RubbyT

I got the 40watt weller with the 2.5mm tip works awsome. So i should keep the tiped tinned?

vodo321

use a sponge to keep the tip clean. i dont keep it tinned, just tin it whenever i use it. but after all my soldering jobs i wipe it on my damp sponge. my friend never does this and he keeps ruining his tips. i clean it off before i solder also (until it becomes shiny).

Buda

yes keep the tip tinned durring soldering and when not using it with tons of solder this keeps the tip from oxidizing, I solder no less than 4 hours a day minimum and my tips last me 4-6 months easy

Potato

Solder doesn't really stick well to my iron's tip. When I tin it, the solder gets dirty on the tip. I just use it and wipe it with a damp sponge to keep the dirty solder off of it. It's a cheap Hakko iron, and the tip has lasted for several months, showing no signs of wear as far as I can tell. It's not dissolving or anything.

Buda

the tip doesnt actually "wear" it gets oxidized and doesnt hold the solder well when you tin it to stay shinny and therefore doesnt transfer the heat as well. get a bunch of tissues and tin the tip then wipe it with clean tissue soaked in alcohol keep doing this untill hopefully the tip will be shinny again. if it doesnt the tip is worn/oxidized and need to be changed

also dont use the sponge to clean the tip use dry clean tissue to clean it then "thermally shock" the tip with a clean wet sponge this prevents getting contaniments in the solder joint preventing dewetting and a bad solder joint

Potato

Buda, won't a tissue burn up on the tip??

Buda

well I guess it would if you left it there but it is just used for a second or two it would actually take a bit to burn it.

see my previous post here and on "soldering help"

Lowrance

iTrader: (30)

Buda:Looking at the Pace ST45 station at Contact East,which iron would you get.......the PS-70 or the PS-90.Both have 1/16 tips so I guess I would have to pop for a larger one.Intended use would be mostly working with 12 to14 guage wire,hardwiring batteries in and speed control wire replacement.You mention using 63/37 wire on the "soldering help" thread.Well,I looked at wire and see that it comes in many different choices......me confused.
Many thanks
Garry,USAF (84-88) 431X1

Buda

I believe we use the IR 70 at work which is just an older ps 70, I havent seen how big the ps 90 is but if you arent doing any micro work it would probably be a good choice (we do alot of micro) as far as solder yes 63/37 it comes in different thicknesses for heavy work I would get maybe no smaller than .032 but prefferably a bit bigger for batteries if it is available like .040. as far as tips they (pace) come inpack of 5 for 25 if you follows my advice they will last many years, like I said I solder alot!! and I change my tip out about every4-6 months wether it need it or not but it usually doesnt. so for the average user you can see they will last forever.

and dont "push" the solder on you work use it like a "pain brush" this keeps from gettingto much solder on the work and getting a "fail condition"

you should see a clean shiny 50% fillit joint

Potato

Ok I tried tinning my solder tip, and the solder stays on, but it gets dirty looking. The tip is not shiny, the solder on it is dull and dirty. I think the rosin in the solder burns up on the tip and contaminates the solder. I've wiped it off with a dry tissue, then re-added solder several times, it just ends up like that. Usually, I just keep the tip clean of any solder, and my solder joints are nice and shiny. If I tin it, the solder on the tip gets into the joint and contaminates it. What do I do? I don't have any problems soldering..

Buda

Ok after it is tinned and you have taken the excess solder back off with your tissue use your clean wet sponge and the tip should be somewhat shiny although it may dull slightly if the heat is up high (this speeds up the oxidation but dont worry it is only the solder oxidising and not the tip if you have tinned it). If it gets dirty from flux that really isnt a problem. when working for any length of time that is going to happen just clean it as you did before with solder, tissue then a clean wet sponge. when done soldering clean you work with an acid brush ( i cut the bristles down a bit to "stiffen them up") soaked in alcohol then blot dry untill its clean and shiny. Alot of times I will use my tissue soaked in alcohol to clean the tip before I use the sponge. This seems to help keep the flux residue off. The contanimates that we wory about are oils and dust/dirt they keep the solder from flowing properly

hope this helps you out

Buda

by the sound of it your tip may need replacing, clean it using a cycle of tissue soaked in alcohol then solder it may take a bit but hopefully it will stay shiny. and when done soldering for more than a few seconds (I do this right away) load the tip up with solder to keep it from oxidizing as the heat really speeds this up quite a bit. and also when you store it. It may look crappy but it will save your tips in the long run just clean it off before you solder

**the reason I say the tip may need replacing is that even though it holds solder on it when you initially tin it by what you say when you clean it with the tissue you are taking all the solder away again. This what can happen when the tip oxidizes. A tinned tip will have a very thin coat of solder on it and should be somewhat shiny. It is hard for me to tell exactly with out seeing it but this sounds about right from what you tell me. TRy the cleaning above then if it doesnt help try a new tip.

Potato

I'll do that, thanks a lot Buda!

RubbyT

The gun i just got has some, type of tin on it already it stays shiny all the time. How ever i still tin it.