agressive soldering iron tip cleaner ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2022, 08:51:02 pm
content: So when I do repairs the PCB have often seen much better days and are highly oxidized, old and dirty. Sometimes cleaning and drying these PCB is more trouble then its worth before some diagnosis is made.My pace solder extractor station has its tip get fouled very quickly. I was wondering about a high quality dip-tip cleaner that might be able to help me out.Do these products work good? Brass sponge does not work that well on these solder extractors IMO.I was wondering what a product suggestion might be that is more on the aggressive side. I would rather waste some tips then have to do more PCB trace repairs because of excess heating time. I feel like with some of the crap I vacuum up, the tip is fouled after one joint extraction.I am waiting on some fiberglass brushes to maybe make this process little cleaner.

author: penfold
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2022, 10:45:04 pm
content: Stuff likeStannol Tippy?It certainly works for heavily fouled tips and gets all the crud off, bubbles up a little so may clean inside a solder sucker tip (not tested that though). I have some reservations about long-term frequent use, but TBH they're not based on an especially scientific comparison but I did notice tips at work that got cleaned with it routinely were more susceptible to build-up.Just thinking aloud, but I wonder if some solder paste, with an aggressive flux, on a pipe cleaner would have a similar effect or a least a more 'directed' effect inside the extractor tip... perhaps.

author: richnormand
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 12, 2022, 03:43:21 am
content: The Weller Tip Activator 0051303199 does a nice job and does not seem to be harsh on the tip.https://www.mouser.ca/ProductDetail/Weller/T0051303199?qs=wWC4CIiyLaPtzwQWGQPW%252Bw%3D%3D&mgh=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAg6yRBhBNEiwAeVyL0IuJLMA4yNjA-MhwsFxKbc0gvOycYuvorsNcun9vms2uf2fQvtbKmhoCaewQAvD_BwEWorks well on my Pace desoldering machine as it melts and is sucked in the tip.It will not solve a clogged tip however.I have used it on my old Ungar iron and it works quite well too but once the coating is removed or the tip is heavily pitted forget it.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2022, 04:43:33 am
content: I turn off power and use a small reamer (the kind for cleaning oxygen gas welding torches) or a bit of solid steel wire (mig wire), and the brush they provide does a fine job with the barrel. What I want is a quick way to get clean solder on the bottom, so a efficent high thermal transfer vacuum seal is formed. brass is just not doing it. If I want to do every joint properly on these ancient oxidized PCB, it means I need to mess with it on every solder joint.On clean newish PCB its alot better. I mean like 70's stuff.

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2022, 10:53:15 am
content: Hello againphotos would be helpful for the PCB and dirty tip.We use the wet sponges with center hole, and Metcal irons, never had sipuch issues.Maybe iron tip temp is not optimal?I can highly reccomend Metcal irons.Bon week-endJon

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2022, 05:23:59 pm
content: What you need to do is learn to tin your desoldering iron tip properly.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2022, 07:33:51 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on March 12, 2022, 05:23:59 pmthis only happens with nasty ass old PCB, if I have something made within the last 30 years its ok

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2022, 09:11:08 pm
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on March 12, 2022, 07:33:51 pmThen what does tip cleaning have to do with it?What happens when you reflow the joints with some fresh solder before desoldering? That’s a time-honored method of getting recalcitrant old joints to desolder well.

