Lead free solder foolishness - Was:Releasing sources/schematics.

[Tony Duell]

> > And secondly, I am awkeward enough to want o make my own. Mainly because
> > I could then use leaded solder.
> 
> I thought that Steve Ciarcia wrote a *very* interesting editorial 
> regarding the utter folly of banning leaded solder in the June 2008 

Unfortunately, since the demise of Borders bookshops over here, I can no
longer get Circuit Cellar Ink off the shelf. And I didn't find enough of
interest in each issue to feel it was worth subscribing to. So I have not
had a chance to see this editorial. 

> issue of Circuit Cellar.  I've been suspicious of and actually extremely 
> annoyed at the lead free solder idea from the start, and Steve makes a 
> pretty good case that it is not only a very poor electronics assembly 
> medium, it is terrible ecology as well!

I've heard it said that tthe extra energy required to heat the solder 
bath to the highter temperature needed for lead-free solder does more 
environmetal damage than leaded solder would.

Fortuantely, we (in the UK) are sitll allowed to use leaded solder for 
prototypes/home contruction, and for repairs on things that were 
originally soldered with leaded solder. But not for devices osld 
commerically (except for a few specific uses). So you can sell a kit and 
the builder can solder it with lead/tin solder with no problems. But if 
you sell the PCB pre-built, you have to use lead-free. Oh well..

Of course like most classiccmpers, I intend to minimiue the environmetal 
impact of my lead/tin solder by keeping the things I have made/repaired 
out of the landfill for many, many, years.

-tony