Soldering woes

[umoharana]

I am not sure if this topic can form a part of discussion of this forum. But I am sure some of you would have faced similar problems. I share this here my experinece and look for any solution.

I have been used to soldering on and off for last 20 years, but recently I have gone into this problem and I can not figure out why is it happening and happening repeatedly.

I do electronic projects occasionally and of late it is more. I use ordinary soldering iron for all my soldering work. But recently my tip is getting black / burnt. I can not solder any more. Happening quite frequently.

I have changed soldering iron to more expensive ones.
I have changed the tips to new tips. Some times it works for quite some time. But quite often now, the tips turn black and become non-usable almost immediately.
I use from 20 to 30 watt max.

I clean the tip regularly while soldering.
Tin the tip with lead while olsdering.. etc..
I am following all those tips. But the woe continues.

It had never happened earlier. One iron could take me for the full year even more and I never have to change the tips. Last two / three months I would have bought dozen tips and 3/4 irons. I do my work only on week ends.

I use easily available Rosin core soldering leads (40/60) (unbranded). I had not paid much attention to this and buy normally from hardware shop available in small lengths (1 mtr).
I guess this could be reason .. not using a quality soldering lead which could be corroding the tip and eating up the tip plating.

This time I am going to buy a soldering roll from a Electronics component shop and see what happens.

I would like to know if any of you faced similar problems and found any solution. Quite frustrating for me now.

Thanks

 

[BeanieBots]

It does sound like it could be your solder at fault.
Acid core solder will eat through tips very quickly. If you don't wash your boards it will also eat through them over time.

Replace your sponge and make sure the water you use is clean. Hard water can cause tips to go black. Maybe your local utilities have started adding clensers such as chlorine which were not there before.

 

[fritz42_male]

I would suspect it is a combination thing. Maybe too high a heat coupled with the removal of lead from the solder due to new regulations.

I try and use Multicore brand solder wherever possible and keep the tip heat well within the 'normal' zone for typical electronic circuits with normal size pads etc. Obviously you have to push the heat up for ground plane stuff.

I also use a tip cleaner/tinner from Jaycar - I find it causes me less hassle than a plain sponge wipe. I wipe the tip on a sponge wetted with distilled water and then immediately wipe it into the Jaycar stuff.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=TS1512&keywords=solder+tip&form=KEYWORD

I haven't replaced a tip in 2 years.

 

[Dippy]

Hi,
I think most of us have had similar problems and I think the reasons are various.

I have used dozens of irons ranging from 'anonymous' through to Antex, Weller and Pace.
I assume these are all iron-plated tips?
My worst experiences were from Antex tips from 3 or 4 years ago. But since a year ago they seem better - why? I don't know.

I have used many solders; the worst being 'anonymous' lead-free and Maplin lead-free.
I haven't researched but it's probably a combination of the flux recipe and temperature.
I usually get the worst effects when using lead-free and the worst I ever got was using Maplin lead-free.

I found the brass-shavings cleaners totally ineffective on the black stuff. And only some old smelly dip-in cleaner restored my bits (ooer Matron).

It may be that you are running your iron too hot or leaving it on for prolonged periods between soldering.
Try turnng the temp down a touch. Never trust a thermostat
(Seen the latest big Weller stations? Lovely).

 

[pete20r2]

@ Fritz, You may want to be careful with your links, don't get peoples hopes up.
You an I are in the great land of Australia but most of the people here are in the UK.

Also,

I am old-school, I use straight solder an I have a bar of flux, works great.
When the tip goes black I get some fine sandpaper and clean it down, also helps with keeping it pointy.

I don't know about tips these days as I've never replaved mine, if they have a special coating or something ( obviously not working), so you may not want to sand yours

 

[fritz42_male]

Hi Pete,

Yes but I've seen the same stuff from the UK as well and I used to live there before I saw the light!

Stick solder and separate flux - ohhh that is OLD school. It's a wonder you aren't trying to braze the connections!

Seriously, I used to do a LOT of board assembly - I used a Weller station, Multicore solder and never once had a problem. I now have a cheapy Dick Smith station (but still OK) and good solder although not Multicore and have a little more hassle (connections don't seem to tin as easily) but not much. My tips NEVER go black (fnarr, fnarr - Viz reference there)

I suggest ditching the old style solder and going down my suggested route.

