In message <1.5.4.16.20000717123512.304fd68e@lynx.sni.net>, Dan Michaels writes >Funny thing happened on the way to monday. In the past we >have always used rosin-flux solder to hand solder pcbs. But >I have 3 new pcbs here that were soldered last week using >"water-clean" solder. A few months ago the 'Health and Safety Executive' came and did tests on me at work, testing the amount of flux fumes I am subjected to in a service environment. They are coming back again on Wednesday 19th July to take further tests, as the original ones seemed unusually high - but the way they wanted the test conducting in the first required continuous soldering for 15 minutes, not a usual service procedure at all. I also kept a record for them of all my soldering during the following week, it was under the 15 minutes I did for them!. I asked what the health hazard from the flux was, apparently it can cause asthma, but none of the service departments they visited had any asthma sufferers. According to the representative who we usually buy solder from (probably under 500g per year!), the new water based ones are really poor performers, nowhere near as good as the old fluxes. -- Nigel. /--------------------------------------------------------------\ | Nigel Goodwin | Internet : nigelg@lpilsley.co.uk | | Lower Pilsley | Web Page : http://www.lpilsley.co.uk | | Chesterfield | Official site for Shin Ki and New Spirit | | England | Ju Jitsu | \--------------------------------------------------------------/ -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics