DIY Fume extractor problem

[Tyler Grey]

Hi, I'm new to soldering and I certainly don't like fumes that comes out when soldering.
So I decided to make a fume extractor myself.

First, most of the people on the internet used about 55 mm ~ 120 mm fan. They seem kind of small. Would they really work at that size?
And I'm not sure which filter I need to buy. Do I need to buy carbon filter made for fume extracting or can I buy filters for fish tanks? Also, would car filters work too? And will those filters filter out smells too?

 

[D.A.(Tony)Stewart]

A vacuum nozzle near the soldering point extracts the smoke more effectively.

 

[Audioguru]

Most people who begin soldering use a very cheap soldering iron that gets WAY TOO HOT! It incinerates the rosin in the solder making smoke instead of melting the rosin. My Weller soldering iron is not cheap but not too expensive and it was designed many years ago with temperature control. It does not use a simple light dimmer circuit for you to try to manually adjust the heat, instead it keeps its tip always at the correct soldering temperature. It is still being manufactured today. Mine still works perfectly after being used almost every day for 51 years and its tip does not get burned away so it also lasts for a long time. The melting rosin in the solder makes a nice aroma, not smoke.

 

[Tyler Grey]

Hmm... Do you think 40 watts is too much for a beginner?
If not, how much would be enough?

 

[bigdogguru]

I agree with Audioguru, I have several solder stations from five different manufacturers, ranging in price from well over a $1000 to $150. They each have their specific function and niche, however for today to today soldering, my Weller EC2001 is still going strong after 30+ years of continuous service. I've only had to change the tip once in that period of time, there are some things in this world where it truly does pay to buy quality, soldering irons/stations is one of them.

Most professional conventional soldering station with normal sized tips for average PCB work are in the 60W to 80W range, if memory serves me. It's not a question of how hot, but how fast the iron can reach a specified temperature and the stability of maintaining that specified temperature.

It would certainly be advantageous to purchase a soldering station with a reliable temperature control system, many of the lower priced pencil and station irons have a bad tendency to rise above normal levels when not in continuous use or they simply do not have the wattage and control to compensate when soldering large joints, terminals or pad areas.



BigDog

 

[Mattylad]

ISTR that within the fumes of lead free solder is antimony which is not good, so even with the correct tip it is always better for you to extract the fumes.

The idea being to **** the fumes away from you, this is required more than filtering them but if you filter then use whatever filter you can get - charcoal being the best, even a cooker hood filter cut to fit will do.