And oh yes, the last time I sanded the tip of a soldering iron and used stick + flux was when I was assembling a stained glass project!

 

[umoharana]

Thanks for the reply and suggestions.

I am in Singapore for last 6 years and only for about a year I am onto this soldering. Water here is good and tap water is used for drinking. I do not expect it to contain chlorine.

I have been leaving the iron hot for long hours.
And after the experience I do switch off if I am off for longer than 15 minutes. But even when I was leaving it for lonr duration I had no issues earlier.

I do not use a soldering station to control the temperature. Because for casual work I did not want to spend that much.The number of Soldering irons I have bought till now, I could have probably bought a station.
I do not know whether my iron has a thermostat or not.

I think, by process of elimination, it boils down to the quality of solder I use. I am still using lead/tin solder. I have not tried lead-less solder yet. I do not think it is available in local hardware stores.

Today I have ordered Henkel make solder. the catalogue says it is cored flux-non-corrossive. I have also ordered a 20watt "Boot" make soldering iron.

Can any one advise whether same iron can be used for both type of solder i.e. lead-free and with 40% lead type ???

Thanks.

 

[bluejets]

This was for A.C. supply....
An old trick with a standard old iron left "on" for long periods, was to connect the iron to a diode with a micro switch bypass. The micro was operated by a lever that you hung the iron on while not in use, and this allowed a diode to be connected in series. The result was the iron was kept warm but not hot enough to make the tip go black. When the iron was required, the micro would by-pass the diode to give full voltage. Maybe had to wait a short time for full heat but quicker than heating from dead cold. Best to be a lecky to rig this up if you're working with mains supply.

 

[manuka]

umoharana: Hand soldering skills take maybe 6 months of regular practise to perfect,& I certainly well recall youthful angst with the craft. There are so many tips & tricks that it's hard to focus on any one area, but in possible rough order your woes may relate to-

1. The solder -flux cored 60% tin/40% lead (which melts 183-188 °C ) is traditional in electronics, but the metal boom has meant some cheaper offerings may have impurities. Some looks like it's been made from old car batteries & the scrapings off bean cans! However a trace of copper in the solder (sold as "Savbit") will prolong tip life. ROHS lead free solder is harder to use, as it has a higher melting point. Are you using this and thinking it's normal 60/40 ?

2. Thinner gauges melt quicker & are often easier to use. What thickness is your solder?

3. Your technique -have you been taught the craft properly? "Ensure the solder pad & component leads are clean/Heat the joint,melt solder onto the heated joint/Let it flow, etc etc

4. Cleanliness- it's hopeless trying to solder unless fresh bright metal is visible & greases removed. Frequent passing of the hot tip over a damp sponge offcut gives near magical tip cleanliness!

5. WHAT are you soldering ? Small or large parts ? Larger areas can be better persuaded with a drop of lemon juice as flux- it smells good too.

6. Iron power rating ? 15-20W is usually ideal, but some cheapies are rated nearer 40W. Vice versa, some precision irons may be rated below 10W & be too cool for regular work

I've quite a swag of irons, but FWIW the tip on my normal iron has thinned down only slightly in the last 5 years. "Savbit" quality thin gauge solder is always used, and I do NOT leave the iron on for hours due to fire & burns concerns. Yes- I've had some real scares over the decades... Stan.(hand soldering since 1961).

Extra: Bluejets - a nifty diode trick indeed. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[Andrew Cowan]

I'm a big fan of 63/37% solder rather than the standard 60/40.

Wikipedia:
Tin/lead solders, also called soft solders, are commercially available with tin concentrations between 5% and 70% by weight. The greater the tin concentration, the greater the solder’s tensile and shear strengths. At the retail level, the two most common alloys are 60/40 Tin/lead (Sn/Pb) which melts at 370 °F or 188 °C and 63/37 Sn/Pb used principally in electrical/electronic work. The 63/37 ratio is notable in that it is a eutectic mixture, which means:

1. It has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361.4 °F) of all the tin/lead alloys; and
2. The melting point is truly a point — not a range.

