Cost effective solder fume extractor?

[gizmo1990]

This is kinda electric related, hope it's ok to post this question here.

Can anyone suggest any reasonably priced solder fume extractors? For hobby soldering purposes. Say around the £20-£30 mark?

Looking around, they seem to be fairly expensive for what they are. Imo at least, £50+ and way more in some cases. Perhaps they're so niche that that accounts for the high cost.

 

[zebedee2001]

CPC do one for under £20 https://cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d03288/fume-absorberfan/dp/SD02209 or but the cabon filters & attach to a fan

 

[gizmo1990]

CPC do one for under £20 https://cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d03288/fume-absorberfan/dp/SD02209 or but the cabon filters & attach to a fan

That’s perfect! Thanks a lot.

 

[zebedee2001]

What I meant to actually type was

CPC do one for under £20 https://cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d03288/fume-absorberfan/dp/SD02209 or buy the carbon filters & attach to a fan!

Must clean my keyboard!

 

[ericmark]

I read the COSHH regulations on the flux for non lead solder, and it would seem some is more dangerous than the lead, but the active word is "some" so read the COSHH and decide how important.

I noted the plumber who worked on my house did not even open the door to outside next to radiator, time is important, I had swept up spilt mercury at school, and used lead solder all my life, now 69 years to the coil, but the nasty one I found was zinc not lead, glav flue as it was called is nasty, and we all knew not to burn or weld it, but the angle grinder and cut off disc caught many of us out, we had soldering irons with pipes to suck up fumes in university, but no one bothered to turn on the extractor motor as it cooled the job making soldering hard.

 

[RF Lighting]

Why not make your own? There’s a great how to video on YouTube from our very own flameport

 

[mattylad]

That's massive!

Who has that much room in their den?

 

[gizmo1990]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'd not realised Mr Ward had done a tutorial for one. His stuff is always great. It's a nice project but one for the future really. As mattylad says, it is rather big but it's also quite expensive when everything is added up! I might give it a go though at some point and simply scale it down.

I don't do much soldering at the moment but I'd like to be reasonably responsible and not put up with what I currently do, which is have the window open and place a floor fan behind me! The CPC one looks to fit the bill, certainly for my needs currently.

 

[Jackrae]

I read the COSHH regulations on the flux for non lead solder, and it would seem some is more dangerous than the lead, but the active word is "some" so read the COSHH and decide how important.

I noted the plumber who worked on my house did not even open the door to outside next to radiator, time is important, I had swept up spilt mercury at school, and used lead solder all my life, now 69 years to the coil, but the nasty one I found was zinc not lead, glav flue as it was called is nasty, and we all knew not to burn or weld it, but the angle grinder and cut off disc caught many of us out, we had soldering irons with pipes to suck up fumes in university, but no one bothered to turn on the extractor motor as it cooled the job making soldering hard.

The old welders trick for zinc fumes was to drink loads of milk. I don't know whether it did any good or was based on medical fact

 

[Jackrae]

A quick google and answered it for myself :-

The people posting on this site have a responsibility to pass along FACTS not rumor and folklore when it comes to health and safety issues. Milk is not an antidote for exposure to zinc fumes. Never has been and never will be. Yet, every time someone mentions exposure to zinc fumes several of these ill informed individuals pass on what "some old welder told them years ago". I think it is time for this site to make a "sticky" out of welding galvanized etc. It seems this subject comes up every couple weeks.

Metal Fume Fever and Heavy Metal Poisoning are nothing to mess with. If you think you have the symptoms SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY. Drink the milk if you must but all it will do is quench your thirst. If you have been exposed to the fumes you are poisoned and no amount of milk will change that.

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[Keithmac]

I've got some old lead solder 20+ years old, flux cored.

It's great!, been struggling to find some for work that works as well.

Quite enjoy the smell but not the best for you apparently.

 

[ericmark]

Well I suppose you could get best of both, use leaded solder and ZnSO4 as a flux, all baked together!