Soldering Tips and Tricks..this deserved its own post.

[Buckeye_Riveter]

Chief, et. al.,

Is this the Radio Shack Soldering Iron you are talking about:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062750&cp=2032058&f=Taxonomy%2FRSK%2F2032058&categoryId=2032058&kwCatId=2032058&kw=solder&parentPage=search

[Anonymous]

Chief, et. al.,

Is this the Radio Shack Soldering Iron you are talking about:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062750&cp=2032058&f=Taxonomy%2FRSK%2F2032058&categoryId=2032058&kwCatId=2032058&kw=solder&parentPage=search

Nope… this one…

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062751&cp=2032058.2032236.2032313&parentPage=family

[ChiefEagles]

Nope. It has a digital heat selector and hold that heat. The one Lion has.

[lionelsoni]

This is the long-out-of-production Weller iron that I use:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Weller-TC202-Soldering-Station-w-Soldering-Pencil_W0QQitemZ250073880914QQihZ015QQcategoryZ109556QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/WELLER-WTCP-TC202-SOLDERING-STATION-WITH-SOLDER-IRON_W0QQitemZ220072409279QQihZ012QQcategoryZ109556QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/WELLER-WTCPR-SOLDER-STATION-W-IRON-EXTRA-TIPS-BOX_W0QQitemZ200071273418QQihZ010QQcategoryZ109556QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/WELLER-TC202-SOLDERING-IRON-STATION_W0QQitemZ220074410710QQihZ012QQcategoryZ109556QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The solder sucker I use may be the one pictured in this Wikipedia entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desoldering

It was made in the sixties and has been repaired over and over. It has a rubber knob for arming that pops out when you trigger it. This must have led to lawsuits for eye damage, because all the subsequent suckers that I have ever seen have that part guarded in some way.

[Buckeye_Riveter]

The Radio Shack model looks similiar to Bob’s Weller.

[Jumijo]

Wipe the tip every time you pick the iron up to start soldering anything. This will remove the dross that has formed since the last time you used it and leave a thin layer of clean solder.

You can buy a soldering stand with a small tray to hold the sponge. Brush the accumulated solder and dirt off the sponge with your finger when it is dry. To wet the sponge without making a mess, just fill the tray about halfway, then lay the dry sponge on top. In a minute, it will be wet and sunk into the tray. I use an old plastic dishwashing-detergent bottle to keep a supply of water near the bench. I don’t fill it more than halfway, so that, if it tips over, it won’t spill out.

Every few years, you’ll need a new sponge. Just cut a cheap cellulose sponge to fit your tray.

Thanks, Bob. I do have the stand with built-in sponge tray. I guess I was asking, should I clean all solder off the tip when finished with it? Or should I leave some on? I left some on figuring it would protect the tip from oxidation.

Jim

[lionelsoni]

It doesn’t matter, because you would not be able to wipe all the solder off a tinned iron anyway.