Soldering in bedroom/dorm room?

[JF Electronics]

Hello fellow hobbyists;

I currently have all of my tools set up in a separate room. However I will be moving soon and the only available space for my electronics stuff will be in my bedroom. Does anyone know how hazardous it is to solder in a bedroom and what fume extractor they recommend. I would like to build my own fume extractor if possible, using PC fans and dryer duct. I will be using lead-free solder with 2.2% flux content as shown here https://goo.gl/69gNoZ .

Thanks to all in advance,

[tszaboo]

Dont do production work there. Otherwise fine for that 2 dozen solder joints. Just ventilate after.

[Ian.M]

The biggest hazard is probably standing barefoot on an upturned DIP chip when you get out of bed! 

[Dave]

The biggest hazard is probably standing barefoot on an upturned DIP chip when you get out of bed! 

Just one more reason not to use those outdated packages.

I've been soldering in my bedroom for years and I'm still around to tell the tale. I just air the room out before I go to sleep to get rid of the burnt rosin smell and that's about it.

If you're still worried, any old fume extractor with a carbon filter will do a good enough job of filtering the fumes.

[Cliff Matthews]

Ouch! Brings back memories of sharp needles hiding in 70's shag carpet.. My sister and her damned sewing machine 

[vodka]

The biggest hazard is probably standing barefoot on an upturned DIP chip when you get out of bed! 

So, i have never stabbed any my feet. And that i have the work station to near the bed(Approximately 1 meter)

Dont do production work there. Otherwise fine for that 2 dozen solder joints. Just ventilate after.

A few exaggerated, ventilating the room for 15 point soldering. Simply  if you have the door a few opened of  his bedroom, that is sufficient

[CraigHB]

Haha, feet don't make very good dip sockets.  I'm pretty careless with ventilation of soldering fumes.  Rosin fumes don't seem particularly caustic to me and I've never had a problem.  They actually don't smell bad at all to me.  If you want to smell caustic, try doing the aspirin method of removing enamel from magnet wire.  First time I tried that it about knocked me out of my chair.  I've since abandoned that idea because the fumes are so nasty.

[lordvader88]

I understand OP. My "work bench" is a chair with a big board on it. In a few days(or weeks) a clamp stand, with magnifying glass and lamp is arriving, so that will help. I have a desk, but my PC and disassembled oscilloscope are used for them.

I should get some boxes, and tidy my room, and use the desk as a bench, and SIT on the chair, instead of the bed.

[Johncanfield]

I've been inhaling soldering fumes since I was about 14 years old, that was a zillion years ago. One summer I worked on a line doing point to point wiring on ground aircraft radios, there was no such thing as fume extractors back then. Ah, the good old days when men were men.

[james_s]

The biggest hazard is probably standing barefoot on an upturned DIP chip when you get out of bed! 

I see your upturned DIP chip and raise you one upturned TO-3 transistor. Oh man that hurt!

I soldered in my bedroom for years when I lived in an apartment and later shared a house with a roommate. My bedroom was my sleeping space, den and workshop all in one. Crack a window and try not to huff the fumes, you'll be fine. More important is to wash your hands after handling leaded solder and try not to touch your face. Never eat while soldering either, at least not finger food.

[Zero999]

I used to solder in my bedroom when I was a child. Just don't solder on the bed. I did that and almost set fire to the mattress!

[basinstreetdesign]

Just don't wire up an electrolytic cap backwards and turn it on at 250V.  It could take a while for the smoke/acid/paper bits to clear.    BTDT

[mikeselectricstuff]

Keep away from that lead-free crap - the flux fumes are much worse than leaded solder. Lead in solder never hurt anyone.

[james_s]

I'm sure lead solder hurt somebody somewhere, at least indirectly due to lead ending up in landfills/groundwater. I still use leaded solder though, just use a little common sense, don't eat it, and don't dump large quantities of lead in the trash.

[David Hess]

The biggest hazard is probably standing barefoot on an upturned DIP chip when you get out of bed!

Is that you Seth Brundle?

Just one more reason not to use those outdated packages.

Small outline and other surface mount parts can be almost as damaging.  Instead of landing upside down, the surface mount parts tend to land corner point up like a tetrahedron at least in carpet.  I learned to wear at least slippers.

[timb]

My worry isn't chips in the carpet, it's little bits of clipped leads or bits of solder off the roll that end up on the ground, under the desk. My doggle enjoys laying under the desk, assisting me in my work. In the past I've caught her chewing on pieces of solder (I assume because it's sweet tasting). Now she brings them to me and drops them in my lap, but I still worry she might swallow them by accident, so I make a habit of running the vacuum after I build something, just to make sure there's nothing down there.

[David Hess]

Get a hard plastic or rubber mat to put under your work space so parts and bits do not fall into the carpet.  Home improvement stores carry large rubber mats and or search for "office chair mat".

[thm_w]

Keep away from that lead-free crap - the flux fumes are much worse than leaded solder. Lead in solder never hurt anyone.

yep from what I measured lead-free solder alone produces more particulate, then add to that the higher temperatures it gets even worse. Wash your hands after using lead and it should be fine.

OP: can you open a window when you are soldering? Also get a good smoke absorber (fan with carbon filter), unless you have a lot of money to blow on an industrial fume extractor.
This one is probably good but I haven't personally used it: https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FA400-04-Bench-ESD-Safe-Absorber/dp/B00FZPSEY4/

[CatalinaWOW]

In very many dorm rooms since the 1960s solder fumes are among the least of your worries in terms of atmospheric contaminants.  Between "mood altering" materials, incense, deodorant, air fresheners, microwave popcorn and a myriad of other things your lungs are under constant assault.

[hopski]

I did tons of soldering in my bedroom in my youth, just did it near open window.
Not much fun in the winter though.

[Audioguru]

My Weller soldering iron has proper temperature control (not nothing or not just a simple light dimmer circuit) so it heats the rosin it does not incinerate it. I have been soldering with it in my work room or bedroom for 55 years and I am fine. A cheapo soldering iron makes smoke and does not solder properly. I soldered water pipes together one time with a butane torch which made lots of smoke like a cheapo electric soldering iron.

[Audioguru]

"mood altering"

Nowadays I need to hold my breath when walking through a parking lot because of all the very strong Mary Wanna smoke there.

[hopski]

Obviously the car parks over there are much more interesting. All we get over here is petrol fumes.

[Audioguru]

Obviously the car parks over there are much more interesting. All we get over here is petrol fumes.

When I was in the UK there was diesel smoke all over the place.

[Paul Price]

The real issue is the flux fumes, not the solder. Don't get liquid flux  on your fingers, or allow flux fumes to rise directly up onto your face.

Solve this problem by buying a Cheapo Chineato USB fan from a $1 store or get one for free salvaging a small fan from an old PC Desktop power supply and then double-sided adhesive tape it somewhere out of the way, aimed just at the right angle to give a breeze that is just strong enough to blow the fumes away from your face.
 
To power a small PC P/S fan, use a 8V/ up to 12-volt discarded wallwart fitted with an on/off switch salvaged from the same PC power supply you got the fan from.

After soldering work in winter weather just air out the room and enjoy a splash of cold fresh air. In warmer weather just keep open a window.