Question about solder

[pally321]

I'm not sure if anybody has asked this but does anybody know if the solder in a Nintendo 64, letalone any Nintendo product, uses lead-free solder? I usually wash my hands after I open one but I am wondering if it's absolutely needed.

[marshallh]

I don't even know where to start, I laughed so hard. No, you don't need to wash your hands, even when it is leaded solder. Lead-free solder has really only been used since a few years ago. It's a mess to work with and inferior in just about every way to standard leaded solder, except it makes treehuggers happy.

I melt down lead scraps into ingots and handle them with my bare hands. That's the point where you need to start washing them. The only thing you need to worry about with leaded solder is that you have a fan drawing away the fumes while soldering, or you could get a headache. You're not going to die though.

[pally321]

And I thought I knew so much about solder...