How To Keep Soldering Tip Clean
After cleaning the tip on the damp cloth tin it with a bit of solder to help it flow when solding wire etc.
How to keep soldering tip clean. You can rub the tip of the soldering iron with steel wool or a Brillo pad. I use another Hakko product to clean the iron - rather than a wet sponge I have what my friend says looks like a mini pot of gold. Brass wool is softer and less abrasive while the harder stainless steel wool has a longer life.
It will wear and tear the tip and will damage it. Clean the tip and then tin the tip if you need to. When pre-cleaning is necessary for plated tips they should be cleaned with a mildly abrasive emery cloth and may require an acid flux to remove the oxides before tinning or re-tinning.
Cover the tip immediately with solder after cleaning to prevent further oxidation. Never file the tip to clean it or form a different shape. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983.
Switch on the Soldering Station or the Iron and Make sure it is Hot Enough. The tips are mostly copper with a protective iron plating and once that plating is pierced the tip will die quickly. 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.
You can dampen it somewhat but keep any water drips away from the electrics. Copper is used because its an excellent heat conductor but if exposed to solder it will quickly dissolve into the solder. This is done by first ensuring the tip is clean and free of surface oxides.
Wipe OFF the solder on the Cleaning Sponge or Copper Wool. A pointed tip is for small joints a larger tip is for big joints and Chisel tips are used for drag soldering to remove excess solder as well as unbridging excess solder on ic chips. The fat from your fingers might contaminate the cleaned.