Soldering

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

http://www.newark.com/pdfs/techarticles/oki-metcal/extendingTipLife.pdf
Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

After mentioning how much I like using a brass sponge when soldering, I came across this App Note from OK International.  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
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.

What other tips (no pun intended) can you think of for soldering tips?

Fan of making things beep, blink and fly. Created AddOhms. Stream on Twitch. Video Host on element14 Presents and writing for Hackster.IO. Call sign KN6FGY.

Write A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.