---
title: "[App Note] Extending Soldering Iron Tip Life from OKI/Metcal"
description: "Metcal, the standard in soldering irons, put together a nice application note discussing tips for soldering. Crucial for beginners or experts!"
canonical: "https://www.baldengineer.com/app-note-extending-soldering-iron-tip-life.html"
author: "James Lewis"
date: "2015-01-01T15:20:16Z"
lastmod: "2022-03-31T02:08:53Z"
categories: ["soldering"]
tags: []
---

# [App Note] Extending Soldering Iron Tip Life from OKI/Metcal


After mentioning how much I like [using a brass sponge when soldering](/tips/brass-sponge-over-wet-sponge "Brass Sponge over Wet Sponge"), I came across this [App Note from OK International](http://www.newark.com/pdfs/techarticles/oki-metcal/extendingTipLife.pdf "Extending Soldering Iron Tip Life").  This is a great note to read through.  It discusses what is inside of a soldering iron tip, why they fail, and how to keep them in good shape.

[![Layers of a Soldering Iron Tip](/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Screenshot-2014-12-29-22.28.52-300x222.png)](/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Screenshot-2014-12-29-22.28.52-300x222.png)

Image from OK International's Tech Note


The note actually makes me realize two of my own mistakes.

First, most cleaning should be done with a wet sponge not the brass sponge.  (Oops!)

Second, pre-made tip tinners are meant for occasional cleaning.  Moving forward I think I'll modify my soldering behavior so that I start with a quick clean in the brass, use the sponge while working on a board, and then use standard solder to protect the tip when done.

> **Note:** What other tips (no pun intended) can you think of for soldering tips?