How to keep a soldering iron tip clean??
Mar 13, 2003 at 5:16 AM Post #4 of 33
make sure its not a plastic sponge.. =)

you can also pick up a tip cleaner from most radio shack stores, its got rosin and powdered solder to re-tin the tip if it gets realy bad.
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 5:44 AM Post #5 of 33
thanks for the advice, my tip was black earlier today and it was a real b*tch to clean. i bought the tip cleaner, but it didn't seem to help much.
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 12:55 PM Post #6 of 33
if its the little radio shack one, you have to wait til the iron is hot, then scrub the tip against the stuff in the can. when its done there should be some black crud and solder on your tip, just wipe it off on the sponge, and good as new
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 1:20 PM Post #7 of 33
i do that but it turns into a solid, doesn't stay liquid.
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 1:22 PM Post #8 of 33
If it's really nasty, and you don't have a proper replacement tip (
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), wire brush the tip, or use a brass bristle brush to descale it, then use the tip-tinning can as described above, folowd by the wet sponge swipe. Hit the sponge often, but keep it brief.

Then buy a new tip at your earliest convenience!

Edit: If it keeps turning solid before you can wipe it, it's probably not heating up properly. Get a new iron, or replace the cord or heater, depending on your iron construction. Probably a new iron, though.
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 1:40 PM Post #9 of 33
i just got the iron from Radio Shack last week do you think i can return it?
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 2:02 PM Post #10 of 33
If it's not heating up, sure. I can't tell from here, but that's what it sounds like. Note: If the tip is really dirty, it does act as an insulator. So try cleaning it very well, first. If it still does not seem to heat up properly, return it!
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 2:15 PM Post #11 of 33
i tried once already, i think iwill return it this afternoon.
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Mar 13, 2003 at 2:56 PM Post #12 of 33
I dont know if im the only one here, but I have had very bad luck with the radio shack irons. I just bought a Weller from active components which i realy like, the one i had before this was from a no-name electronics shop. You might want to take a quick look around and see if you can find something else.

good luck with it
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 3:10 PM Post #13 of 33
I have an old RS iron... I use it for applying heatshrink tubing exclusively!

They're OK to start with, they just have cheap tips, that are hard to keep clean. They also don't seem to use good heaters, so they have to recover after even a tiny connection.
 
Mar 13, 2003 at 6:23 PM Post #15 of 33
If you're frustrated with the tip not being easy to clean, you might want to invest in a higher quality iron. I've been using a Hakko 936 soldering station since October now through many projects, and the tip is still very intact, almost as good as new. I use another Hakko product to clean the iron - rather than a wet sponge, I have what my friend says looks like a mini pot of gold. It's a bunch of thick tinsel-like wires intertwined. You just stab the iron into the wire mess a few times to clean it (no wiping).

http://www.hakkousa.com/Products/599/599.htm

599.jpg
 
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