On my 40W, Radioshack pencil iron, the tinning won’t last more than about 10 or 15 minutes before it has to be re-tinned. Rubbing on a Salammoniac block helps some but then it is back to the file and retin. The connections are in 18 and20 gage wire. Too much wattage? Too hot? What do you do to maintain that nice shiny tip?
Thanks, George
Throw out the sal-ammoniac! Put the file back in the drawer, get a nice new tip (an iron plated one) - and if they don’t have iron plated tips for that iron throw the iron away and get one that does. Then go and find a thing called a tip-tinner.
I use one from Multicore Solders which used to be avialble from DigiKey, but they seem to have discontinued them. They last for ever, I still have a 10 year old one in the toolbox that is only maybe 15% used! For soldering track and supply wires I have a cheap 40W iron in the toolbox, usually I use no more than a damp cellulose sponge to clean the tip.
Techni-Tool of Worcester PA ( 1-800-832-4866 ) have a variety of products, the one closest to what I use is the Kester Ultrapure Tip Tinner @ $3.35 each. I have never used that one , it is what I would try.
Have a look at http://www.techni-tool.com
When soldering I keep a damp rag or paper towel close by. As the tip gets gunked up I wipe it off on the rag. It will quickly come clean by doing this. It also comes in handy if I need a heat sink, such as when soldering track or applying parts to a brass engine. (Keeps plastic ties from melting and other parts from coming unsoldered)
George,
Try keeping a damp sponge handy, wipe the tip when it starts to discolor. Reapply some more solder to tin the tip after wiping. A damp cloth will also work
Make sure that you are using resin core solder, or at least use resin flux if you are using solid solder. Personally I use as fine a resin core solder as I can get my hands on. It just saves a step over having to apply flux.
It may be a little tedious to keep retinning the tip, but it makes for cleaner solder connections.
Tinning the tip often is normal. Don’t panic! It doesn’t “last”, it’s just solder to help the heat transfer. It is perfectly happy to flow right off the tip as you solder.
[#ditto]
Also… Leave solder on the tip until you are ready to use it… Before using it, wipe it off on the damp sponge… That’s Damp, not wet… If you are watching someone solder who wipes the tip and then lets the iron sit, you are watching someone who doesn’t know how to solder… At least that’s what my electronics teacher told me many years ago… The tips for my iron are over 20 years old and are still as shiney as the day I bought them…
Jeff
Thank you all for the information re soldering iron tinning. I really appreciate it.
George