Re: Extending Soldering Tip Life

On Thu, 21 Dec 2006 18:15:24 GMT, szekeres@xxxxxxxx (GregS) Gave us:

In article <1166723877.802571.276110@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Arlet" <usenet+5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Joerg wrote:

Arlet wrote:

Joerg wrote:


Nico Coesel wrote:


myrealaddress@xxxxxxxxx (D from BC) wrote:



I'm currently using rosin core solder and sometimes I use no clean
flux and water soluble flux..

I wonder if I could add sometime to that damp sponge on the solder
station to help with tip life..


Buy an Ersa soldering iron and tips. The tips usually last longer than
the iron.


Now I just wish Ersa was available in the US. That's what I had in
Europe a lot, now it's all Weller. The big Bertha is still an Ersa and
needs 230V. Almost big enough to do a plumbing job.

Anyhow, even though I use Kester No-Clean the tips remain in good shape.
Of course, I don't let the iron idle through a lunch hour and stuff like
that.


I have a Weller station and tips. Current tip has been in there for
about 2 years now, and still looks fine. It's on for 10-20 hours a week
at 350 deg C. I don't bother turning it off when I expect to be using
it again, so on some days it stays on all the time. Sometimes I forget
to turn it off, and it even stays on all night. The first time that
happened, I noticed the tip had actually cleaned itself.


Over night? I wouldn't do that.

I don't do that on purpose, but it has happened two or three times.
However, it is sometimes on continuously during the day. I know it's
not recommended, but after 2 years, the tip is still shiny and has good
wettability. In fact, when I turn it off right after using it, it will
start to accumulate black crud that is hard to remove later. When I
leave it on, it apparently burns off all the crud.

While you mentioned tap water: In the US that is often heavily
chlorinated. In our area the chlorine content can be higher than the
pool water. So I use filtered water for the iron sponge.

I live in the Netherlands, and our tap water isn't chlorinated, or at
least not to a level where you can detect it.

I don't ever recall seeing an iron clean itself. If left on and above 600
drgrees, I see my tips get black and form a very hard layer.
I have a solder sucker iron that stays on about 800, and is terrible
to clean. I usually use a brass sink cleaner or a watered sponge.



Go to an auto parts store or welder's supply and buy a set of
welder's torch tip files. It is a small cassette of needle files for
cleaning blow torch tips. One of the set is perfect for keeping the
suck tube part of the tip sucking.

I hope this information sucks. :-]
.

Relevant Pages

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    ... flux and water soluble flux.. ... I wonder if I could add sometime to that damp sponge on the solder ... Buy an Ersa soldering iron and tips. ... I have a Weller station and tips. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)