after a time because they become chocked with nasties.

I just wear a P100 mask. It won't stop organic gases but it does block particulates. It makes a huge difference.

i was looking for the fumes produced by the larger welding device that give out bright sparks.. not this small one!

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+herold henry That would be cool to see!

So for the hobbyist, (I’m soldering model train rails together) who only solders a few hours a week, a simple fan to blow or suck the fumes away is sufficient?

@GaryDmedia

6 жыл бұрын

Yes that is the idea. An open window is recommended as well. Although if you have problems with Asthma or breathing problems there would be no substitute for a proper filter system.

@MaximC

4 жыл бұрын

Ehm, I guess, but that still would mean we are poisoning the air we breath... Best would be if we didn't use toxic materials at all, and/or did our best to filter them before letting it outside (and isolate used filters somewhere on Earth, or send them to space even, or something), just as we should do with any toxic waste.

@uuyoubaan4uuyou829

4 жыл бұрын

Wire​ wrap​ping​ is​ an​ alternative.

I don't solder that much but If I do I'am just in my roof with the smoke in my face, Thx for making this video now I know that I have to take precautions , does a mask (like they use in the hospital) help?

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Good to hear that the video was of help Tijl. No the mask they use in hospital would not be enough although it would be better than nothing. If you use a mask it should be a carbon filter mask. These filter and absorb the toxins in the air.

Are there any effects for people who do it once in a blue moon? I think I breathed some in when I was working on replacing the battery for my dash cam. Longest I worked on it was for 30 min if not less. I did burn my finger from it tho :/

@GaryDmedia

6 жыл бұрын

+1111winter4w I think the most damage will be to your fingers not your lungs. Be careful.

I just started soldering, and im fine no headache but after that like theres this smell that stuck in my nose(the solder maybe) and it just happen to me for the first time, am I gonna be alright, i dont have the extractor for the fume yet but im just wondering because its my first time soldering in my room

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

You will be ok I’m sure. It is a bad smell and can stay with you for some time. More ventilation next time will be the fix.

You can find fume extractors for less than 20$ USD on ebay. I think it'd be a better idea than a fan since the fan doesn't filter the smoke if you're in a small area it might end up as bad.. Fume extractor actually filters the smoke

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Yes a very good point. Great tip. Thanks.

So, I was soldering in DT this morning and I have asthma, I was stood up whelst soldering and it went up my nose, my eyes began to water and now, 6 hours later my chest is very tight, any help?

@GaryDmedia

8 жыл бұрын

Best thing to do- Check with your doctor.

Wait with the use of a fan alone does the fume stay in the air near the user?

@GaryDmedia

2 жыл бұрын

Yes it can do if you don’t have good ventilation in the room. This is why a fan with a carbon filter is much better.

It only contains flux, if out has a rosin core.

So can anyone recommend me any good fume extractors that are priced at under 40 bucks? I'm planning on doing some soldering myself but I don't know what brand of smoke extractor to get.

@SoftBreadSoftware

5 жыл бұрын

A window fan pointing out. A small fan, like an old PC fan pointing at the window fan.

@ajgreen868

4 жыл бұрын

Just buy a desk fan

no one told me that some aspirators had replaceable carbon filters that costs a few bucks. I don't solder as much as I used to but I have 10 of them working in tandem with 12cm pc fans all around me when I do now

so I'm not gonna die from breathing them in like once right? lol

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+Brennan Grego No, I think about it in the same way passive smoking is bad for your health, solder smoke is toxic as well.

@CrazyDanishHacker

6 жыл бұрын

No you're not going to die and almost definitely (like 99.99999% sure of) not suffer any consequences in the future. I was soldering a lot with something ridiculous that gave my classmates and I major headaches like 15 years ago. We even had fume extractors that worked alright back then, but I still remember it was like painting with lead paint. (That kind of headache.) The 60/40 solder that I also use in my videos does not give me headaches, but I also avoid inhaling the vapour directly, and last but not least, I only solder on rare occasion. If you solder a lot, then I would say it's almost required to get a fan or fume extractor. You can also get lead-free solder, even though it's harder to use and the vapour may actually be more toxic. Anyway, think of this as going to the dentist and getting an x-ray done. You getting an x-ray done once every six months or less, is not a problem. However, your dentist may be taking 100 x-rays per month, so that's why they exit the room to minimize risks associated with x-rays. If you ventilate the room and make sure to take breaks while soldering, and also avoid inhaling the vapour directly, then you'll be fine even if you continue to solder every once in a while. (If you do happen to inhale it, then try to avoid any deep inhales. But as I said, don't worry too much about it unless you sit and intentionally inhale the vapour several hours a day.)

