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Solder Sucker — Parallax Forums

Solder Sucker

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
in General Discussion
I'm talking about ME, not a desoldering tool. As in, I'm a sucker for soldering. In the middle of building 3 uC boards and wiring up a custom 46-LED array last night, I realized how much fun I was having. Prolly not my healthiest activity still using leaded solder, but I find it enjoyable and gratifying to build hardware, so it's good for my mental health anyway. Just like using my hands I guess. I don't even mind building the same uC board over & over. It's still a kick when it all works the first time. Well nearly, I had one bad LED I had to replace.

TTYTT, I even enjoyed drilling out those 46 LED holes by hand.

Am I completely sick?

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Comments

  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    erco wrote: »
    I'm talking about ME, not a desoldering tool. As in, I'm a sucker for soldering. In the middle of building 3 uC boards and wiring up a custom 46-LED array last night, I realized how much fun I was having. Prolly not my healthiest activity still using leaded solder, but I find it enjoyable and gratifying to build hardware, so it's good for my mental health anyway. Just like using my hands I guess. I don't even mind building the same uC board over & over. It's still a kick when it all works the first time. Well nearly, I had one bad LED I had to replace.

    TTYTT, I even enjoyed drilling out those 46 LED holes by hand.

    Am I completely sick?

    facewiringSM2.jpg

    "Am I completely sick?"

    Not in my estimation. I find the occasional long repetitive task that requires precise work very relaxing. The electronic equivalent of building a ship in a bottle. Some of my early work involved desoldering all the joints on a motherboard and all the daughterboards and then resoldering them to get rid of all the cold solder joints. Very relaxed after a day doing that.
  • Jeff HaasJeff Haas Posts: 421
    I once built five 74HC595 shift register boards with individual resistors and connectors for leds...it took a LONG time. Right afterwards I found the Sparkfun breakout board. Aaarrgh!

    Now the same thing goes together in far less time, using the breakout and a resistor network.

    Never again!
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    I've been known to sacrifice a perfectly good piece of perfboard to use as a drill template for evenly-spaced holes -- assuming they're on multiples of 0.1" centers.

    As to leaded solder: meh! I've worked around lead, both soldering and casting, for more than 50 years. Ain't dead yet!

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    I've been known to sacrifice a perfectly good piece of perfboard to use as a drill template for evenly-spaced holes -- assuming they're on multiples of 0.1" centers.

    Woulda been nice, but these were 0.250" centers. Graph paper was my friend! I'm pleased, it came out quite nice.

  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,934
    erco wrote: »
    Am I completely sick?

    Yes, but more obvious is your signs of insanity... :lol:

    Nice work. As others have said, sometimes, that long tedious amount of soldering is very enjoyable. As seen here: http://forums.parallax.com/discussion/comment/890109/#Comment_890109

    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    As to leaded solder: meh! I've worked around lead, both soldering and casting, for more than 50 years. Ain't dead yet!-Phil

    Unless your iron is running over 1700C, you have no worry for lead poisoning during soldering.
  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
    WBA Consulting wrote: »

    Unless your iron is running over 1700C, you have no worry for lead poisoning during soldering.


    Half the strain of hours of soldering, was holding my breath when I had to be real close to my work.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    I've heard that the rosin vapor may be as bad as handling the lead.
  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
    edited 2017-05-16 22:11
    erco wrote: »
    I've heard that the rosin vapor may be as bad as handling the lead.

    Oh but that smell, it warms the heart and soul.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    I, too, have a warm spot for the smell of rosin smoke, going back to my first Heathkit.

    -Phil
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Sounds perfectly normal to me. I started soldering at age 12.

    There are those that say that lead absorption through the skin could be a problem. I suspect that amounts to less lead exposure than all the lead we were breathing in from fuel additives for decades. Just wash you hands when done and don't be tempted to pull the solder straight with you mouth.

    The flux can be annoying, but it's pretty easy to get a fan to disperse that.

    I just spent a couple of relaxing hours building up the Evil Mad Scientist 555 Timer kit. It reminded me how much I enjoy soldering. It's kind of magical to see it working it's thing.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    heater wrote:
    ... and don't be tempted to pull the solder straight with you mouth.
    Huh? I use my mouth as a third hand sometimes when soldering: hold the wire-attached connector with one hand, the iron with the other, and a length of solder between the lips. (Kids, don't do this. It's bad, m'kay?)

    -Phil
  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
    Heater. wrote: »
    Just wash you hands when done and don't be tempted to pull the solder straight with you mouth.

    I have this bad habit of using my mouth as a third hand to hold the solder.
    Maybe I should get tested, or just stop doing that.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Just stop doing that!

    Never mind getting tested. You won't like the results and there is probably not much they can do about it :)

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    MikeDYur wrote: »
    Heater. wrote: »
    Just wash you hands when done and don't be tempted to pull the solder straight with you mouth.

