Fixing a dirty soldering tip...?

[dude]

I have a Hakko 936 soldering station. Several of the tips have become dirty and can't be tinned. I was wondering if it's time to toss them or is there a way to "restore" the coating on the tip so that solder will stick?


al

[drgonzonm]

this might help

[sluckey]

I have a Hakko 936 soldering station. Several of the tips have become dirty and can't be tinned. I was wondering if it's time to toss them or is there a way to "restore" the coating on the tip so that solder will stick?

Depends on the type of coating. If it's anything like the tips for the Weller WTCPT station then it's time to toss it. Just get a new tip and use a wet sponge to keep it clean. Wipe the tip on the sponge before every solder joint.

Some simple tips can be filed or sanded. Not so with fancy tips like the Weller WTCPT.

[dude]

I'm not familiar with Weller stations, I always use a sponge but with tap water (I read drgonzonm"s link). There looks to be some kind of coating on the new tips. My sponge had dirty spots from an old project i've been working on, I wipe the tip on the sponge every time I solder. This time some of the dirty goo got on the tip from the sponge and wouldn't wipe clean. The solder was beading and dropping off, couldn't tin the tip.


I figure it was trash so I lightly sanded with 400 then 600 grit to get the goo off, bad move just made it worst. The cheap all copper tips can be sanded lightly but not the Hakko's.


So, drgonzonm's link is good for Hakko stations probably Weller ones too. I should have keep my sponge cleaner, live and learn.


Thanks,
al

[Ken Moon]

I much prefer these dry soldering tip cleaners to a sponge. I like to solder using 700 degree tips, and touching the tip to a sponge cools it down, and does not do as good a job at cleaning crud off the tip. It's also a good idea to put some solder on the tip whenever you set it down for more than a minute or two, which helps prevent those nasty pits on the tip.


{EDIT: attaching image because linked image was glitchy- PRR}

[orangehead72]

Salommoniac a natural occurring mineral ammonium chloride. You can purchase on Amazon and most supply houses. While your iron is hot, you rub the tip on the ammonium block and re-tin your tip. I use this extensively on my 1200 watt irons for stained glass, also on my smaller solder tip for electronics. It’s never let me down and the small block will last quite some time. It is just for re-tinning your tips.

[kagliostro]

+ 1 for Ken Moon

Franco