Re: Extending Soldering Tip Life

On Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:23:02 GMT, szekeres@xxxxxxxx (GregS) Gave us:

In article <458ad2dd.2175363226@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, nico@xxxxxxxxxxx (Nico Coesel) wrote:
"Arlet" <usenet+5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 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.

Sorry, I just don't believe this. Every Weller magnastat soldering
iron I've used needed its tip replaced on a regular interval. After a
while the tip just won't wet properly at some locations and this gets
worse over time. If you use a big tip on big joints, this isn't a
problem because in most cases you can find a spot that will wet.
However when you use a very fine tip to solder 0.5mm SMT devices
you'll find the tip will go bad (become useless) very quickly! This is
why I throw out the Weller soldering stations whenever I can.

The only time i could not fix a tip, was when the steel was completely worn
off and the copper underneath had very little life left in it.


There is a Kester product called a "Tinning Block" that is a 2" x 2"
x 2.75" block of "sal ammoniac" in a box. Cut the top 3/8 inch off
the box with your exactoblade, and you are set.

One sets ones tip temp hot, place some solder and flux on it, and
dig it into a face of this block sideways and rotate it while gouging
into the chemical. Do not breath the rising fumes as they may be
slightly caustic) It will remove any scale one thinks is erosion, and
VIOLA! the tip will look new again. Fully tinned and ready to go.

They are only a few dollars each and last for years and extend tip
life dramatically, especially in high tip temp settings.

The word for today is:

DROSS
.

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