    I have this bad habit of using my mouth as a third hand to hold the solder.
    Maybe I should get tested, or just stop doing that.

    I started using a bit of shrink tube to put over the solder when it's in my mouth. The tubing is always within reach.


    Now I'll get plastic poisoning. :)

  • The_MasterThe_Master Posts: 200
    I never found out if it was a typo, but the Merck chemistry manual unusually showed vapor pressure of liquid lead LOWER than solid lead. In other words, it can be safer to solder than just staring at the solder.
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    All of this begs the question, what is it!?

    I don't think anyone has gotten sick from soldering. RoHS was about keeping it out of the landfill. Unless you're producing and selling millions of units lead is great! Leaded solder with its lower melting point, and less flux fumes could actually be healthier.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    The_Master,

    That does not seem right. The vapor pressure of lead goes like this with temperature: 
    T(K)         T(°C)	 p(mbar)
293.0       9.85  1.07e-26
343.0     69.85  1.19e-21
393.0    119.9  6.91e-18
443.0    169.9  5.66e-15
493.0    219.9  1.19e-12
543.0    269.9  9.31e-11
593.0    319.9  3.50e-9
643.0    369.9  6.75e-8
693.0    419.9  8.28e-7
743.0    469.9  7.25e-6
793.0    519.9  4.82e-5
    According to this online calculator https://www.iap.tuwien.ac.at/www/surface/vapor_pressure
  • lardomlardom Posts: 1,659
    Part of the fun is...staring...at the finished board.
  • Jeff HaasJeff Haas Posts: 421
    Heater. wrote: »
    I just spent a couple of relaxing hours building up the Evil Mad Scientist 555 Timer kit. It reminded me how much I enjoy soldering. It's kind of magical to see it working it's thing.

    You found one of the Evil Mad Scientist kits! They have done some wonderful stuff.

    Check out their latest project, the MOnSter 6502, which will be on display at the Maker Faire:
    http://www.evilmadscientist.com/
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    kwinn wrote: »
    The electronic equivalent of building a ship in a bottle.

    Now I want to solder a circuit inside a bottle!

  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    lardom wrote: »
    Part of the fun is...staring...at the finished board.

    And those shiny volcano shaped solder joints.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    @Jeff Haas,

    I'm hoping to se the Monster6502 at the Maker Faire next week end.

    @erco,

    I think soldering up a circuit in a bottle is an excellent idea. I had previously considered some kind of circuit made from long thin PCBs that somehow plugged together when inside the bottle.

    Actually soldering them up inside the bottle is an extra challenge!
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,451
    See erco, that's how it gets you. It sucks you in with the pretty melty shiny stuff and then the lead fumes grab you and suck you in further and next thing you know you've hijacked a TV station and you're taunting the Batman on live TV. It's been known to happen.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    erco wrote: »
    kwinn wrote: »
    The electronic equivalent of building a ship in a bottle.

    Now I want to solder a circuit inside a bottle!

    The soldering tool and solder feed mechanism could be made. The trick is getting the PCB inside and keeping the parts in place. I suppose you could pre-assemble small PCB's that could then go in and be soldered together. Seems like cheating though.
  • Jeff HaasJeff Haas Posts: 421
    Heater, I've already got my tickets for both days. Not exhibiting this year, just attending and taking a break. Really looking forward to it.

    Get the paella for lunch!! There's only one vendor who makes it, and it's done live onsite in huge shallow wok-like pots, it's excellent.

    Are you attending the IOT show? Anything good there?
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2017-05-17 15:18
    Paella, sounds great, my favorite.

    Not making the IoT event I'm afraid. We have had too much to do here.
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    As a kid I used to melt lead into all sorts of things... coins using plaster of Paris moulds I made. Of course they weren't usable as coins because mine were way too thick but it was innocent fun.
    Made my own soldering iron from a screw filed down and wound with enamelled copper wire and Telephone Batteries. The huge cylindrical 1V5 ones.
    Done lots of hand soldering with leaded solder. I now have unleaded solder and solder paste. However I prefer leaded solder as it's easier for hand soldering.
    I am still here and I can at least remember this, so hasn't been that bad for me.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Heater. wrote: »
    Not making the IoT event I'm afraid. We have had too much to do here.

    Never let work get in the way of a good time.

    Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,934
    erco wrote: »
    kwinn wrote: »
    The electronic equivalent of building a ship in a bottle.

    Now I want to solder a circuit inside a bottle!

    This is the PCB you need:
    circuit-for-opulus-home-e1398957830749.png

    Sounds like a Kickstarter idea: PCB in a bottle kit, includes wire feed soldering iron!

  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Truth be told....we had to visit the boss in Sausolito over the weekend. Which was something of a company party...I'll spare the details. Monday in the office up there. I do recommend the "Fish" restaurant there. Best English style fish and chips I have seen for ages. Including actual malt vinegar!

    Tuesday, back to San Jose for some meeting or other.

    So sadly the IoT event slipped out of the picture.
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