Solder Soldier :p

[Vizier87]

I've recently disposed my fifth soldering iron .. any tips to preserve the sixth one?

 

[mneary]

Get quality.

Don't use acid or abrasives.

 

[HarveyH42]

Get a better quality one... The $4.99 Radio Shaft specials, are what you pay for.

Learn how to use and care for your iron properly, and should last a long time. Tips are usually replaceable. Clean it often, keep it tinned. Never use steel wool, or abrasives to clean the tip, it's usually plated to prevent corrosion from the flux. You solder withe a soldering iron, not pry, cut, or melt other things, doing so will shorten the life.

Anyway, search here or the web, there are plenty of good How-to's around, from people who know a lot more than I. I learned over 30 years ago, and don't really think about it much.

 

[DirtyLude]

Get an adjustable one and turn down the heat. I haven't gone through one tip yet, though I have destroyed a station by dripping water on it and managing to get into the control board.

 

[Speakerguy]

Buy a quality soldering station and KEEP THE TEMP DOWN! I'm amazed by people who think 750F or even higher is a good temp for soldering. Lead solder doesn't require any more than 600-650F for ease of working unless you are soldering to something with a ground plane or a heavily heatsinked connection.

 

[killivolt]

Know when you don't have a left handed Hammer? Da...

You solder withe a soldering iron, not pry, cut, or melt other things, doing so will shorten the life.

One of my pet peeves. People who use my tools and have no clue what the proper use is. For instance Side Cuts, Dikes, Diags. what ever you call them. But like small the Smallest drill bits in your set these people always break them, then they put them back as if to be used again WTF?. They ruin a good sharp pair of Side Cuts on "G"D" nail or something as if the project they were working on was that G....D important.

It makes me want to put a nail between their teeth and hit them on the head with my rubber mallet until they say their teeth were not designed for that either??? Da, do you think ?.

I have several sizes and only use the red & blue pointed for board work small resistors etc. But, if I'm cutting above trace wire I will always go to the next largest pair on up untill I'm cutting with heavy duty wire cutters etc. Reminds me of my kid who uses nail clippers or scissors you get to them and their dull with big pock marks in the blades.

But, if you dare touch my soldering Iron. You will DIE.


kv

 

[QuietMan]

Main advise, get a quality soldering iron. I have had units (don't remember the name unfortunately) that simply did not corrode the tips, and I know I abused them now and again. It is the cladding that is important, temperature control also helps, but it isn't as critical.

Unfortunately the really cheap ones only have copper with no cladding on tip (Radio Shack comes to mind). Copper is pretty reactive.

 

[Vizier87]

Get quality.
Don't use acid or abrasives.

You mean acid flux?

Get an adjustable one and turn down the heat.

Then at what temp should I regulate it when it's not in use?

 

[smanches]

Always make sure there is a lot of solder on the tip, only wipe it off just before you solder something. Then reapply again before putting the iron back down.

 

[Vizier87]

Always make sure there is a lot of solder on the tip, only wipe it off just before you solder something. Then reapply again before putting the iron back down.

How does that help?

 

[3v0]

If you forget to unplug a non temperature controlled iron it will ruin the tip.

 

[smanches]

It prevents oxidation of the tip, which is greatly enhanced by the heat of the iron. It's very hard to remove the oxidation from a tip, and most people ruin their tips by trying to sand or scrub it off.

If it ever gets oxidized, just keep applying flux and solder and wiping it off. Eventually the flux will clean off the oxidation and solder should stick again.

 

[DirtyLude]

Then at what temp should I regulate it when it's not in use?

1 bajizzilion degrees. Keep away from children.

 

[tcmtech]

I usually have mine turned off when they are not in use!

So that would make ambient room temp a good level to keep it at.

It could also explain why you go through so many perhaps?

 

[Pommie]

I've had the same solder station for over 10 years. As everyone else has said, keep the temperature down. I keep mine around 360°C.

Mike.

 

[sheldonstv]

my rusty old nail and left handed blo torch is ideal for soldering but smd removal is a bit tricky sometimes.....

 

[xl5]

Simple. unless you are in a business that requires you to use the iron frequently, just switch it off.. a soldering station of quality (Temperature controlled) is only as good as the user.

Try unsoldering a tuning can earth lugs with a solder station that's why i still have my retired 60W heavy duty rapid heat complete with incandescent illuminated lamp built in that is as much use now as an ashtray on a motorbike.

 

[ghostman11]

I've recently disposed my fifth soldering iron .. any tips to preserve the sixth one?

leave it unpluged and in the box out the way will last you ages like that