@rahulmaurya3886

5 жыл бұрын

M not dead 10 times of 1 time sooooooo XDXDXD

@bilianab.7791

5 жыл бұрын

What if i forgot to wash my hands afterwards and then ate , am i going to die? Help :v

@billiepence7123

4 жыл бұрын

Brennan Grego you won’t die. But you will develop a serious problem which will appear later. All it takes is one big whiff. It’s like planting a seed.

Extremely toxic...don't doubt it

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment Nada, yes many are affected in different ways from soldering fumes. Best to be careful.

If it is not air, do not breath it. If it is not water, do not bathe in it. Good advice from an old chemist. Studies have been done, that indicate that about 20 % of workers soldering become sensitized to the fumes and develop asthma like symptoms. This has been referred to as solvent sensitization. A number of my fellow chemist are sensitive to certain organic solvents. It is serious enough that hospitalization may be needed. I used a fume hood in the laboratories where I worked to good effect. At home, I go outside. Not always comfortable, but it works.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Glen, I appreciate you taking the time to add your comment.

Dang I solder a lot of stuff in my room and just ignored the smoke but didn’t think on that I’ve been breathing metal and chemicals

@egemenozan5641

3 жыл бұрын

Its not an immediate danger, people work with these stuff for years, daily. Dont worry for what has happened but do get an extractor and/or a mask

Gary, well done for bringing this up, you might want to do a follow up as those 'expensive' solder extractors you mention are completely ineffective as too is blowing the fumes into the room, you might be okay for a very occasional project, but generally people should use a HEPA filter extractor, and then unfortunately we're talking 10x more money... While this sucks, people have been tricked for years thinking the old solder and blowing technique of a cheap fume diffuser will work.

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

Very good point Tom. Much better to capture or evacuate the toxic fumes and not simply blow them around the room.

I'm thinking about using a 100% leaded wire to solder some treble hooks to add weight to them so that when I attached them to my fishing lures they would make my fishing lures sink a little to get them to suspend at the depth that I want. Do you think it is safe to solder pure leaded wires?

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

Definitely safe to do with the same precautions as normal soldering. Lower the risk of exposure with good ventilation or fume extraction.

@grandwonder5858

3 жыл бұрын

@@GaryDmedia Thank you very much Gary for answering my question!

Would using a dust mask be sufficient or should a most serious mask be used? I will also be using a fan but can never be too careful.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Good ventilation is best, and of course if you really wanted protection because a respiratory problem you could use a mask but it must be a toxic chemical mask and not just a paper dust mask.

@Jonnynot1plate

5 жыл бұрын

@@GaryDmedia thank you sure. I will have fan and filter but will also buy a mask. Can you recommend any brand? I was looking at 3M Half facepiece respiratory mask on amazon but dont know if that will be enough.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

Yes this 3m mask would be the minimum to reduce any chemical inhalation. amzn.to/2T9NEZV

4:20 i often have eye and nose irritation when i solder

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

That's not good. You must have developed a sensitive to it. Take care. Your body is telling you something.

How can we prevent..?

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment, I’m happy to answer your questions.

I'm in the process of building a high flow carbon filter for my workbench at the moment. Mostly, I want it with enough flow to draw cigarette smoke away to stop it burning my eyes while soldering. I've been soldering since I was 8 as a hobbyist (30 years) I have all the bad habits you can imagine including, on occasion, holding the solder in my teeth when that bastard wire won't sit on the land pad (hate them little buggers). I used to worry about these things. A couple of years ago I quit my job, working as an electroplater. For curiosity, and just to make sure I hadn't been poisoned by my prick of a boss, I went and had a blood test for all heavy metals but especially lead and hexavalent chromium. I had worked there for just over 12 months. Test came back all clear. ZERO detectable heavy metals. I don't see all of these ill effects the medical industry bangs on about. I don't think it's ALL scare mongering and propaganda but I do think it is all talked up. As an example, a couple of years back it made it to the 6pm news that "common table salt" was the main contributor in some 40 odd percent of heart attacks, but that didn't change the statistics for heart attacks from cigarettes. I'm building one for comfort and I would advise anyone to do the same if I was asked, but while the government is pushing for more diesel powered passenger cars on the road and reports of car manufacturing like VW fudging emissions reports, I'm not overly worried about cancer and disease in general because mostly it's outside of my control. Are you aware that fine particulates from deisel combustion were considered the NO.1 cause of cancer not that long ago? The list has been updated, but it's still in the top ten, possibly even the top five, I haven't looked recently. All that aside, statistically, the biggest known cause of death to mankind, is life itself. That's my own observation. You only have one life and it is short, so go live it. A wise man once said to me "Everything in moderation, including moderation", I try to live by that now.

