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I was just wondering what precautions you guys use for not exposing yourself to soldering fumes and lead poisoning. Do you wear gloves? You have one of those fancy ventilators, or do you just crack open a window? Are those smaller and cheaper coal filter fans OK?

I've been 100% reckless. Small room with window open, no gloves, forgetting to wash my hands, and now that I'm soldering more often and for longer periods of time I want to get my soldering house in order. Any experiences, tips or tricks are welcome.

I use lead-free solder, so lead poisoning is off the table
Still not wearing gloves, but washing hands regularly. For the fumes I just use a small USB-Fan that prevents them from directly entering my face, something like this:

Yeah, beyond washing hands before eating/preparing food and encouraging some airflow I don't do a whole lot. I have been thinking about fabricating a filter shroud, but it's somewhat low on my priority list as I work in a somewhat largish space which makes my general sloppiness less critical.

I put a carbon fan filter on a USB powered “computer fan” like this, next to my soldering Iron:



(I used breadboard wires to poke through the filter and tie it to the fan.)

And yes, wash your hands after soldering!

I still have a few spools of leaded solder to work through. It does work better than the lead-free solder in my opinion, and I’d rather spend less time on soldering and get a better result, if I can.

a welding mask and a fan with door open. I don't actually do any soldering in winter since I sold the expensive weller air filtration system. those have limited hours before filter change. the filters are expensive.

eatyourguitar wrote:a welding mask

I hope you sprung for the auto-darkening type.

Needs 3M respirator filters in a Mandalorian helmet.

THIS IS THE WAY.

I just blow that stuff away from my face *nervous laughter*

Really should do better about that perhaps

Jero wrote:I just blow that stuff away from my face *nervous laughter*

Really should do better about that perhaps

Same. Also, solder fumes make me ravenously hungry.

...

Anyway, I cut a hole in a thin mailing box and fit a computer fan into it, hooked up to a 9V. The carbon filter is a good idea.

This is what I bought in the past (when I still ordered from Amazon)
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B009AE8DWO/ ... cFbPS4CZJ4
They fit a 120mm computer case fan.

You could probably find bigger sheets and cut them to size, but I’ve found that things like my vacuum and HEPA air purifier’s carbon prefilter use thinner filter material. So I’d double it up if it is less than a 1/2” or so (I think mine are 9mm so technically more like 0.4” but whatever. You don’t want 1/8” or 1/4” — double it up in that case.)

I actually have a tiny 3d printed vent with small cpu fan and slot for a thin filter, but it doesn't run well enough with the filter in place

I've got quite anxious about this in the past but I still don't wear gloves. Just a USB fan to blow fumes away so I barely catch a whiff and I wash my hands after.

I've noticed my solder spits a little sometimes and I find tiny flecks of solder in my work area. I've taken to working in a kind of wooden tray to catch it all.

I used to use lead free but it annoys me - I much prefer leaded.

I have some carbon filter squares and was planning to make a contraption with an old computer fan, but uhhhh.. never got that far. No gloves either, but I mostly use lead-free solder, don't mind it. I do wash my hands often though. However, keeping the downstairs door ajar for the cats has the added bonus of creating a nice draft when I open the window, so any fumes or smoke gets sucked out efficiently. There have been solder-heavy days when I felt a bit of weirdness in my chest, but that could also be the smoking or anxiety messing with me.

Looks like a fan is a good place to start. I will definitely get one because I get heavy-headed after a while sitting there.