[sw686blue]

Hello folks,

I've been trying to locate a compund that is used to clean and tin the tip of a soldering iron without any success. Does anyone know where I can find some? Is it available in lead-free format?

Thanks!
Nick

 

[Mr. David Severson]

I heat my iron up and then poke it into a slightly damp sponge. Seems to do the trick..

 

[dwagar]

yep, clean on a damp sponge, tin with solder.

 

[sw686blue]

Here is what I normally do:

1) Heat the soldering pencil for 5 minutes
2) Wipe the tip of the iron on a damp sponge
3) Apply generous amount of tin to the iron tip
4) Wipe excess tin on sponge

Once I do this, I find that some spots of the tip are tinned while others are brownish in color.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.
Nick

 

[Xanadu]

Here is what I normally do:

1) Heat the soldering pencil for 5 minutes
2) Wipe the tip of the iron on a damp sponge
3) Apply generous amount of tin to the iron tip
4) Wipe excess tin on sponge

Once I do this, I find that some spots of the tip are tinned while others are brownish in color.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.
Nick

ur applying "generous amounts of tin"

 

[sw686blue]

Ok, how do I measure the right amount?

 

[bRian]

You can buy solder paste at Can. Tire or Home Harware just to name a couple of sources. If the tip is already messed up get the paste and buy a few spare tips also from same sources or Radio Shack(The Source).

 

[dwagar]

when it's cold, try giving it a light sand (sandpaper) down to bare metal and start fresh.

 

[sw686blue]

when it's cold, try giving it a light sand (sandpaper) down to bare metal and start fresh.

Thanks. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

 

[jxoco]

when it's cold, try giving it a light sand (sandpaper) down to bare metal and start fresh.

The tips have a cladding, like plateing on them.
Once that is burnt through or chipped off, the metal underneath oxidizes very quickly when it is heated. At that point I buy a new tip and once again try to keep it always covered in solder (tinned) at all times.
I bought a red weller base/holder that has a heat control and I now spin the dial down to 3 just to keep the tip idling and when I need to solder I whip it up to 5.
I've gone from a new tip every 6 months to having this tip for over two years already and it is still going strong.
The base has a sponge as well but I only use that just before I solder and I re-tin right after the sponge. If it is going back into the holder I don't clean it with the sponge as I want that old solder on it so that it oxidizes rather than the tip.

And use solder that has the resin built into it. Kester or similar.