HO-Velo
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Guess I don't really understand the issue. I have used soldering irons with plated tips for years with no issues. I never file them. Just brush with damp sponge, dip in RS tip cleaner and then do my soldering.
I use the Weller WLC-100 soldering station.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
E-L man tom,
The best response is given by "Richard/narrow gauge nuclear". Read his advice and you won't go wrong.
Solder is actually the best tip cleaner there is. If you start from day one with a clean, bright and shiny new tip, and then coat it with solder and wipe the excess solder off on a damp sponge between each application, (so that each connection is made with a bright, shiny tip) the tip will last a long time. When you are finished, put a blob of solder on the tip and then turn the iron off without wiping, that will protect the tip while stored. Then the next time you solder, turn on the iron and when it reaches operating temperature, wipe off the blob on a sponge and you're readay to go.
Never use any kind of abrasive on the tip. Eventually, you'll wear away the plating and the tip will be ruined. I would only recommend using an abrasive very lightly (including the brass wool-looking thingy) if there were a spot that you just can't get removed by wiping on the damp sponge.
david
I started soldering in high school, some 45+ years ago. At that time Soldering Irons were headed by gas and were large chunks of copper or copper plate iron. You would heat the use a large file to clean to clean the tip, the apply Sal Amoniac, rub that in and then solder. All this to get a nice shiny tip but then the tip was larger than my thumb.
Anyway, fast forward 45+ years. I now have an adjustable Weller station for my main soldering work. Variable temperature means it stays at that temperature AND heats up in seconds. I pretty much exclusively use the brass wool pad. Some solder on the heated iron, dip in the acid based flux and then the wool pad. And I always dip in the wool pad before putting back in the stand.
I'll sometimes use a wire brush to clean it as well. Pretty much the same as th
e brass pad.
I also have a 35W Weller Pencil Iron for doing hookup work under the layout. Was using this last night and noticed two things. First it was getting a lot hotter than I run my workstation at and second it would corrode a lot faster but using the brass pad made it all shiney real quick.
Many thanks, all of you for the great advice. These replies shed quite a light on a part of model reilroading that I have struggled with for the past 25 years or so. These bits of advice will help me become better at soldering.
Additionally, I have ordered an adjustable soldering station; a cheapie, but it is well suited to my needs. I hope to not have to do much soldering after this wiring project, except, maybe trying my hand at building brass models.
I should be able to get trains running for the first time in almost 3 years once this project is done.
I've been using a damp sponge for 45 years and a couple of my soldering irons have been with me the entire time.
If the tip happens to wear, you can tin it with solder- just flood solder onto the clean tip and wipe it clean. The tip isn't ruined just because the plating wears off the copper. Tinning the iron is just good maintenance.
Hope this helps!
Steve Hunter
All the preceeding tips are great. It is really simple.
1. Purchase a pencil iron that has a plated tip. Do not use a naked copper tip. Plated tips are very common now. It is best to buy a variable heat controlled iron. 620-650 deg F is ideal
2. Use only a wetted sponge to clean your tip well prior to each application of solder to a joint. If you wipe with the wet sponge and the tip is anything less than bright silver you are not going to do a good joint.
3. The use of the wire turning balled-up brillo type item is highly recommended just after you have turned the iron off or if you have a carbonized build up, followed by the wet sponge wipe to make the tip silvery.
4. Never leave the iron on for protracted periods if not needed for rather immediate work.
5. Always when shutting the iron off and within a minute, clean the tip well as in #3 above. and finally put a big blob of molten solder on the tip as it cools to solidify and protect the tip from oxidation when just sitting around. When you start up, next time, the blob will go molten and can be wiped off to a shiney silver tip on the wet sponge prior to that first joint
6. Try and avoid separate rosin fluxing beyond that contained in the solder core or abraiding the plated tip with a file or with sal ammoniac! These are good only for pure copper tips found on large soldering irons, soldering coppers (no longer used) and the popular soldering guns for heavy work. Once the plating on a small iron is gone, the tip is gone and you will find it is in need of constant abrasive cleaning. A modern plated tip never, ever needs abrasive action in a purely small joint, electronic/ electrical service.
For all wiring under table of 18 gauge or larger use only a soldering gun with a copper tip. These are made for bigger electrical jobs. In proper service a gun's tip can be cleaned in the same way a plated tip can but use the wire wool item more often and you may have to file a bit as the tip pits and wears unevenly. Tin solders dissolves copper over time. they are highly soluable in each other.
I have been soldering in electronics for 60 years and the modern plated tips on small electronic irons take a lot of hassle out of soldering circuitry, provided you used good technique and practices of keeping the tip wiped constantly with the wet sponge before making each and every joint. The tip must be a pure brilliant silver color, always, just before soldering.