Sn63, ASTM63A, ASTM63B. Common in electronics; exceptional tinning and wetting properties, also good for stainless steel. One of most common solders. Low cost and good bonding properties. Used in both SMT and through-hole electronics. Rapidly dissolves gold and silver, not recommended for those.[16] Sn60Pb40 is slightly cheaper and is often used instead for cost reasons, as the melting point difference is insignificant in practice. On slow cooling gives slightly brighter joints than Sn60Pb40.[17]

I find that it flows much more easily and makes for much nicer and better joints. As wiki says, it is brilliant for tinning and wetting, and really sticks to component leads well.

Andrew

 

[manuka]

Andrew: Well said, BUT keep in mind a traditional reason for the 60/40 ratio relates to the ~5°C "plastic region", as this allows joints to smoothly settle solid rather than suddenly lock in. Such stress free solidification can have reliability benefits, as instant set joints may be brittle, and could become suspect if stressed or vibrated. Although long aware of this & it's significance in a point to point wiring era, I too personally feel the higher tin % of 63/37 eutectic solder is indeed desirable with modern low profile components. Compared with 60/40 the superior wetting and (slightly!) lower working temperatures of 63/37 are a bonus- but usually at a $ price ...

Historical corner: Soldering-then mostly of gold and silver- is mentioned in the Old Testament (Isaiah: 41.7)!

 

[pete20r2]

The melting point is truly a point — not a range.

Now I'm interested, that sounds wonderful to work with, maybe it is time for me to update my equipment.

 

[gengis]

Too high a heat combined with cheap flux or either one by themselves would be prime candidates. Turn the iron off if you aren't using it and try a lamp dimmer in series with the power to the iron. Cheap way to vary the heat... Also a diode in series with the iron with a 3 position toggle switch - high, off, low (and leave it at low if you have to go away for a time and don't want to wait forever for it to heat)

25 watts is generally more than enough for small work - 40 watts will fry a tip in no time at all.

Position the iron in a holder that puts the tip down so that solder runs to the tip - those little aluminum "stands" are hard on tips.

I use a 40 watt with lamp dimmer at 50% most of the time with a small incandescent 7 watt pilot lamp in parallel, so I can judge the power easily. My holder is heavy enough to carry away a good deal of heat too.

 

[umoharana]

umoharana: Hand soldering skills take maybe 6 months of regular practise to perfect,& I certainly well recall youthful angst with the craft. There are so many tips & tricks that it's hard to focus on any one area, but in possible rough order your woes may relate to-

1. The solder -flux cored 60% tin/40% lead (which melts 183-188 °C ) is traditional in electronics, but the metal boom has meant some cheaper offerings may have impurities. Some looks like it's been made from old car batteries & the scrapings off bean cans! However a trace of copper in the solder (sold as "Savbit") will prolong tip life. ROHS lead free solder is harder to use, as it has a higher melting point. Are you using this and thinking it's normal 60/40 ?

2. Thinner gauges melt quicker & are often easier to use. What thickness is your solder?

3. Your technique -have you been taught the craft properly? "Ensure the solder pad & component leads are clean/Heat the joint,melt solder onto the heated joint/Let it flow, etc etc

4. Cleanliness- it's hopeless trying to solder unless fresh bright metal is visible & greases removed. Frequent passing of the hot tip over a damp sponge offcut gives near magical tip cleanliness!

5. WHAT are you soldering ? Small or large parts ? Larger areas can be better persuaded with a drop of lemon juice as flux- it smells good too.

6. Iron power rating ? 15-20W is usually ideal, but some cheapies are rated nearer 40W. Vice versa, some precision irons may be rated below 10W & be too cool for regular work

I've quite a swag of irons, but FWIW the tip on my normal iron has thinned down only slightly in the last 5 years. "Savbit" quality thin gauge solder is always used, and I do NOT leave the iron on for hours due to fire & burns concerns. Yes- I've had some real scares over the decades... Stan.(hand soldering since 1961).

Extra: Bluejets - a nifty diode trick indeed. Thanks for pointing it out.