author: mapleLC
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2022, 09:08:21 am
content: I manage to touch my iron tip to every plastic trace wire within 6 inches. I swear the iron becomes a dowsing rod when they are around.The tip accumulates melted contaminates such as this, so the question is a good one, as I often am not satisfied with the results of various cleaning approaches I take. A hot iron bubbles away any material designed to clean it, so anything you think might work like dipping a cleaner just makes a little steam bath that smells like cancer. Sandpaper or any form of grit has obvious problems.When I read tip cleaner my interest was piqued, but it seems the products being discussed are not meant for regular use. Is there something that has not been mentioned? My wife jokingly suggested we dip the iron tips in white wine. It's not deglazing honey. Well it kind of is... hmmm.Finally, I use baking soda with aluminum foil and boiling water for cleaning plated silverware and it works brilliantly. Would something of the like work here without needing a kitchen, pots, and boiling water? A perfect material would be something on the bench that can quickly clean the tip with some form of a dip or a wipe.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2022, 10:53:49 am
content: The common cause of silver surfaces tarnishing is due to exposure to Sulfur compounds, either in food or as trace sulfide fumes in the air. Aluminum foil + baking soda cleans silver by an electrochemical reaction. The silver sulfide is reduced back to silver metal by electrons flowing from the aluminum to the silver, and as this can only happen at the silver surface, the recovered silver plates back onto the surface. This is only effective for high silver content alloys and plate, and the method is not recommended for any silver alloys lower grade than Sterling silver (92.5% Ag).Tip tinner/cleaner 'cakes' are usually a mixture of solder powder (nowadays Sn97/Cu3), Ammonium phosphate, a mild abrasive such as diatomaceous earth, and a trace of flux resin as a binder. On heating, Ammonium phosphate decomposes to ammonia, which gasses off and Phosphoric acid, which reacts with metal oxides on the tip forming metal phosphates and also polymerizes at high temperatures, forming a low volatility acid fluid which carries away the metal phosphate residue. The solder component of the tip tinner cleaner (hopefully) immediately re-tins the exposed metal. The high copper content of the solder minimizes its tendency to dissolve the copper core of the bit at any cracks or pits in its iron plating.Its therefore obvious that tip tinner/cleaners in use are similar to strong acid flux. If left on the tip, the residue from both will rapidly corrode it so its essential to thoroughly wet clean the tip, after restoring it with a tip tinner/cleaner 'cake', then re-tin it with solder and non-corrosive flux.Contact with plastics is problematic as PVC and some others decompose, producing hydrogen chloride (or other halides), which rapidly attacks the tip's plating. If you wipe off melted/burnt plastic immediately before its removed all the tinning from the tip surface, wet wipe and re-tin, you'll have much less trouble. Leave it to char and the tip will probably be permanently damaged.

author: mapleLC
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2022, 11:57:35 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on May 23, 2022, 10:53:49 amMy tinning complaint, which is the common method of "tip management" is that it's slow to perform and, if you solder just often enough, you end up doing it all too often.I guess it leaves me to wonder if this approach altogether is amiss. I have never seen one, but wouldn't diamond be a better alternative? Obviously more expensive, but if the tip is basically lifetime, then why not? I am not talking an engagement ring on the tip just so the yodelers don't start- something akin to what they do with metal and concrete saw blades. Maybe its already out there and I don't know.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2022, 06:22:46 pm
content: Tinning a tip isn’t just about removing oxides, it’s also about leaving just enough solder to form a good thermal bridge — that tiny pillow of solder conforms around the components (both the general shape as well as around surface imperfections) to provide a large surface area for thermal contact. Materials that don’t wet with solder will be limited to only the areas of direct contact, so you’d end up needing way higher tip temperatures to get things going, with the temperature of the joint shooting up as soon as the joint got hot enough to melt the solder you apply to it, as the molten solder conformed to your super hot tip. It just doesn’t make sense.

author: mapleLC
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2022, 10:24:39 am
content: Quote from: tooki on June 06, 2022, 06:22:46 pmFair point, I don't understand the physics of whetting enough. The super hot part, though, that seems to be the problem? A melt point is a melt point, I wonder if there is a technique that has not been explored. Or perhaps a substance you dip periodically that allows the whetting and it dies away as its exhausted thru soldering until it needs another "dip" like a quill and ink. Here you take advantage of the diamonds durability and utilize a cheap "activator" of some form that works with the tip. Since diamonds respond to bonding, it makes sense they'd respond to something outlined here.