How To Clean A Dirty Soldering Iron Tip
Its something of a vi-vs-emacs war about which is better but whatever.
How to clean a dirty soldering iron tip. You also can clean your soldering iron tip with a sponge while using it to keep it clean. Cleaning the iron is usually done with either a damp sponge or brass turnings. If the tip loses its tin you want a product called tinning salts or sal ammoniac to restore wettability then re-tin with your usual solder.
After trying both the sponge and flux to clean the tip of your soldering iron sal ammoniac would be the next step if the others didnt work. Wipe the iron on a damp sponge to remove the excess. Use dampened steel wool to get rid of surface stains or rust.
Another option is to use tip cleaner. If you do not regularly clean your solder iron you may have more stubborn stains or discoloration. Use stainless steel wool flux and thick clothe to clean the tip.
If some of the oxides are just sticking really well you could try to mildly abrade them on a brass sponge copper braid or similar but you cant be too hard or you will damage the iron plating good tips are typically copper core plated with iron then chromium everywhere but the. How to Clean Soldering Iron Tip. Switch on the Soldering Station or the Iron and Make sure it is Hot Enough.
There are many cleaning solutions and the cheapest and some say best is a damp sponge. In this case you have to damp down the steel wool and rub the metal tip of the soldering iron and as a result it will remove the rust and stains. Leave it there until the paste melts around the tip.
To clean dirty surfaces and stains from the iron tip we highly recommend using a steel wool ball. It is hazardous so please read all safety tips included in or on the packaging. Electronix Express points out that in order to remove the dirt and debris that accumulates on the tip of a soldering iron it is necessary to wipe it clean with a sponge.