Here are my answers:

1) I am not trained professionaly to solder. I am an engineer by professioin and I have learnt this during study days, which I use now for my work. I would not say I am bad. As long the iron works I am fine with my work.

2) I am trying to assemble a project on a strip board pcb for myself using picaxe. This where I am getting stuck with my soldering woes. Earlier to this i have already assembled three boards using discrete components for my project. The board contains IC sockets. Resistors, capacitors terminals etc.
I did have simliar problems but it went on after I changed the tips.
But now the proble does not seem to goes.

3) I am using Goot, unistar, hakko etc brands for soldering rods. What I did not pay attention is the solder quality. I am using 60/40 solder which is written on the casing. I buy in small quanitites from regular hardware shop, where I believe the quality is questionable. Today I have ordred for 250 gms from a registered industrial supplier shop with proper data sheet. Henkel make 60/40.

4) I can not find any information on "Savbit" solder that you mentioned. I do not know how to get it. Let me search again. Most of the time I order components from RS Electronics or Farnell (called element 14 now).

5) Initially I am bit reluctant to invest on Soldering station due to my very small volume of work. Once my assembly for the project is over and it works fine, I may not touch solering for quite some time. My main interest is in photography and this project is for that only.

Hope with new sollder coming in, the problem would be fixed.

Thanks for all the advicesa nd the references.

 

[manuka]

OK-perhaps post a few close up soldering photos ? It's often easy to identify soldering faults this way

 

[eclectic]

4) I can not find any information on "Savbit" solder that you mentioned. I do not know how to get it. Let me search again. Most of the time I order components from RS Electronics or Farnell (called element 14 now)..

Farnell.com Singapore shows

http://sg.element14.com/jsp/search/browse.jsp?N=0+1581&Ntk=gensearch_001&Ntt=Savbit&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&suggestions=false&ref=globalsearch&_requestid=956972&No=0&getResults=true&appliedparametrics=true&locale=en_SG&catalogId=&prevNValues=0&filtersHidden=false&appliedHidden=false&originalQueryURL=/jsp/search/browse.jsp?N=0&Ntk=gensearch_001&Ntt=Savbit&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&suggestions=false&ref=globalsearch&_requestid=956972&No=0&getResults=true&appliedparametrics=true&locale=en_SG&catalogId=&prevNValues=0

e

 

[inglewoodpete]

I also use a tip cleaner/tinner from Jaycar - I find it causes me less hassle than a plain sponge wipe. I wipe the tip on a sponge wetted with distilled water and then immediately wipe it into the Jaycar stuff.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=TS1512&keywords=solder+tip&form=KEYWORD

I haven't replaced a tip in 2 years.

I'll put in a vote that little tin of tip cleaner too. I rarely use it but it does the trick. Available around the world, not just from Jaycar.

 

[Dippy]

umoharana, I spoke today with a couple of people who have been working in professional soldering production for a combined 20 years. They've done more joints than Bob Marley.

Assuming you have solder of a good quality (leaded or lead-free) and that you wipe your tip regularly, their immediate reply was tip overheating or just overheating for solder/flux combo used.

Some of the more expensive solder-stations do an automatic stand-by if they sense you haven't used the iron for a wee while. And the better makes of station are going to monitor tip temperature more accurately/sensibly.

Little short of spending £££s/$$$s on a tip temperature meter, I would advise you to a) read the solder data sheet and/or b) turn your temperature down a bit (no pun intended ).

Quite often the temptation is to turn it up 20o to get a quicker solder but good soldering is combination of solder/flux/tip/power/preparation and skill.
I have found that some tips (older Antex) blacken quickly then after that they don't do it so much, dunno why.

Anyway, the Pros say; look at your tip temp first.

And obviously a £9 soldering station isn't going to be as good as a £900 model.... for a number of reasons.

 

[Haku]

2) I am trying to assemble a project on a strip board pcb for myself using picaxe. This where I am getting stuck with my soldering woes. Earlier to this i have already assembled three boards using discrete components for my project. The board contains IC sockets. Resistors, capacitors terminals etc.
I did have simliar problems but it went on after I changed the tips.
But now the proble does not seem to goes.

