Off season skills: Learn how to Solder

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Hopefully not using lead solder.

We use solder with lead in it, lots and lots of toxic lead. As you and others mentioned, the lead-free stuff can be tricky.

This gives us a teachable moment: Lead is toxic. I instruct all students handling solder (in any manner) that they must wash their hands twice with soap, hot water, and vigorous scrubbing. And I enforce it very strictly.

I teach them to think of their hands as dirty or sticky as soon as they handle solder, and to maintain that thought until their hands get washed. Some say it helps remind them.