@GaryDmedia

6 жыл бұрын

+Jimmeh B Yes I can only agree with you on the fact that life can be dangerous. Good to hear your building a high flow carbon filter. I would be interested to hear how it goes. Thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate it.

For electrical board work, there are several types of solder flux generally in use, organic and inorganic. Organic (rosin core) is the usual solder sold to hobby people, while inorganic is available from electronic parts houses if you ask for it. With inorganic, you have to wash the circuit board with water after soldering or the flux will cause the board to fail. With inorganic, the smoke is very bad and a fan is used to direct it away, but the result joint is much better than rosin. Rosin smoke is much less toxic, but a fan is cheap insurance. As to the metal used, lead types are much better to apply, the tin types don't form the gray toxic residue on your fingers that finds its way into your body during the day.

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Greg for your great input. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience.

@nowonmetube

2 жыл бұрын

Wait what? Rosin is natural made from pine trees, what are you talking about?

@GaryDmedia

2 жыл бұрын

HaHa, yes Greg. That is sadly the truth. As you know, even a small charcoal fire in a confined space has been known to kill. Good ventilation and even better a filtered exhaust fan is the key.

@gregkretchmer3588

2 жыл бұрын

@@nowonmetube Yes, rosin core solder, pine trees and all that, makes solder stick to circuit boards. Its ok... til you try inorganic solder, which works lots better, its flowout is great, except don't breath the smoke.. at all. Its based on the old acid core solder used on pipes. You have to scrub the boards with water and soap to get the residue off or its eats the traces. Dry well before power up..

@nowonmetube

2 жыл бұрын

@@gregkretchmer3588 oh maybe I misread something yesterday, because now I can't find the issue.

I want to use soldering wire as my source of metal for hobby miniature craft. I though that the use of lead in solder was forbidden! I had some wire but there was no label on it and I played with it a little bit. Now I went to buy more solder and the only type they had in the store was tin/lead. Any alternative low-melting metals or alloys anyone can recommend for crafts? I tried bismuth, it is an excellent metal, rather strong, but also expansive. Than there is pure tin, indium and pewter. all of those are great but I can't find any in local metal supplies and buying them via internet shops is expansive due to shipping cost.

@GaryDmedia

6 жыл бұрын

+Omer Magen Sorry for the late reply. You should not use solder as wire unless it is on a circuit board. There are some alternatives to lead solder but difficult to use. With the recommended precautions there is little risk of lead exposure and if you want to wear thin cotton gloves so you don't have to handle it, that would lower the risk even more. Hope that helps.

ammm.. I instinctly don't breath-in but breath-out slow when the two comes in contact and starts to smoke and my face is 45 degrees to the soldering point.

@GaryDmedia

5 жыл бұрын

I found myself doing that too HaHa! One of the problems with that is, if you solder for an extended period your sense of smell reduces and you become unaware of the presence of the smell. Take care.

Me when I solder at school not a lot of ventilation about 12 soldering irons theirs no sucking fans or filters in the room despite this being an expensive private school

@GaryDmedia

4 жыл бұрын

There should be good ventilation in large class rooms. If you think it is a problem it may be good to sit near a window. You can always bring up the issue of ventilation in the classroom with your teacher. Take care.

In the 1970's and 80's I was forced to be the solder feeder for my uncle with his HiFi builds. He physically forced my face to be within a foot of the project while he was at least a couple of feet away with a fan blowing away from him. He was a retired lieutenant colonel, USAF, and said this is the way the world works. I did notice that my fingernails and toenails that had previously grown normally began to curl in and gouge into the skin and meat of my extremities. I also began to turn purple when I had to exert myself. I still have the nail curling issues but after a couple of decades I stopped turning purple. He, and my aunt, (my legal guardians) appeared to be quite smug when relatives died and they got a slice of their pies. No mourning in the least, they just showed up and wanted people to sign papers. Can't make this stuff up...