Since I did some work a while ago for an electronics engineer my soldering skills improved dramatically, by the end I was doing hot-air soldering/desoldering with the aid of magnifying glasses and sometimes a stereo microscope for things like modifying boards by soldering single wires onto the lifted up legs of SMD microcontrollers etc., my own kit is not as elaborate as I'm only working with stripboard for my own projects and not professionally made PCBs with solder resist etc.

I find that stripboard soldering can sometimes be more difficult than working on professionaly made PCBs because of the amount of metal the solder can stick to, a temperature controlled iron really helps because it can deliver and sustain the heat needed for heating up the stripboard metal for the solder to stick to. Leaded solder is also a reccomendation for hobby work, I once did have some unleaded solder from Maplin, hated the stuff, it was a pig to use.

Also, the strpboard batch I have currently appears to have a thin layer of flux on the metal already, it doesn't tarnish from fingerprints and the solder sticks to it very easily.

 

[Dippy]

I tried one of the lead-free solders from Maplin. Awful. It caused very rapid tip corrosion - faster than a couple of other 'famous make' lead-free solders I have used. I usually use leaded Multicore or stuff made by Warton Metals, the latter is one of the 'easiest' solders I've ever used.

I don't do as much soldering as I used to but I found a regularly cleaned quality plated tip with quality leaded solder on a quality station would last well over a year. The same tip with Maplin lead-free lasted a week before corrosion set in. In fact it seemed to be easier to dissolve my tip than wet it.

Anyway... back to the black-tip-problem.....

 

[eclectic]

If it is "stripboard", then

A. What quality?

B. Is it cleaned / scoured / fluxed before soldering?

Dirty stripboard produces dirty tips.
(I know :-( )

e

 

[Andrew Cowan]

Giving the stripboard a light scrub with some wire wool does a great job if it is dirty/old.

A

 

[fritz42_male]

I have terrible problems with my acid sweat - boards dirty up or corrode very quickly after I handle them unless I clean them. I've even rusted up 'stainless' steel (yes I know there are different grades).

There used to be an eraser on the market designed for cleaning boards - it had a 'gritty' quality to it and was specifically made for cleaning boards, contacts etc.

Anyone know where I can get it these days?

 

[nbw]

I use a little isopropyl to clean the board beforehand, a tiny amount of flux is the joint is going to be awkward (e.g. the connection involves some older metal), and multi-core solder.

Last thing I do is a little flux on the tip, wipe clean, switch off, let cool down and then rinse under water / dry.

 

[Andrew Cowan]

There used to be an eraser on the market designed for cleaning boards - it had a 'gritty' quality to it and was specifically made for cleaning boards, contacts etc.

Anyone know where I can get it these days?

Do you mean something like a fibreglass pencil?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/abrasive-fibreglass-pencil-3932?c=froogle&u=3932&t=module

A

 

[StigOfTheDump]

Non-metallic PCB Cleaning Scrub Block

I think I got mine from Maplin donkeys years ago.

 

[fritz42_male]

Andrew - nope. Triied them and didn't like them.


Stigofthedump - YESSSSS He Scores!!!!!

That's exactly it mate. Thanks.


Bloody hellfire - $9.35 in Oz - only 2.85 in UK (=$4.30). More than twice the price. Lucky I'll be back in il' Blighty at end of May.

 

[umoharana]

This topic has become really interesting with so much of dicussions and have been educating. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge.

The case posted was for a frequent black tip problem and got side tracked interestingly to how to get a quality joint. However I am converging on to a conclusion like:

1) For my case, it is the lead wire, the most probable cause of black tip, as I have soldered few boards with same conditions like same iron, same tip and also keeping it on for long hours etc... The only variable that was chaging was the lead wire, which I used to pick up indiscriminently. The boards, those I could finish soldering, may be, that particular soldering lead was of better quality of unknown brand.

2) Lessons learnt:I should be following now onwards
- Switch off, if not used more than 10/15 minutes.
-Clean and tin the tip during use and after use.
-Use a solder wire of known make. I have now this henkel make and this is suppose to be multi core non-corrosive, 60/40.

