Lead-free solder is no good

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Fascinating stuff. In practice, it simply works better too. Glad I've still got a large reel.

Andy

Reply to
Andy Cap

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I was an Artificer Apprentice in the middle 50's (Royal Navy) the subject of crystal growth in metals (including all the various solders) was taught. The Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment on Portsdown Hill also lectured us in 1956 regarding this problem while introducing us to the new microdot technology (transistors). The lead free affair is one of those vexed questions where too much is dangerous to health but zero tolerance brings in its own dangers -- especially in our automated world where the machine is rated as utterly reliable. It does however illustrate the very real dangers of allowing the banners free rein without having any alternatives to offer.

Regards

Reply to
Peter Abraham

Judging by reports in The Register, no research was ever done on the effects of lead in solder, it was just assumed that lead=danger.

Cheers Richard

Reply to
beamendsltd

Jane Sullivan said the following on 03/04/2008 21:20:

I was interested to see the bit about lead-free solder being more harmful than leaded. I've been saying that for ages! Some of the fluxes still in use to make LF solder work need specialist fume extraction to protect the operator. The higher temperatures involved mean far more energy consumption as well - our lead-free flow solder pot has 250kg of solder in it. The energy difference between keeping it at

260-265degrees for lead-free solder or 250degrees for leaded is significant. Then there's all the higher temperature (=more energy) bench irons.

It seems that the general consensus in the industry is that the legislation is purely a political thing to give the impression of protecting the environment.

Reply to
Paul Boyd

That must be one hell of a kit you're building... :-)

Reply to
Arthur Figgis

On 04/04/2008 17:54, Arthur Figgis said,

I tell you what - when it came to fill it for the first time it made my concerns about the price of a half kilo reel of solder pale into insignificance!

Reply to
Paul Boyd

I've reached the point where the PROBLEMS with lead free solder are now costing time and money, so until there is a lead free solder that is ACTUALLY USABLE for manual soldering I'm back with leaded. At least the soldering iron tins properly when you switch on and the number of weller tips I get through is sensible - i.e. 1 every couple of months rather than 1 a week - and I don't do that much soldering in a week!

Reply to
Lester Caine

Antex 660TC and Multicomp (Farnell) 0.5mm solder wire work just fine.

Brand new tips are a little more difficult to tin the first time but they should last a lot longer than a week. Get some Multicore tip cleaner/tinner TTC-LF. I suspect a problem with the Weller tips if they only last a week.

I have used the very tiny Antex bit which is uncoated copper, that doesn't last very long!

MBQ

Reply to
manatbandq

Me too, it was originally purchased in 1969!

Has anyone here commented on the fact that white metal kits were also outlawed at the same time as lead free solder?

(kim)

Reply to
kim

That must be a bummer for DJH and South East Finecast etc....

Reply to
:Jerry:

I noticed DJH's range of kits was drastically reduced last year. Mainly trains has ceased offering many of the products it used to offer. Don't know about SE Finecast. According to this dealer BEC and ABS have already ceased trading:

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(kim)

Reply to
kim

kim said the following on 10/04/2008 00:09:

Whitemetal kits haven't actually been outlawed. There is nothing to stop the sale of these kits and their assembly into a model for your own use. Where it does get into a grey area is someone building models professionally. My understanding is that in that situation the models do need to be RoHS compliant which rules out whitemetal and leaded solder, but I could be wrong.

In fact, leaded solder hasn't been outlawed at all (I assume that's what you meant). It's use has been controlled, but as an electronics manufacturer we are still mostly building leaded product totally legally for customers who are using the end product totally legally. Very, very generally, where product is commercial/retail it must be RoHS compliant, and where it's for industry it may not need to be. Most work for MOD or Offshore MUST NOT be lead free because of the problems highlighted in the OP.

Reply to
Paul Boyd

Also work for medical use must not use lead free either AIUI.

Reply to
:Jerry:

I don't think the above was really anything to do with EU / RoSH issues etc. Read between the tramway lines - pun intended...

Reply to
:Jerry:

I don't know what the score is as regards new models, but I have a DJH/Tower Brass Warship kit (made before the ban I suspect) in which the main body is made from pewter, just the twiddly bits are white metal. Judging by the number of others offering new kits with white metal parts, I presume a way round has been found or there would be very, very few metal/brass kits about. Apparently modern pewter contains no lead, by the way.

I've noticed too that DJH seem to have cut back somewhat, but I'd rather assumed that this had more to do with JLTRT etc producing plastic kits (a dammed shame, I'm really enjoying bulding the Warship, though compared to plastic it's much, much more work!).

Cheers Richard

Reply to
beamendsltd

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