Pro Soldering Tips for Amatures -  Protect your Tip 101 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Zero_Ego
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 12:15:16 am
content: Hi,I came across this five year old Weller soldering video. It holds a (IMO) little pro soldering tip. Must know to pass any IQ test. (Please use lead free solder)Pro soldering tips is a big statement but trust me you might of over-looked this tip. I have and I have been soldering for decades. I only stumbled upon it today on a five year old your tube video.The tip is about the your soldering iron tip and how to prevent (or at least delay) the build up of oxidised sludge.I've been soldering for decades and have blown out many soldering tips - if I had of known this one it might of helped.In this five year old video produced by the solder manufacturer Weller I spotted a tip about tips I missed in class. Honestly, they never mentioned it.Here's the meat and potatoes, tin your tipafteruse.Oxidization is what builds up on your tip. When it cools it turns to a mess the next time you turn your iron back on no doubt you will need to clean your tip. This cool little step helps keep it clean - it's ready to go as soon as it re-heats.(See videos below)Cover the tip with fresh solder first -thenpower off your iron!(Weller: Time stamped below)https://youtu.be/zLvsCeQTDMI?si=gX4cgayqOVithgXH&t=226Full VideoHope this is helpful.ZE

author: Zero_Ego
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 12:31:41 am
content: Let me know if it helps. I'll be giving it a shot

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 01:11:25 am
content: Quote from: Zero_Ego on June 11, 2025, 12:15:16 amRather than a wall of text that goes on like the video, all you had to write was tin your tip after use.That said, my PACE iron must be getting close to 30 years old now. I bought the tips at the same time. Certainly not production use, but for a hobbyist, I would say moderate use. Also shown are the tweezers that are a few years old now with original tips. I never do what that video shows. I just clean the tips and put them away. These tips are a good quality and if treated properly I expect will last my lifetime. Often I see clueless people running the max temps possible, damaging the tips in a few days.

author: Zero_Ego
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 01:51:21 am
content: Love your set of tips. Well used and ready to go.They look super clean. Nice one.Thanks for the pics. Your soldering irons look interesting.What is that tip ? The odd shaped one? A couple of classic soldering irons as well.I like

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 01:16:47 pm
content: I just had a conversation with a soldering equipment dealer who has been in the business many years. He told me that he always recommends good brass tip cleaners rather than the water saturated sponge. The water sponge will have chemicals in it from your water if you do not use distilled water and those chemicals can help destroy the coating on the tip. This goes for both well water and city water. Also the sponge system cools the tip rapidly and that can damage the tip coating also.Just thought I would share this recommendation.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 02:53:53 pm
content: Sponges ruin tips if you keep a squirt bottle to wet them so contaminates build up because you are never rinsing the sponge out. A preferable procedure is to wet the sponge thoroughly, preferably with deionised water, or at least boiled water (to reduce hardness and drive off chlorination and other volatiles), then squeeze out as much excess water as you can by pressing flat on the sponge, and finally replace it in its holder. That should leave the sponge dry enough that thermal shock is minimal (less than putting the tip on a non-thermally isolated ground-plane pad) but clean and damp enough to be effective for tip cleaning. Repeat as required throughout the work day.The *OTHER* way sponges ruin tips is if domestic cellulose sponge is used, with sulphur or halogen containing dyes or plasticiser, which decompose to mineral acids on contact with a hot tip. If you are too cheap to buy the 'good stuff' (natural, undyed unplasticised cellulose sponge from a soldering equipment manufacturer), so are using domestic cellulose sponge, at least use the pink and blue sponges for other purposes and wash the new yellow sponge (which typically has the least dye) several times to get the plasticiser out.Finally, its vastly preferable to spend 5-10 minutes reading a reputable soldering equipment manufacturer's tip care notes, e.g.https://www.newark.com/pdfs/techarticles/oki-metcal/extendingTipLife.pdfwhich will address all aspects of the problem rather than wasting 5 minutes on Youtube with a video that can only skim over the issues involved due to the video format and time lost to 'talking heads'.Edit: I generally prefer sponges - all my irons have one - but will use brass turnings if that's what's in front of me!

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 03:26:06 pm
content: The older 90 iron uses a different interface than the tweezers. Ended up buying a new controller + iron + tweezers. New iron is one of the smaller types with heaters in the tip, like the tweezers. I've never plugged it in. I have tweezers for the older controller but they are too large for the work I was doing.Quote from: Zero_Ego on June 11, 2025, 01:51:21 amI assume you are asking about that U channel tip. I would use that for 8-pin SOICs, SOT23s, 1206s.. Now days, mostly I use the tweezers show. They are a lot nicer to work with.I used sponge with tap water up until maybe 8 or so years ago when I changed to the brass. From the comments, you would think my tips would be shot by now. The only real damage to them is the fine tips get bent and sometimes they get stuck and rather than be patient with the proper tool, I grab what ever is closest had yank them out. That's the cause of some of the deeper marks in them.Having used PACE for professional work for decades, I should have just bought one for home from the start. I'm sure the price was the reason, but say I spent $400 way back then. 30 years of use and still fine. Less than $14 per year for a tool I often use. Second biggest mistake I made was not buying those tweezers as soon as I started using them at work. I don't remember what I paid for them. Maybe $600? Such a joy to use.

