I think It's time to get rid of my junky soldering iron >

[bazzwazzle]

when i was soldering today i noticed that the tip of my 30 Watt RadioShack Brand Soldering Iron was black. on the tip not much heat was being generated. I tried to get rid of it, but no solution, so i bought a new ($2!) tip. I don't even think I've used the iron for more than 8 hours total.

Should I purchase a new and better soldering iron? If so, which is best for a new person like me? Or, should i continue to purchase these cheap tips which to me cost a lot.

[niftydog]

keep the tip tinned all the time. the last thing you should do before you switch off your iron is to load up the tip with plenty of solder. That way, while it's sitting unused, the corrosion occurs to the solder and not the iron tip.

In fact, you should be tinning the tip after every soldering action. Clean it well, when it needs it, consider some special tip cleaner.

[bazzwazzle]

ya i noticed the iron is turning brownish, the tip and the rest above the ventilation holes...

should i tin all of the tip or just the tip of the tip? lol do you understand what I'm trying to say? should i tin even the part if the iron that's getting discolored but is not the tip?

[Lonestarjohnny]

I just picked up a SPC Digitel solder station complete off ebay for 4 dollar's, it did'nt work, but it do now, had a bad diode in it, replaced and she fired right up, like those kinda deal's even if i did take a chance, all turned out well. it's adjustible from 320 degree's to 960, it look's like new and i know i'll get a lot of use out of it.      
Johnny

[niftydog]

You only need to tin the tip of the tip... ie; the bit that you use to solder with. The rest can go to hell in a handbasket!

[niftydog]

far out Lonestar, good score!  Funny how someone offloads a soldering iron because it's faulty. You'd think if they know how to solder, they might know how to fix their soldering station!!!! Maybe they didn't have another soldering iron to fix their soldering iron!?!?

[bazzwazzle]

ok nice, i won't have to go out and spend more money :mrgreen:

[bazzwazzle]

one last thing nifty, you mentioned tip cleaner.. what's some good tip cleaner?

[niftydog]

I get the Multicore brand Tip Tinner / Cleaner TTC1. Weller have their own stuff... there's a few different types out there.

This stuff is a hard resin type of thing, in a small round tin. You just push the iron into it and rotate it around a bit, clean it off on a wet sponge and it's all clean!

[Lonestarjohnny]

i use denatured alcohol to clean the tip when it's cold after i polish it with a fiber sanding pad, then re tin it with a lot of solder so if there's any carrodeing going on it will be on the solder, not the tip,
when hot and being used, you can keep the tip clean by a swipe across a moist sponge damped with just plain tap water, but retin after cleanig alway's and i even retin after a connection,
Johnny

[bazzwazzle]

ok thanks, i'll try that. what soldering stations / irons do you have? I know what you have lonestar

[niftydog]

I have a cheapo handheld, a good Weller butane, a fixed temp weller station, a hako 936 variable station, and a pace desoldering station.

Weller are generally good. Hako alos, pace are in my opinion not quite so good.