Tip cleaning advice  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: TorqueRanger
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 10:55:49 pm
content: I am schooled in the old ways of soldering and we used a sponge to clean a iron tip .... I keep coming across this brass sponge ball thing and wanted to know your guys thought on these with me using no clean and rosin core solder?The solder I am using-Kester 44 63/37Alpha 63/37 Telecore No-Clean Wire Solder .032 dia

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 11:04:46 pm
content: It works quite well. Doesn't damage the tip, nor does it thermally shock it.I've actually heard though, might have been someone here, that said that the thermal shock from a sponge actually was good against oxidation? Not sure the physics/chemistry behind that statement so I can't confirm or refute.But for most use, especially right in the middle of soldering, the brass sponge works great.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 11:09:10 pm
content: A damp sponge still does better for leaded alloys vs. brass wool (which is meant for lead-free alloys).

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 11:16:23 pm
content: The brass wool has to thermally shock the tip as just applying it to the workpiece will, putting the iron to any item that conducts heat and is at lower temperature than itself will be a thermal shock.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 11:17:08 pm
content: My comment from an old thread:I know this will start a major firestorm but here goes. For the last aprox 35 years I have always had a tin of Nocorrode brand zinc chloride paste flux right next to my soldering irons. If my tip is not bright I do a quick dip in the flux and then wipe on the wet sponge. Instant perfectly tinned tip all the time. I probably do 10 or 15 joints between dips. I NEVER put that flux directly on the parts I am soldering, only to clean the tip and then a sponge wipe. I use traditonal rosin based electronic fluxes for any directly applied fluxing. I have not noticed any substantial decrease in tip life and my tips always look like new. I still have things around soldered with this method that are 35+ years old (a Heathkit decade box) no evidence of abnormal corrosion. I don't think any functional amount of zinc chloride gets to the solder joint. I completely understand that if you dipped a stranded wire in the zinc chloride flux and then solder it in a joint you are asking for major trouble. The flux will wick up the strands and start destroying things in short order.DONT USE ZINC CHLORIDE FLUX FOR ELECTRONIC FLUXING. I realize that for meeting many specs this procedure would be competely forbidden.Lately I have been trying the brass wool instead of the wet sponge wipe after the zinc chloride dip and it works very well also.

author: cwalex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 01:38:55 pm
content: I have been using the brass wool for a while and haven't looked back. Occasionally use the sponge too

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 03:46:35 pm
content: I always understood that the reason you should not use Zinc chloride flux with an electric iron is the risk of shock this was told to me by a TV repairman that I knew when at school (he used to come in and teach a class) Of course in those days virtually all electric iron were mains voltage.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/confused0024.gif

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 03:59:43 pm
content: Quote from: G7PSK on January 02, 2013, 03:46:35 pmEven if the iron tip was mains voltage, I dont see how touching Zinc chloride flux in a plastic container (isolated) is going to shock you

author: Chipset
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 04:23:29 pm
content: I haven't done any testing, nor noticed any significant difference between a wet sponge and brass wool. That said I strongly prefer and recommend brass wool for one simple reason; You never have to get up and go wet it in a sink before you start soldering. Not like it saves a ton of time but it feels like a huge convenience that is well worth it in my opinion.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 04:45:36 pm
content: Quote from: Chipset on January 02, 2013, 04:23:29 pmAccording to all I have read you should be using distilled or deionized water in your sponge to eliminate mineral problems on the tip.

author: Chipset
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 04:54:36 pm
content: Quote from: robrenz on January 02, 2013, 04:45:36 pmAnother reason to use brass wool, don't have to buy distilled or deionized water.

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 05:18:21 pm
content: Quote from: robrenz on January 02, 2013, 04:45:36 pmThen, after usage are you also supposed to clean the sponge? (by rinsing in distilled water?)Otherwise using 'purified' water on a contaminated sponge doesn't make much sense to me...

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 05:51:29 pm
content: Quote from: robrenz on January 02, 2013, 03:59:43 pmBack in the sixty's many electric irons were not earthed and if the zinc chloride got to the element which was often just contained in ceramic beads or at least the ones I took apart were, so there could be quite a danger from using liquid conductive flux.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 06:00:00 pm
content: Quote from: G7PSK on January 02, 2013, 05:51:29 pmI only use the paste version of Zinc chloride, specificaly Nokorode brand.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 06:03:47 pm
content: Quote from: bitwelder on January 02, 2013, 05:18:21 pmAccording to JBC and Pace the naturaly occuringmineralsin water are what are bad for tip life/contamination. the solder and flux and oxides that end up in the sponge are not a problem per say just smack them out.

author: UPI
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 06:08:26 pm
content: We switched to brass wool a few months ago and pitting/corrosion on our Metcal and Hakko tips appear to have been reduced.I have tried to get the guys to tin the tip before shutting them down for the night but they haven't followed through very well.We were using DI water in the sponges.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 06:13:16 pm
content: Lucky for me the water out the tap is pretty pure, very low dissolved solids, though you can pick up the sludge in it if you have a 5 micron water filter. 2 years of use and the filter was deep brown, I put it so it filters most of the water, the rest goes though a 100 micron one.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 09:42:42 pm
content: We have a well, and there are so many dissolved minerals that the water softener guy was shocked that we drink it... (Of course I'd still rather that than the nasty, salty water from the softener, but it's good for the appliances.) I try to keep that water away from the soldering iron, so I've been using the brass wool. Works very nice, the tips last a long time and always look good. This is with leaded solder.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2013, 03:53:31 am
content: Quote from: UPI on January 02, 2013, 06:08:26 pmWhat alloy and flux combo are you using?

author: UPI
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2013, 04:20:50 am
content: Quote from: nanofrog on January 03, 2013, 03:53:31 amAIM brand Sn63Pb37 GLOW CORE No-Clean .020"http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/AIM/13283/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMufz/r7jvSrzLGsjJJieYF1

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2013, 04:30:43 pm
content: Quote from: UPI on January 03, 2013, 04:20:50 amThanks. I was wondering if the flux been a water soluble formulation.

author: Praxis
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2013, 01:47:07 am
content: The wet sponge and brass shavings compliment eachother. The wet sponge is good for removing oxidation, flux, or tip cleaner like the aforementioned ZnCl. The shavings are great for removing excess solder and 'chunky bits' that might be stuck to the tip, in addition to removing oxidation -- though I feel the sponge does that job a bit better. Mostly though they're pretty equivalent. I like having both accessible, but it's no problem working with one or the other, usually.