Soldering Iron cleaning?

dnme

Just wondering

Is it necessary to keep the tip on a soldering iron clean? If so how do you clean it? I imagine if I use abrasives then it would create a key for solder to adhere to which is not what we want.

Many thanks

Alun

Wipe on a damp sponge while the tip is heated up. Most soldering irons have one in the holder for that very purpose ...

http://www.solderinguide.com/cleaning-and-finishing-up/

Buford T Justice

Yeah just clean it in a damp sponge when it's hot. It takes all the dirt off it.

doctorchopper

after its clean re "tin" the tip with solder, you get a better heat transfer when the tip is tinned

dnme

I have a little sponge with the stand. I find that it's useless to clean. The iron head just gets blacker and blacker and I end up sanding it.

I do tin it and wipe it in the damp sponge on every use etc but the head just keeps getting black and sorta crusty and I notice all my solders are dull.

Would some steel wool be a better cleaning solution?

Antiquo

dnme wrote: »

I have a little sponge with the stand. I find that it's useless to clean. The iron head just gets blacker and blacker and I end up sanding it.

I do tin it and wipe it in the damp sponge on every use etc but the head just keeps getting black and sorta crusty and I notice all my solders are dull.

Would some steel wool be a better cleaning solution?

Advice as above should work sounds like you've sanded away the plating on the tip and that's why you are getting those results.

Get a new tip and only clean with a wet sponge/cloth when the tip is hot no need to use wire wool or sand paper on a good solder tip.

c-note

i bought this container with what looks like brass swarf, you plunge the tip into it occasionally, seems to remove excess solder from the tip and may be coated in flux aswell.

i had an old abused iron whos tip was black as coal and pretty useless,
the coating had gone, and under the black corrosion was copper,
i sanded the tip with various grits untill it was fine and shiney,
then wound solder wire around the tip before plugging it in,
as soon as it heated up enough the wire melted and instantly coated the tip in a layer of solder. seems to have restored some life to it!
but i would only use it as a spare/backup

btw the BEST instrucional video i have come across is here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzyc4
goes thru soldering and care of irons.

Alun

Antiquo wrote: »

Advice as above should work sounds like you've sanded away the plating on the tip and that's why you are getting those results.

+1 Soldering iron bits are usually iron plated copper cores which are then nickel plated to prevent solder running all the way up the bit (the nickel coating at the very end of the bit is removed.)

Here's a comprehensive piece on soldering iron care ...

http://www.inlandcraft.com/uguides/tipcare.htm