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 08:44:14 pm
content: I know that some people say not to do this but I use anti seize lubricant on my tips where they meet the heaters. Keeps them from sticking and having to bend them to get them out. Some manufacturers did recommend anti seize in the past and some say do not use it. I use it, especially on my old PACE stuff. I use the Aluminum based anti seize rather than the Copper one.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 09:15:40 pm
content: Thermal grease and anti seize. Two products that I never fail to make a mess with...

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2025, 11:11:47 pm
content: Gotta love those silver fingers.

author: Geoff-AU
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 06:35:19 am
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on June 11, 2025, 01:11:25 amYes. To hell with wordiness.Tin your tip after using it. Always use the minimum temperature necessary for the job.Good quality tips (ie good brand) makes a difference too. My Hakko tips have lasted several years of 350C operation with occasional abuse up to 450C as required.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 08:32:14 am
content: Indeed, whenever I am teaching someone how to solder, I emphasize that you clean and tin the tip right before making a joint, and do not clean before returning the iron to the stand. Adding solder is even better.People have a strong instinct to clean the tip right before returning the iron to the stand. Stopping them from doing that is probably the single most important tip life measure one can take. That and to not turn up the temperature when a joint refuses to melt, because often the problem is just the poor thermal transfer of an oxidized, untinned tip. Raising the temperature only exacerbates that condition.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 01:28:55 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on June 12, 2025, 08:32:14 amIt would be interesting to see some long term data of different sponges, water, brass, tin, cleaning.... Combined with different brands and tip styles. Compound that with temperature. I wonder if the manufacture's have produced such a report that is available to the public.I've shown all my decades old tips which are always cleaned after use. I see no signs of tip damage. So, does PACE just make superior parts compared to other brands? Are there a lot of unfounded BS floating around the internet? Both certainly possible. My own experience watching co-workers destroy tips, the number one cause of premature damage is high temperature. Ive watched wannabe's put a brand new tip in, then crank it up. I keep my irons between 600 and 640F. Some of the large tips shown have been used at 700 when soldering large surfaces.I'll have a look around and see if I can locate a few examples.

author: Zero_Ego
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 05:25:04 pm
content: Thanks for all the replies.ZE

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 06:02:40 pm
content: QuoteLet's keep it short and say yes and yes.

author: Zero_Ego
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 06:34:23 pm
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on June 12, 2025, 01:28:55 pmDo you have any preference to the type of sponge you do use? It raises another very important question - does the chemical makeup of the sponge matter?I had never thought about it myself till now - so I'm really glad I started this thread.In this video - back to where I started - Weller (and I don't work for them ) mentions that they "make specific sponges for soldering . . . and don't bring sponges from home."Time stamped where he mentions sponges specifically.https://youtu.be/zLvsCeQTDMI?si=i00aUWGh9rHw92oW&t=271Guilty myself having never thought about the sponge type before.There's 80% of my gunk.Junk gunk sponges plus temperature plus water type clearly this is a science.I wonder what sponge Bob's made out of? If I see him - he might be missing a small chunk right off the end of his *unk! I'm not dipping my tip in unknown and untested junk.Now I gotta research sponges? This is starting to turn into science. Sponges are mostly holes right? I will use those for now or until I see sponge Bob.Jokes aside. (Yes I know too many words)I'm cutting down promise.Sponge/foam is expensive stuff and it IS a chemical reaction - so it make sense that it's very important when grabbing a household everyday one we take note?How can we evaluate tip issues if we don't even know what the sponge is made from? I'm asking myself these questions. How much does a good tip cost compared to a sponge. Big cost difference and here I am thrusting them into a cheep sponges without a thought. Not wise.All I'm saying is that it might pay to investigate.If you tell me you use sea sponges I will feel stupid right aboutApologies to any sponge Bob fans. (You're safe)

