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Problems with soldering tips!

toxxn

Recently I got a new soldering iron from radioshack. I have used it on several projects and it has worked very well thus far. The last project I was working on, I noticed a small indentation on the end of the tip. I just got done desoldering some componets moments ago when I noticed the indentation has gotten bigger, looking like a cavity. I am sure most of you will already know exactly what I mean, but here is a couple pictures to illustrate what I am reffering to:

 

image

image

 

I know the pictures are a little fuzzy, though I took them using my iPod.

I am concerned about this tip and I am unaware as to why it has done this espeically since I have only had the iron itself for 4 days and have only used it for a few projects, using up maybe a foot of solder.

Could someone whom is more experienced with soldering irons please give me some info as to what causes this and why? and perhaps some info as to what should be done about it.

I am just going to replace the tip for now,

  • You have to keep the tip coated with solder, or the tip's iron metal quickly oxidizes and corrodes away.  Adding the solder is called "tinning".  There's some explaination at Wikipedia, and I'm sure others know of links to better resources and tutorials.

     

    Here's what I do: when I first use a tip, I melt solder onto it as it warms up so that it is fully coated.  Tips usually come pre-tinned, but I like adding more solder.  I always have a moist sponge handy to clean excess solder and flux off the tip.  After soldering one or a few joints, I wipe the tip on the moist sponge and then add fresh solder to make sure the tip stays coated.

     

    Once a tip has any iron metal exposed and oxidized, the problem will only get worse.  Solder won't stick to the exposed iron oxide, which makes re-tinning a problem.  There might be tricks for sanding down the oxide so you can re-tin, but I've never tried them.  I usually just keep a spare tip handy and think of them as "consumables".

  • in reply to johnbeetem

    Thanks for the info John.

    I have tried to keep my tip "tinned" although I guess when I cleaned off my tip with a wet sponged I just carelessly forgot to re-tin it. Lesson learned I supposed.

    You have to fail to succeed.

  • Hi Cory,

     

    Rule # 1, a soldering tip is not a pry bar.  When you are desoldering components, it is important not to use the soldering tip to remove the components.

     

    Most soldering tips are soft metal and therefore very susceptible to abrasion.  Plus as John stated above, keep the tip tinned.  If you use the soldering braid, you can abraid the tip and expose it to air.  When hot, the soft metal will quicklly oxide and erode.

     

    I have re-sharpened soldering iron tips with a metal file, but you can only do this a number of times before it becomes less useful.

     

    Treat your tools with respect and care. 

     

    DAB

  • in reply to DAB

    Thank you as well for the info DAB, although I always use my desoldering pump when desoldering.

    Though as mentioned, I do tin my tips. What the problem was, when I cleaned the tip I carelessly forgot to re-tin it.

  • in reply to johnbeetem

    While the wet sponge does work (I used it for many years myself) I much prefer a different type of tip cleaner that uses a ball of

    fairly wide (about 1/64 inch or ~ 39 cm) metal "fibres" kind of like steel wool. They clean as well as wet sponges without cooling

    the tip nearly as much as the wet sponge does, they clean the whole tip not just the part that touches the sponge, they are

    easier to keep clean, and they are always immediately ready to use, no sponge wetting needed. About the only drawback is

    that they occasionally need to be pulled back out to their original shape (or just rotated) after repeated use at the same spot.