Recently someone posted on the Walkman Revival Facebook group that their hands were getting too shaky to do this sort of precise repair work. While trembling hands is a symptom of aging, it is also a classic symptom of lead poisoning. The other day I bought some solder and noticed there was a lead-free version. Which I bought. I was concerned it would be difficult to work with, but it is at least as good as leaded solder. After doing about 20 difficult units, I'm near the end of refurbishing these players. I have instinctively held my breath while soldering, and tried to stay out of the fume cloud, but I don't think that's adequate. If I was starting again I would get a fume extractor or at least use some sort of fan. Better to also work in a well ventilated area. Lead poisoning has a variety of serious impacts including nerological damage. The damage shows up very slowly, and is cumulative. Working on these things without proper precautions may not be worth it.
I worked in the plastic industry for awhile, we fabricated sheets of plastic and also built chemical sytems using plastic parts. The lifespan of the fabricators wasn't much after 50. I see these guys on YT with huge 3d print farms, I would advise everyone to have a good ventilation system if your doing it in your home.
Absolutely essential to minimise exposure to lead. It's the reason house paint and petrol had lead removed decades ago. I'm surprised I don't test positive to lead after working as a leadlight artist in my 20's. Fortunately I only used the lead for about 12 months!
