soldering iron tips wear out -- in multiple ways. Argh!

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

So suddenly it wasn’t working so well.

So I ’oogled. Dang!

http://www.newark.com/pdfs/techarticles/oki-metcal/extendingTipLife.pdf

2

Thanks, hank, for the info link. I learned a lot about soldering and tip failure. I know what some of my problems are now. :frowning:

3

Good article — thanks. In a roundabout way, it reminded me to buy good quality tips.

4

Nice article.
I was replacing a lot of ruined tips untill I got a brass mesh tip cleaner.
Best compliment to any soldering iron imo.
Cleans the tip without destroying the iron layer or lowering tip temp like a damp sponge does.

I’ve been able to keep even the cheapest tips in great working order by cleaning
them frequently during use (with brass mesh), keeping them tinned, and not letting them sit idle
while hot.


5

After a couple of years, something’s made my soldering iron suddenly much less effective despite using the brass cleaner before and after every time I touch it to something. I’d missed the trick about leaving a blob of solder on the tip when not using it, though. I’ll do that from now on.
It’s temperature controlled, I’ve got to look into where to get replacement tips.

6

I used to be “the” Metcal Tip guy (commodity manager for all things tips). Oh the stories I could tell you about trying to get them made. Do you know how few plate shops plate “iron” :Sp :quest:

Well they moved final assembly and (US sub assembly) from Menlo Park, CA to china. As I dont speak chinese my services were no longer required.

It is true that just adding more iron plating causes other issues (balls form around the edges from excess plating) oh ya plus it costs more.

7

I am actually used to filing my tips back to shape when they become hollow, but maybe my current ones will last a while with the coating still on.

8

Ronin42, can you recommend a source for good quality soldering tips?
(Hakko 936, for me)
After reading that article I linked in the first post, I can see how profitable it would be to make crap and sell it cheap to suckers — in this as in much else.

I looked really carefully at the tip on my Hakko 936 and yep, it’s eaten through, got a hole in it, just like that article describes.