SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492024-03-29T02:53:21-06:00SparkFun ElectronicsMrYon on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?MrYonurn:uuid:8268d471-3f7d-3d31-8b4d-5f8850f47f692014-11-06T15:30:47-07:00<p>My boys learned to solder when they were 4 or 5. For myself, the rare times I get to solder a kit together, it's a nice way to relax. I explained it to my wife as "knitting, for geeks".</p>
Customer #376393 on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Customer #376393urn:uuid:a27fa9f9-8c2f-ab82-5d29-ef6dd6fd5e0b2014-11-06T13:55:31-07:00<p>About two weeks ago. Probably happens every 6 months or so, working with wires into audio connectors etc. Soldering without glasses feels as foreign to me as driving a car without a seatbelt.</p>
scharkalvin on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?scharkalvinurn:uuid:ed8e7b43-b63e-3a5a-0ba5-2764e62641992014-11-05T10:57:08-07:00<p>In my face, actually never. (I have had part leads fly in that direction while clipping the excess with cutters though!). However I have had excess solder drip off and land in my lap (while wearing shorts!) I guess you should always wear long pants (and NO SANDLES!) or an apron while soldering! Also don't solder anything that has been glued into place with superglue or you will melt out your eyes from the fumes!</p>
Customer #371067 on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Customer #371067urn:uuid:cd67864f-aef9-edb6-8556-526143b1185b2014-11-05T10:17:02-07:00<p>Someone asked when is the last time a soldering iron spit in my face, well that would be YESTERDAY shortly after posting my comment. Soldering a 12 AWG wire into a terminal and boiling flux bubble shot out some little particles of hot solder. And as to the comment about safety glasses in Europe, having spent some time in Germany and Hungary teaching and repairing equipment, there is most assuredly a REQUIREMENT for safety glasses AND positive ventilation of the fumes, AND a requirement to deal with the dross and other ruminant's of the soldering process. When we teach students here at our college, safety glasses are mandatory for almost every activity, including powering up uncovered circuit boards, its no fun pulling chunks of blow up capacitors out of one's face. Accidents happen, its far easier to work safely than to recover from an accident AND fill out all the resulting paperwork especially in the workplace (can you spell OSHA?)</p>
Kirk_T on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Kirk_Turn:uuid:704f959d-b979-69ba-0053-7f2f8a56bf712014-11-05T10:03:07-07:00<p>I agree about the use of safety glasses while soldering, as there have been a few times when I've been soldering and parts have slipped, causing small amounts of solder to be flung into the air, a few times towards my head. I always wear them now.<p>Curiously, I don't really see any mention of proper ventilation while soldering. Even if you are using lead-free solder, the fumes are still toxic, and young children like the girl depicted in the photo are especially vulnerable. It is easy enough to provide adequate ventilation. I have a 440 CFM blower fan in my shop which I've connected a length of dryer hose to, and it completely sucks out any fumes that come off while I'm working. Maintaining good air quality while working on projects is a great lesson to instill on young children!!</p></p>
NorthStreetLabs on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?NorthStreetLabsurn:uuid:c5c7fe9d-09b4-21fc-f274-b87d28e857e92014-11-05T06:18:05-07:00<p>I think brick and mortar is just too much overhead, seriously. I envision a successful fork of this idea would be like RedBox and Bitcoin ATMs, a Sparkfun Vending machine, at the more popular electronic hacker/maker spaces and some universities. They could even easily convince customers like us (the hardcore ones that read every article and comment, hah) to do the stocking for them, in return for small ($50-100?) digital vouchers of free products, (that could be used online or in the vending machine)<p>The best way to do this would be with bitcoin so the guy who stocks the machine doesn't have to deal with money. But alas, we don't wanna run into legal issues with sparkfun registering to be a money transmitter in every state, hopefully before this idea completes itself, the laws will clear up and Lawsky will stop using Windows XP.</p></p>
BadGUI on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?BadGUIurn:uuid:c24e8daa-b8d4-ac0d-f564-7aa76af128962014-11-05T05:05:30-07:00<p>I have to admit, I have never worn safety glasses while soldering. I have never seen or heard of anyone using them either. Not at university, not in industry.<p>Is this a legal requirement in the U.S? I live in Europe, so I suppose our regulations are different.</p></p>
SuperBobKing on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?SuperBobKingurn:uuid:fedc8b54-8d41-5783-9155-90bbce00a2b62014-11-05T00:13:52-07:00<p>I wear them to help keep fumes out of my eyes (I know breathing them in is bad too, but I can just hold my breath when soldering directly over something). The comment I made above was mostly just kidding because they pointed out that the little girl was wearing them.</p>
Customer #12736 on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Customer #12736urn:uuid:5b93b948-25ed-fab1-1ffb-ea4dd788bb722014-11-04T22:25:12-07:00<p>Seriously, when was the last time a soldering iron spit in your face?</p>
