Hi James, Just a cautionary note to all, and one most people would consider obvious, please take care to avoid potential molten solder spills into water and vice versa. I suspect we all have heard stories or have personal experiences...let's be safe. Have a Great Week! Shean -----Original Message----- From: James TerVeen Sent: 4/13/2005 2:45 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [TN] Wave Solder Pot Draining Best Practices I WOULD NEVER DRAIN A SOLDER POT. What you need to do and I think Steve G. will agree is go out and buy a bunch of metal cupcake pans. The real metal ones not the Aluminum ones. And with a ladle you scoop it out and pour into the cup cake pan. I should solidify very quickly but if not you can put the cupcake pans in a pan of water. It will get the water hot pretty fast so you will have to change it but as the solder turns hard you turn over the pan and the solder ingots pop out. I would never try to turn on the valve on the side of the pot and drain it that way..... You really have no control and once you make a mistake your floor will be covered with solder and people will be jumping on top of anything to get out of the way of the flow solder river. We once took a couple of 2 inch aluminum plates and machined about 5 troughs in it and scooped the solder into that. They looked like silver bars when they cooled and like the cupcake tray they just popped out when you turned it over. It takes time but you need to take the time to be safe. Good luck "Anderson, Greg (GE To: [log in to unmask] Infrastructure)" cc: <Greg.Anderson@GE Subject: [TN] Wave Solder Pot Draining Best Practices FANUC.COM> Sent by: TechNet <[log in to unmask]> 04/13/05 03:26 PM Please respond to TechNet E-Mail Forum; Please respond to "Anderson, Greg (GE Infrastructure)" TechNet: We are going to drain and clean a wave solder pot in preparation for conversion to lead-free solder. We have not completely purged a wave solder pot in some time, and the people in the know have moved on. Does anyone have "best practices" recommendations for draining and handling the solder (other than BE VERY CAREFUL ! ) ? Greg Anderson GE Fanuc Automation Charlottesville, VA --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY: If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by e-mail at the address shown. This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential information. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom it is intended even if addressed incorrectly. Please delete it from your files if you are not the intended recipient. Thank you for your compliance. --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------