How To Clean My Soldering Iron Tip
Wipe the iron on a damp sponge to remove the excess.
How to clean my soldering iron tip. This step will coat the iron in a mixture of flux and solder. You will find that both a damp sponge and a wire cleaner will be effective for cleaning a tip. Metal wool effectively removes dirt and other contaminants and avoids issues associated with using a damp sponge to clean soldering tips.
It is hazardous so please read all safety tips included in or on the packaging. Good soldering process is important. Each time you clean the soldering iron and put it away apply a fresh solder to the tip.
Use stainless steel wool flux and thick clothe to clean the tip. The best solder for oxidation prevention is one with a high amount of flux core. Push the soldering iron tip into the chemical cleaner until the entire rusted area is submerged.
Heat your soldering iron up to the low end of a typical work range generally between 280 and 320C. Turn it off as soon as you have finished soldering. Fit the new tip into the retaining sleeve and screw it back to the heating element.
But for the harder to remove stuff I keep a brass wool pad handy. With the soldering iron at normal soldering temperature stab quickly and repeatedly then immediately add solder the kind with flux in. Scrape the carbon off you can use some steel wool or fine grit sandpaper here but be careful here as you may scrape off the coating or scratch the tip.
By avoiding the thermal shock of touching a damp sponge these cleaners help to increase tip life and in our opinion do a better faster job. Turn off your solder iron and let it cool down for 15-20 minutes before cleaning the tip. This is because as the soldering iron expands and contracts quickly.