I just bought a soldering kit from Elcon, it came with a soldering iron, you mentioned it a year ...

[G+_Seth Adkins]

I just bought a soldering kit from Elcon, it came with a soldering iron, you mentioned it a year or so ago. In the instructions they say to leave some solder on the tip to prevent corrosion, but then in the same paragraph they say to keep the tip clean. Can you clarify this?

 

P.S. It came with lead free rosin core solder

[G+_Arcturus Lancaster]

Solder on the tip is fine. Flux left on the tip will eat it away

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

When the iron is not in use, you want to leave a little solder on the end.  This prevents corrosion.  When using the iron, you want to keep it clean.  Better heat transfer.

 

So yes, you want to do both.  Clean tip for when in use, and a 'tinned' tip for storage.

 

Just before turning the iron off, put some of the solder you use on the end.  The flux will burn off like normal, and the solder will stay around, preventing oxidation and such.

[G+_Larry Havenstein]

yes lead free solder isn't good for electronics work.  

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

Also... a little lead in solder makes it taste MUCH better.

[G+_Jeff Brand]

I resurrected a ~40 year old 25 watt Weller this past weekend with a little sand paper. I still have its accompanying spool of thick lead solder used for making stained glass.

[G+_Larry Havenstein]

don't use the solder you would use on stained glass, for electronics.  Typically that solder is acid core solder and it will corrode electronics.

[G+_Jeff Brand]

I didn't use it. Just mentioning that I have it...

[G+_Jeff Brand]

Previous episodes discussed using fine sandpaper (400 or higher) to remove oxidation. It hadn't been properly tinned in about 20 years. Do you have a better method?

 

The iron is 40 years old, same tip. I think it was the perfect situation to experiment - and it worked.

[G+_Jeff Brand]

I'm having a hard time being understood today.

 

I did not use the pure lead solder. I just have some that my dad had used with it when soldering stained glass in the 1970s. In the 1990s I tinkered around with the iron without knowing anything about proper iron care. The damage was done long ago.

 

Using the 400 grit sandpaper and 50/50 electronics solder, the tip is holding a tin at the moment. I'm satisfied with the result at the moment, even if you aren't.

 

It's also not my main iron, just one I've had sitting around. It's destined for coarse electrical work if anything. If I find myself using it more than once a year then I may consider a new tip, or a new "garage" iron altogether.

[G+_Black Merc]

Modern soldering iron tips have a factory Finnish that aids in the life of the tip(with proper care).

When that Finnish is removed, the tip is effectively junk.