3) I would not be investing on a soldering station as I am not a heavy user. Instead I would use a diode and the micro switch method to keep the temperature / power down in between the pauses while soldering.
I would be using a 20watt soldering iron from "Goot".
Can a 20 watt iron over heat ???????

I hope this would resolve my "soldering woes".

I still have few "whys".

-Why a blackened tip would not wet even if the temperature is high. The tip can melt the solder, but it can not melt solder on the board.
- Tip after it gets black, even if it cleaned to shining, it won't still wet ? Why ?
I have measured the tip temperature by my multi meter which shows 275 Deg.C. The tip can melt the solder lead on the table. But it won't either wet or perform soldering on the board.

These are very fundamental questions, which raises in my mind.

Thanks all again and good luck to me.

 

[manuka]

Have you tried using solder "Tip Tinner" ? It helps remove baked on deposits-simply wipe the hot iron tip into the small container. It's sold in small tins that typically look like the picture below. (FWIW knowledge of this is typically gained when being properly instructed in hand soldering techniques - see here for more details). Stan

 

[MartinM57]

Taking the high ground as a Weller WD1 user (it's fantastic by the way - 80W max but will solder the smallest SMD components as it's thermostatically controlled, it's never blackened a tip once, I haven't changed a tip in 2 years, it turns the iron down to 150C if you don't use it for 5 mins (configurable), it turns the iron off if you don't use it for another 10 mins (configurable) and just lifting it off the stand makes it go back to soldering temperature (room temp to 308C in 8 seconds))....

...the cheap irons just regulate their temp by thermal loss - they have say a 20W element that is going full tilt all the time and the natural heat loss of the sleeve and the tip maintains (give or take quite a lot IMHO) the correct soldering temperature

...I used to have trouble with cheap iron chisel tips as they would go concave and you can only get a point contact with the board/lead as you solder - you need a really good physical/thermal contact to get the heat out of the tip and into the board/joint
..and at the same time as going concave, the tip coating was disappearing meaning poor wetting. Once the coating has gone you are generally doomed.

So I would buy a couple of new (Antex) bits and they wouldn't work out the box either - they seemed to prefer to repel solder rather than hold it on the tip. They wouldn't even work after dunking in Mr Tippy (or whatever it was called) many times . It drove me mad (not to mention the number of elements that I had to replace as well) - hence the WD1...

 

[Dippy]

Rather proves the overheating theory don't it.

Of course a 20W iron can over-heat.
Martin, I'm sure, is right - but think on .... it must provide enough power to keep the tip hot after you have transferred heat to the solid solder to make it melt - simple physics. Therefore, unused, it will reach an equlibrium but at a higher temp. And I'm sure the crappier the iron the more likely this is. Goot? Who are they?

I use Weller and Pace; both stations were over £500.
With simple wet sponge cleaning they don't get that unwettable black coating.

Coincidentally, my Antex station would go black when set high. The tips were a bitch to clean, but once cleaned with some horrid stuff they wetted fine. I find that the newer tips (which don't have the clips) fair much better.
I gave the brass shaving cleaner away to my next door neighbour to clean his frying pan - totally crap for that too

 

[premelec]

So much experience!

So many things to note soldering and so many possible troubles - I've been soldering [hard and soft and brazing] for over 60 years and still run into trouble at times. The guy who taught me electronics 60 years ago used Nokorode soldering paste which I would never think of getting near an electronic project now. I use a temperature controlled cheap [OK brand now bust] unit with iron plated tips which eventually crack through and also still use a Weller soldering gun for the big stuff with pure copper tip that dissolves... so part of the deal is experience with what works and what ruins your soldering tip. The lead free solders for electronics seem harder to work but for copper plumbing they seem fine... maybe mostly the fluxes? Alloy? I don't know. Just keep on learning! [and from experience I can assure you it's only necessary to pass an oxy-actylene flame across your skin rapidly once to never do that again!]

 

[Haku]

wet sponge cleaning

I never really got on with cleaning irons with a wet sponge, sure it makes a nice tssssss sound but I found it just got beaded up with solder and wouldn't clean the tip completely.

