How To Keep Solder Tip Clean
Wrap the solder around the tip.
How to keep solder tip clean. Cleaning with steel wool will be faster as it tends to keep the soldering tip at a high temperature while its being cleaned. Then immediately re-tin the tip with rosin core solder. Turn the solder pot on and allow it to achieve the desired temperature.
The best tip tinner is your solder--tips should always be coated with a small amount of solder. Add solder before putting it in the holder. Ive been using a Hakko 936 soldering station since October now through many projects and the tip is still very intact almost as good as new.
You should not have to do more than periodically wipe the tip clean with a damp sponge then re-tin with fresh solder. After every soldering cycle make sure that you clean the tip with a wet sponge for long-life soldering tips or a steel wool sponge copper or iron. Wipe OFF the solder on the Cleaning Sponge or Copper Wool.
On a fine pointed tip this will be even more evident. Use stainless steel wool flux and thick clothe to clean the tip. Once your iron is heated up for a job wipe it on a wet sponge to remove old solder and apply solder to the tip.
How to Clean Soldering Iron Tip. If your soldering tip becomes detinned oxidized it can be restored in a number of ways. This step will coat the iron in a mixture of flux and solder.
A layer of fresh solder keeps the layer right next to the tip from oxidizing. Always add more solder to the tip right after cleaning it. After cleaning the tip on the damp cloth tin it with a bit of solder to help it flow when solding wire etc.