@GaryDmedia

Жыл бұрын

Clint, (I presume) I don’t think you would be surprised to know that there has been gross disregard for safe work practice around those years. So sad to hear you had such a personal experience. Yours is a very powerful lesson on why it’s better to work safely from a young age. Take care Clint, life is precious.

Is there a DIY solution that can be done for an at home soldering station? Doing some work at home, will a window with a fan be enough?

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

Madeline, The key thing is to have fresh air and remove fumes from your workspace.

@goomagames

3 жыл бұрын

@@GaryDmedia Do you have any recommended fans for this? Maybe one to push the fumes and one to pull them out the window?

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

No I don't Madeline. Even a simple household fan would be helpful.

So when im soldering, i always solder close to an open window, and when im doing the soldering, i do not breathe. I do not breath because: 1- if i dont breathe, my hands are more precise 2- i dont breath the smoke in. If i breathe, i always first breath outh the get the smoke away from my face. And i wash my hand 2 times after it. Is that good?

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

I am sure many people do the same. Ventilation is the key. If you are worried, use a fan like the one shown in the video. Just make sure the fumes are blown out of the room.

helpful

@GaryDmedia

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for that!

Pls can it also chest pain ?

@GaryDmedia

2 жыл бұрын

Chest pain is very serious. It can mean a number of things. Please see your doctor immediately.

I breathed that in and my flat now smell bad although I opened tge Windows for over 30min is it still poisonous?

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

Fabri, 30 min of ventilation should be more than enough. Even cooking smells can hang around for a long time. Our noses are very sensitive.

I soldered on and off for a week, maybe 2 hours each day. I was new at it, I had an open window and a mask on. I could still smell the flux when I applied the iron at max temp - supposedly 480 celsius / 896 f...Is it bad? I don't solder often.

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

Like any cumulative toxin, it is exposure over and extended period of time that is danger. Even so, minimising any exposure is important. Stay safe.

@armani1326

3 жыл бұрын

@@GaryDmedia Thank you for the reply, I don't think I will be soldering much in the future haha. I just wanted to recap a motherboard for a little experience. I was successful but after many attempts.

@GaryDmedia

3 жыл бұрын

It's good experience doing your own projects. Take care.

Newbie*, I bought a new soldering iron, after a few seconds, the body began to smoke a lot, and some oil/moist seen on the body, I unplugged it cuz I was worried. Is it normal? Does it go away?

@GaryDmedia

2 жыл бұрын

Oscar, definitely not. I think it may be best to inquire about a replacement.

@oscardadula4696

2 жыл бұрын

@@GaryDmedia cuz some say that it usually smokes when it's new, but I'd rather listen to you, thanks

Is it possible to do fine soldering with plastic gloves? that should keep the metals off your hands?

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+Brent Greeff Yes it would be possible but not practical. It is almost impossible to manipulate wire cutters and wire strippers plus twisting the braid together. You would get feed up with them very quickly.

@BIM0X

6 жыл бұрын

you can try very thin painter gloves (cotton) : this prevents your fingers from flux projections (there are many) and protect your finger from fume residue. avoid plastic gloves as they could melt by accident and cause serious injuries to your fingers skin in this case. they are usually white, and become very dark by the time, because of poluants. then, wash your hands with a brush, and avoid touching your face, especially around the eyes. cheers

@GaryDmedia

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for adding your comments. Very good advice.

I started soldering when I was about 13 years old. I am 62 now. I don't think it ever hurt me at all. However, I didn't let the smoke go right into my face. I always held my breath a little and breathed when the fumes passed away. Always held the solder in my LEFT hand, but I eat apples or other hand-food with my right hand. Also washed my hands before eating most of the time. The problem with solder smoke is it always seems to travel towards your face. Probably because of the heat rising off of a persons body causes it. A very small muffin-fan would blow the fumes away from the face I would recommend. In my experience, it is nothing to worry about as long as you keep the stuff out of you mouth and take some precautions like the small muffin fan and washing your hands. I worked many years as a bench repair technician... doing soldering 8 hours a day for years and years. Everyone is too hyper worried about this issue. I think the FLUX in electronics solder is just PINE TAR. So it's like burning a log in the fire place. Not like smoking a cigarette.

@GaryDmedia

7 жыл бұрын

+david mundy Thanks David. I appreciate you sharing your experience. Yes your conclusion after many years is shared by many others. Thanks.

I love the FAN

I love the smell of burning flux and solder fumes.