[volt-nuts] low emf solder

[Mark Sims]

I don't know if it the proper way but I used a very nice fume hood.   Measured the metals (high purity),  melted them in a quartz crucible,  stirred with a quartz rod,  and cast it in a ceramic block with a spiral pattern machined into it with a ball mill. You don't want to contaminate the mixture with other metals, etc.

That "Things I Won't Work With" article was about dimethyl cadmium, not metallic cadmium.  Reall Nasty Stuff.  Metallic cadmium and cadmium plating has been used for ages without killing too many people.  It's not something to take lightly, but I've had the pleasure of working around far worse things.

For even more extreme nastiness check out dimethyl mercury... one drop, goes through rubber gloves like they aren't there,  sure-fire rather horrible death.   Derek Lowe's "Things I Won't Work With" series is some of the best reading out there...  Unfortunately,  I don't think that he is still doing them.  His old web site has disappeared.

Just checked...  Derek is at it again after a two year hiatus...  woohoo!  He's my favorite chem-blogger.   Something makes me want to play with all the things he won't work with.