leaded solder

[davidh]

HI,

As far as home electronic projects go, does it matter if I use leaded solder?

Thanks
David

[adafruit_support_bill]

Not really. If you are not licking your fingers and sniffing the fumes, your lead exposure is minimal. The main aim of the industry move to lead-free is the tons of solder that finds its way into landfills from discarded consumer electronics.

[TBayBoy]

If you are not licking your fingers and sniffing the fumes

Those were the only things I had left to look forward to

[Agent_24]

Tin\Lead solder is a better choice. It's easier to work with and creates more reliable joints anyway.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Another reason to avoid leadfree is that the fumes from the flux in leadfree are typically nastier than leaded.

[kscharf]

IIRC lead free solder has a higher melting point than the leaded kind. While lead free parts are designed to handle the higher soldering temperature, some things are safer to install at lower temperatures such as LEDS. I've seen too many LED's destroyed by over heating during soldering.

[electronbee]

There are different factors to take into account when soldering leaded or lead-free: alloy, temp, and flux.

Any ways, I found a decent article awhile back that goes over different lead-free alloys, etc etc. There is a bit of corporate spiel in the beginning but the knowledge is really good and the uninitiated will get a firm understanding of the concepts. There are associated papers after the initial article which provide even more info for those who wish to geek out.

http://www.psma.com/ul_files/forums/lea ... _guide.pdf