Zio on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Ziourn:uuid:8dcdc210-df73-67a9-1f0b-6f343ad59df82014-11-04T22:16:56-07:00<p>Since everyone seems to be making safety criticism comments, I would like to mention the biggest danger is using any soldering iron with the radioshack logo!</p>
Customer #12736 on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Customer #12736urn:uuid:344ab9c3-ed35-c5b4-1183-cdaa997695ff2014-11-04T22:12:47-07:00<p>Wow. I've taught all my kids to solder and never had them wear safety glasses. I consider myself pretty safety conscious, heck I was on the safety committee at work and worked hard to get a mandatory safety glasses while in the shop policy.<p>Are you teaching the kids to flick the iron around or something?</p></p>
Customer #602968 on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Customer #602968urn:uuid:ebd4e0c3-400f-8f04-2b51-454e6e616f672014-11-04T16:01:28-07:00<p>I would totally be down for a Sparkfun brick and mortar store. Not only would it be a store, but it would be an environment where people of all ages could come and work on their projects. There would be a bunch of workstations with tools (and computer maybe?) at each one that are free to use. I always find myself making several different orders from Sparkfun while working on a project because I never think things through completely. Having a store and a workshop in the same place would = $$$BIG$$$ for Sparkfun. =)</p>
neurdy on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?neurdyurn:uuid:25815718-9077-33d2-cf89-53dd901c4f2a2014-11-04T12:54:42-07:00<p>You're all correct in wondering about the lack of safety glasses. Admittedly, while not an excuse, this photo is from before our Department of Education existed. I was working in Production and we had a bit more of a risk neutral nature about us. We were new at the whole teaching thing and mistakes were made. Since 2011-2012 we've been requiring all instructors and students to wear safety glasses. We were lucky to never have any incidents and we are grateful for that. You can all sleep at night knowing we do take safety seriously and have come a long way since our renegade days of yore.<p><em>It is also highly unlikely that the iron was on at this point as I was demonstrating the mechanics of how to solder. We do our best to empower the students to tackle all soldering and troubleshooting themselves rather than commandeering the iron to fix things. Regardless, I should have been wearing glasses. Period.</em></p></p>
SuperBobKing on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?SuperBobKingurn:uuid:4a633112-daf2-efc4-d253-3b6c72c615d82014-11-04T12:14:15-07:00<p>Why isn't your director of education wearing safety glasses too?</p>
LightManCA on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?LightManCAurn:uuid:ab826e8b-84f1-55ec-b865-30c8d739a22b2014-11-04T12:11:08-07:00<p>Heh if you're worried about Radio Shack taking SparkFun's business, you would never be in business. Hands down there is no way they could add the value to the marketplace you do (well, unless you all bought them [or just a few stores... in WA?], and called it Radio Sparkfun Shack. Or... SparkShack.<p>Really you only need to buy one store in the Seattle area to make me happy :).</p></p>
RobertC. on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?RobertC.urn:uuid:5678ff98-19e5-0eb0-bd6b-51162c7b44592014-11-04T12:07:00-07:00<p>shhhh! don't give them business advice.</p>
LightManCA on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?LightManCAurn:uuid:733b021b-f05f-71c6-d92d-caafadab17132014-11-04T12:05:54-07:00<p>OMG it's.... Radio Shack!!!<p>Well... I guess they need the help, and Radio shack has solved some gotta have it now moments, especially since they are carrying Arduinos. Fyi, they really need to align the rest of their electronic offerings with the dyi offerings. They... just don't match :(.</p></p>
RobertC. on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?RobertC.urn:uuid:b8822ba7-0656-3c23-c2cb-069f6b7854422014-11-04T11:54:55-07:00<p>and she should probably be using a sparkfun soldering station, along with sparkfun safety goggles (and why not a sparkfun t-shirt or lab coat), but that's just me.</p>
Customer #371067 on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Customer #371067urn:uuid:2677cc25-de7c-21a0-615c-8554a13883162014-11-04T11:54:51-07:00<p>Seriously, staged or not, soldering iron in hand ONLY after safety glasses over eyes. And in my labs no hand or wrist jewelry allowed! It is ALWAYS important when educating to set the correct example, ALWAYS.</p>
Pokey on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?Pokeyurn:uuid:bebde582-664f-07c6-6e30-5565442de84a2014-11-04T11:42:23-07:00<p>When I used to work as an apps engineer, I'd hide in the lab and repair eval kits from the bone pile. Desoldering and replacing a bad 208 TQFP is surprisingly relaxing once you've moved beyond being intimidated by SMT. It was a good way to unwind after dealing with difficult customers and office drama.</p>
scharkalvin on Can Soldering Help Therapy Patients?scharkalvinurn:uuid:951a09c4-a5cb-c68a-1c1a-d54aa26b362e2014-11-04T10:41:16-07:00<p>Ok, I know Kristi is only posing for the photograph, and I can't tell if the soldering iron is actually powered on, but she should be watching what she's doing or she'll burn herself!</p>