Essential Electrical Tools

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by Ted Weisse

Just a quick note...At your home location you can use solder with Lead but in the pits solder MUST BE LEAD FREE.

Can you cite a rule about that? I recognize that this is generally accepted as good practice, and generally a good habit to follow. However, I am not aware (after a quick check through the released version of Chapter 3) that it is an explicit rule.

I don't mean to be pedantic, but as we get ready for the build season I think that we need to get in the habit of being very clear about things that really are rules (with some type of associated authority) and things that are "really good ideas."

-dave



....

[Ted Weisse]

Originally Posted by dlavery

Can you cite a rule about that? I recognize that this is generally accepted as good practice, and generally a good habit to follow. However, I am not aware (after a quick check through the released version of Chapter 3) that it is an explicit rule.

I don't mean to be pedantic, but as we get ready for the build season I think that we need to get in the habit of being very clear about things that really are rules (with some type of associated authority) and things that are "really good ideas."

-dave



....

I also went through all of the past manuals and could not find a reference to the lead free solder then I remembered it is in the Safety Manual... http://usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Com...y%20Manual.pdf

Copied from page 6:


SOLDERING

Soldering can be dangerous because of the heat from the iron and the chemical fumes and
vapors released from the solder and flux, respectively. When soldering, observe the following
points:

 NEW - At FIRST events: Use lead-free solder only and solder with electrically heated
soldering iron/gun only.
 No torches or open flames of any kind are allowed in the buildings.

 Wear eye and face protection.

 Solder in well-ventilated areas.
 Never touch the iron/gun. It heats to extreme temperatures that will cause severe burns.
 Prevent burns: Wear cotton clothing that covers your arms and legs.
 Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling solder.
 Work on a fire resistant surface.
 Keep your soldering iron in its protective holder when not actually being used.
 Do not leave any hot tools, such as a hot drill bit, where someone can accidentally contact the hot element.

I usually site the actual rule in my answers and do apologize for not citing the spot the rule could be found this time. I found that the UL Safety People at the competitions do enforce this, at least at all of the regionals I have attended.

ted yz

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Ted,
Just to be a little more clear, lead free solder may be required in specific regionals that are restricted by local codes but not all. However, machining (cutting, drilling, filing) lead used for counter weight or other robot parts is prohibited in the pits for obvious reasons. I have recommended that all regionals and lead robot inspectors enforce a rule that any lead used on the robot must be sealed in a conformal coating (paint or equivalent) so that contact with the material is minimal. In most cases we will turn to the UL Safety Inspectors for guidance on local codes.

From the 2009 Q&A
Lead-free solder
Posted by FRC386 at 01/08/2009 04:53:57 pm
Is lead-free solder required when building the robot? We note that the Safety Manual mentions the "NEW" requirement to use lead-free solder "at the event." The competition,however, is silent on the subject. Are all soldered joints going to be tested for the presence of lead? Additional discussion on the subject might be useful Re-soldering a lead-containing joint, or example, can be very messy and difficult. The old solder must be completely removed and the required heat when using the lead-free stuff is significantly higher.
Re: Lead-free solder
Posted by GDC at 01/12/2009 10:47:48 pm
No, it is not a required item for all soldered joints. Note that teams are urged to use their best engineering judgement and take all appropriate precautions whenever using any hazardous materials while in their home fabrication facilities.

[lynca]

This thread is somewhat related to my question,

I'm looking for sets of tools. I find that harbor freight has decent quality tool sets of screws, wire & small hardware.

For example, our team used this StoreHouse 1/4-20 set from HarborFreight heavily
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92806

However, I'm having trouble finding sets for other size screws (10-32, 8-32, 6-32)

Does anyone know a way to look at other StoreHouse catalog items, I'm having no luck with google searching Feel free to post any similar brands and such.