Tinning a soldering iron

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Mr_Kite

Copper - Posts: 70

Joined: April 08, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: April 29, 2003 at 8:09 PM / IP Logged

I am wondering how to tin a soldering iron tip.

I tried applying some solder to the tip like some web sites say, but all it did was burn and ruin the tip......

How do i tin a tip without burning it?

esmith69

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Joined: November 26, 2002

Location: United States

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 6:23 AM / IP Logged

what type of solder are you trying to use? and what wattage is the iron?

Mr_Kite

Copper - Posts: 70

Joined: April 08, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 11:44 AM / IP Logged

The iron is a butane pencil torch with a solder tip.

The solder is 60/40.

Thanks!

Blazermedic

Copper - Posts: 128

Joined: February 06, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 12:02 PM / IP Logged

I always do exactly what you described and it's always worked fine for me. I'm not sure how much temperature control you have with that portable torch, but try to keep the tip as hot as possible and use a very small amount of solder and wipe it off with an oven mitt right away after you do it.

Cary

TomEllis

Copper - Posts: 52

Joined: December 11, 2002

Location: United States

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 1:18 PM / IP Logged

What do you mean by "but all it did was burn and ruin the tip......"

Does the tip have black stuff on it?

If it does, then you need to clean that off first, the tip will not take any solder unless it is clean.

Tom

Tinning a soldering iron -- posted image.

Mr_Kite

Copper - Posts: 70

Joined: April 08, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 2:41 PM / IP Logged

Thanks for the replys!

Yes it has black stuff on it now, from when i tried to tin it.......

I got it hot and put solder on it then wiped it off with a wet sponge. Then it was black. :(

How should i clean it off? Wire brush? Alcohol?

Simplemitch

Copper - Posts: 68

Joined: April 25, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 3:25 PM / IP Logged

To clean your iron a wet sponge is the ideal method.There are also special tip cleaning pots you can buy that contain what is basically a copper scrub pad. Most Radioshacks and electronics supply catalogs sell them for about $4.

Mitchell Whitney, Installer/technician

Mainstreet A/V

chkdsk

Member - Posts: 35

Joined: April 15, 2003

Location: Canada

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 3:39 PM / IP Logged

Mr_Kite wrote:

How should i clean it off? Wire brush? Alcohol?

Don't use a wire brush as many tips have a special coatings to allow for proper operation. If the coating is removed, then it may not hold any solder OR it may burn the solder.

When you are done with soldering, clean your tip with a wet sponge, then apply solder to the entire tip and turn off iron. Some solder will turn black but that doesn't matter as you want a proper coverage over the "special coating" to keep it from oxidizing (I think).

In the past, I have found some solders' seem to tin and/or solder better than others - specially the more expensive stuff.

chkdsk

Member - Posts: 35

Joined: April 15, 2003

Location: Canada

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 3:51 PM / IP Logged

chkdsk wrote:

In the past, I have found some solders' seem to tin and/or solder better than others - specially the more expensive stuff.

Sorry - I should be more specific, I mean that some of the Solder itself tins/flows better than others, not the Irons themselves. Too long of a day...

Mr_Kite

Copper - Posts: 70

Joined: April 08, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: April 30, 2003 at 4:11 PM / IP Logged

Well i got one guy tellin me BLACK/ burnt is bad and it wont "take" solder. Yet another says some will turn black but that dosent matter. lol

Way back when i took electronics, before i ditched it every day : ), i was taught to heat the wire and touch the solder to the wire, because if i touched the solder to the tip it would burn and ruin the tip. So how does "tinning" differ so that it dosent burn and ruin the trip?

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