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 07:21:30 pm
content: Consider the requirements for a soldering sponge! It must withstand contact with a soldering iron tip at up to maybe 400°C without melting onto the tip or excessive thermal decomposition, and its thermal decomposition products mustn't significantly attack the iron plating on the tip. That rules out nearly all types of plastic sponge, and also natural (sea) sponge as the protein it is comprised of has high halogen and sulphur content. Pure cellulose is reasonably heat resistant and is comprised of only carbon, oxygen and hydrogen so its thermal decomposition products are much less problematic.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponginhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose

author: ve1nhb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 08:23:49 pm
content: If you smell burned chicken, you are holding it wrong. Just saying, needs to be said.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 08:49:40 pm
content: Quote from: Zero_Ego on June 12, 2025, 06:34:23 pmAs mentioned previouslyQuoteI had always used PACE's sponges up till then. I believe those were natural cellulose. I couldn't tell you if the brass will cause more wear but I switched because I like how it cleans the tips.I am in the camp that having a good iron is not going to make you an expert at soldering. I also dare say that I could solder with pretty much what ever crap tools are available. I don't want all that space age menu crap that I see on some of the new irons. I started with a cheap pencils. When my Ungar died, bought a Wellar station that died. We were using PACE for production and I figured if it held up under those conditions, it would last my lifetime at home.Soldering surface mount parts with a 100 year old blow torch, in the rain, on a small table with a home made iron. Also showing me soldering with two other home made electric irons at the end. In all cases, using a PACE tip.

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 11:28:32 pm
content: Pace and Ungar always made good tips. I think Ungar started the current practice of iron plating their copper tips. Weller bought Ungar.Platomakes tips for multiple different brands of irons and their tips are quite good.I would not hesitate to buy Plato tips.

author: Zero_Ego
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 12:33:11 am
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on June 12, 2025, 08:49:40 pmI saw my dad use a screwdriver on an electric stove. Improvisation at the time the mother of necessity.I must say was that rocket fuel running that torch?It fired up like a turbo. Very neat and brilliantly built hand held upgrade from the clunky traditional. I must say I have one of those in my shed. I never knew they were traditionally used with such a torch. Was test device a dual oscillator? Sorry there was a lot going on. I was transfixed by the rain at the end.Nothing beats the tranquillity of well recorded wide spread stereo crystal clear rain fall. Play it again Sam.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 01:49:53 am
content: Yes, just a little oscillator test board to show it was possible. Torch was running on Colman fuel. My wife was at a sale and found a really small iron for one of these old torches. I think they gave it to her because she was the only one who knew what it was. It's not small enough for surface mount but I could certainly do electrical work with it.I looked around for a bad tip at work but wasn't able to find anything really bad. The wannabes toss them in the trash to destroy the evidence. I did find this old one with a bit of rust. Doesn't look all that great but with a bit of Tip Brite, and cleaning it with the brass, looks as good as mine.Also shown are my old tweezers. Using these for surface mount parts is doable but the new tweezers are much much better.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 09:37:06 am
content: Quote from: Zero_Ego on June 12, 2025, 06:34:23 pmThat (and many other things) is answered in the document that Ian.M linked to 2 days ago.

author: Zero_Ego
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 05:42:57 pm
content: This is all coming together like a spooky episode of The Twilight Zone. (Do do do do - do do do do )I have wandered into some covert classified stuff here.I need to meet Ian M (Dramatic music) and find the secret document he linked to 3 days ago. (More dramatic music)(Search is my best friend)Just having a laugh100% compos mentis.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2025, 02:25:33 am
content: For shits and giggles I'll throw in what I use for cleaning tips...stainless steel scouring pads stuffed into a small ceramic beaker where a couple of plunges of the hot tip into it removes all solder and crud to be ready for tinning.Stainless has the benefit of not having solder stick to it and these pads remain serviceable for many years.Once on a while the beaker gets the waste solder and crud tipped out and the scourer gets a little beating to remove any that hasn't fallen through.

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 19, 2025, 01:27:07 pm
content: I have soldering tips as old as 30 years old, they are as good as new and some pitted so badly. I wire solder a lot, this is my observation.1) Brand and Plating quality matters. I source my tips everywhere, genuine, retail pack, bulk pack, Ali clones.2) Sponge + Water thermal shock will not damage good quality iron tips. I have been doing this for more than three decades and I still have good Hakko 936 tips from 20 years ago.3) Original JBC tips plating are not very good. They don't wear well. I bought a few over the years they just don't last. Buy the clone tips they have better thicker? plating and last good but I suspect they have slightly poorer thermal performance.4) Stick to Nihon Superior SN100C if you need Lead Free. The flux is gentle on the tips. Some SAC305 LF solders flux turns very aggressive when high temp. It eats the top chrome layer.I dont like LF solder wires due to high temp oxidise tips plating quickly. Although Chrome burns at a very high 1900C it only need a little acidic flux to eat into the plating and ruin the rest from inside deeper layers.5) If you use acidic plumbing flux then forget about tips maintenance. Have a few spare tips, change them as they wear. No point worrying about the tips when it's a high wear use.6) Use lowest temperature whenever possible. If your iron is not heating up your work piece quick enough, you need to preheat your PCB. Taking 30 seconds to heat up a spot will cause more damage than 5 seconds of good thermal buffer. So use a larger iron with better thermal capacity or preheat. Higher temperature means higher risk of damage. So dont use higher temp to offset for thermal capacity.7) Dont rub your tips on the work piece. Abrasion will wear the plating. Gentle touch with a wet tip will transfer heat properly.