Now I use those brass wire sponges and find them a lot better. I'm using a cheap (£50 range) temperature controlled iron and the tip has lasted longer than the wand, got a replacement off eBay earlier this year for about £10 and swapped over the tip from the old wand, still no problems with blackening and now I have a spare tip (somewhere...)

 

[Paix]

i have used an Antex 15W iron for many years now, with occasional changes of bit, usually a chisel tip. Originally many years ago I had no problem with new iron plated bits tinning properly, but of recent years I have experienced a distinct reluctance for them to tin when new.

My remedy for this has been to abrade the face of the chisel slightly with a fine file and try again.

In the past after long usage heat transfer problems were traced to pin-hole punctures in the iron coating and loss of copper underneath. The answer to this is to dress the bit with a fine file, effectively removing the coating and becoming a standard copper bit. When i start to run out of bit, I buy a new one.

I had a bad experience a couple of years ago. I bought a cleaning sponge from Maplin, that was manufactured by either Antex or Weller and chopped it to fit either side of my old Antex iron stand. I was away from home demonstrating soldering technique to new amateur radio operators and was non-plussed that my iron was mis-behaving somewhat. I traced this to the sponge which appeared to be made from something like polyurethane and sooted up the bit big time. I threw it away and chopped a bit from what I thought was an old towel, but got that signally wrong. Now I wet the bit of towel, wring it out and put it in the stand and regularly wipe the bit to remove surface scum.

Rapid Electronics still sell leaded solder. For a lot of us a half pound reel will last the best part of a lifetime (remaining at least).

Keep an iron clean and well tinned and it will work well for you. If you are doing a lot of soldering and can justify it then a soldering station or temperature controlled iron is probably well worth the money. For the rest of us mere mortals a good Antex or Weller iron is good to go.

 

[john2051]

Hi, Ive been soldering for over forty years, and the best method ive found that cleans a black tip is a simple paper towel. Interestingly maplin had some antex look alike yellow sponges that were awfull, the antex one work, to a point. Ill stick to my paper towel until i find something better.

Hmm, that didnt sound right, but you get the idea.....

regards john

 

[aduy]

often times i find after soldering for a while my tip will turn black like you guys are talking about. I use the braided metal shielding from USB cables to clean my tip, and it works great. you just pick up the shielding with some pliers, and put the tip on the inside of the shielding and twist it around until its all off. works every time.

on another note, in my chem class i am teaching the rest of the class about plating, and in theory you could re plate your tip, with iron or copper or some other metal, perhaps even brass.

 

[umoharana]

I find in Element 14 on line store the Soldering stations which are quite affordable. The price varies from S$106 to S$134. These are from DURATOOL.

Has any one used these and have experience in using these stuff and suggest on quality.

In India, there is one company I read sells Temperature controlling station name SOLDRON. The proce is quite low Rs 800 (SGD 25). No idea about quality. Next time I visit India, I itend to pick it up for trial.

Thanks

 

[umoharana]

often times i find after soldering for a while my tip will turn black like you guys are talking about. I use the braided metal shielding from USB cables to clean my tip, and it works great. you just pick up the shielding with some pliers, and put the tip on the inside of the shielding and twist it around until its all off. works every time.

on another note, in my chem class i am teaching the rest of the class about plating, and in theory you could re plate your tip, with iron or copper or some other metal, perhaps even brass.

Share your knowledge. How do you replate the tip.
Is it feasible at home ?

 

[umoharana]

Hi, Ive been soldering for over forty years, and the best method ive found that cleans a black tip is a simple paper towel. Interestingly maplin had some antex look alike yellow sponges that were awfull, the antex one work, to a point. Ill stick to my paper towel until i find something better.

Hmm, that didnt sound right, but you get the idea.....

regards john

This is good tip. I will try this out. Repalcing the sponge is also not quite cheap.

 

[umoharana]

Have you tried using solder "Tip Tinner" ? It helps remove baked on deposits-simply wipe the hot iron tip into the small container. It's sold in small tins that typically look like the picture below. (FWIW knowledge of this is typically gained when being properly instructed in hand soldering techniques - see here for more details). Stan

Yes, I do have one like this. But did not help so far.