"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news
In article ,
"Arfa Daily" wrote:



Have you had to have a go with this hateful lead-free stuff yet ? If
you're
a soldering professional, used to lovely shiny joints that'll see you out
to
the grave, this stuff is gonna make you weep ...

If you only assemble for the US market, I guess that you're not going to
have to get to grips with it ( at least not yet ) as the US has sensibly
declined to get involved for the moment, but if any of your products are
destined for Europe, or one or two other places that have signed up to
this
particular piece of eco-nonsense, then you're soon gonna be finding out
alllllllll about it .... :~{


Arfa

That research project is rapidly moving to the top of my list of
priorities. Some of my customers distribute worldwide, and are starting
to make lead-free noises. I haven't seen the stuff personally just yet,
but I've heard reports similar to yours.

I'm generally very eco-minded, and don't mind making sacrifices to
retard the speed with which mankind is destroying what's left of the
planet, but I'll agree that the logic on which *this* regulation is
founded seems a bit shaky.

Since you brought it up, maybe I should start now. Do you have any
specific suggestions as to choices of solder and flux, methods,
equipment, cleaning considerations, primers I should read, etc? Or is
lead-free simply an inferior "drop-in" replacement that doesn't mean I
have to change everything else?

Smitty

Mail me direct and I'll sort you out some links and articles.

Arfa