Note: I still use and prefer only 60:40 muticore Tin/Lead solder. I do not particularly like the 95:5 tin based solders unless the 5% is silver. (expensive)
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
I use a flat file and 2-3 licks cleans the tip.This method works quite well for me.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
E-L man tom tstage Tom, Is you soldering iron adjustable? In other words - does it have a knob so that you can adjust the temperature up or down? For electronic soldering, 650-700F is quite adequate. If your tip is small, temperatures above 750 will excelerate (shorten) the life (tinning) of the tip. Another good method: If your soldering iron is going to remain unused for longer than a minute, get into the habit of coating your tip with solder before putting it back into its holder. This will keep the air from oxidizing the tip and keep it tip shiny. If you think you won't be using your soldering iron for 5 minutes or longer, coat your tip then just turn the iron off. Irons generally heat up pretty quickly so you won't lose that much time. The brass metal pads do work very well and I, too, prefer those over a damp sponge. Your soldering iron temperature doesn't have to continually recover each time you wipe your tip clean. FWIW... Tom No, its not an adjustable iron. Good advice on tinning the tip before turning off or storage. I'm also looking into getting an adjustable temp. soldering station. There's an outfit out of Florida, Marlin P. Jones & Associates, who has several models that are quite inexpensive. I have their catalog, which has all their contact information. I do have about 70+ more soldering points to go, so I think this will speed things up as well as being easier on tips plus better and neater soldering joints.
tstage Tom, Is you soldering iron adjustable? In other words - does it have a knob so that you can adjust the temperature up or down? For electronic soldering, 650-700F is quite adequate. If your tip is small, temperatures above 750 will excelerate (shorten) the life (tinning) of the tip. Another good method: If your soldering iron is going to remain unused for longer than a minute, get into the habit of coating your tip with solder before putting it back into its holder. This will keep the air from oxidizing the tip and keep it tip shiny. If you think you won't be using your soldering iron for 5 minutes or longer, coat your tip then just turn the iron off. Irons generally heat up pretty quickly so you won't lose that much time. The brass metal pads do work very well and I, too, prefer those over a damp sponge. Your soldering iron temperature doesn't have to continually recover each time you wipe your tip clean. FWIW... Tom
No, its not an adjustable iron. Good advice on tinning the tip before turning off or storage. I'm also looking into getting an adjustable temp. soldering station.
There's an outfit out of Florida, Marlin P. Jones & Associates, who has several models that are quite inexpensive. I have their catalog, which has all their contact information. I do have about 70+ more soldering points to go, so I think this will speed things up as well as being easier on tips plus better and neater soldering joints.
I just ordered this one from Amazon. It looks to be identical to Radio Shacks but $20.00 Cheaper
South Penn
HD, Lowes and Radio Shack sells just tips (you can visit the former two in store and easier to get from Radio shack online.) You just undue the screw on the soldering iron and attach the new tip. I understand the annoyance of having to get a new soldering iron.
~Lee
See below
tstageTom, Is you soldering iron adjustable? In other words - does it have a knob so that you can adjust the temperature up or down? For electronic soldering, 650-700F is quite adequate. If your tip is small, temperatures above 750 will excelerate (shorten) the life (tinning) of the tip. Another good method: If your soldering iron is going to remain unused for longer than a minute, get into the habit of coating your tip with solder before putting it back into its holder. This will keep the air from oxidizing the tip and keep it tip shiny. If you think you won't be using your soldering iron for 5 minutes or longer, coat your tip then just turn the iron off. Irons generally heat up pretty quickly so you won't lose that much time. The brass metal pads do work very well and I, too, prefer those over a damp sponge. Your soldering iron temperature doesn't have to continually recover each time you wipe your tip clean. FWIW... Tom
E-L man tom My problem is that I am having a hard time keeping the tip clean. It seems to constantly build up carbon deposits. I try to keep it clean by dipping it in flux then using a wire brush to brush it off. That seemed to work for a while, but it gets to the point that I can't get it to tin. This makes soldering very difficult and a very slow and frustrating process...
My problem is that I am having a hard time keeping the tip clean. It seems to constantly build up carbon deposits. I try to keep it clean by dipping it in flux then using a wire brush to brush it off. That seemed to work for a while, but it gets to the point that I can't get it to tin. This makes soldering very difficult and a very slow and frustrating process...
Tom,
Is your soldering iron adjustable? In other words - does it have a knob so that you can adjust the temperature up or down? For electronic soldering, 650-700F is quite adequate. If your tip is small, temperatures above 750 will excelerate (shorten) the life (tinning) of the tip.
Another good method: If your soldering iron is going to remain unused for longer than a minute, get into the habit of coating your tip with solder before putting it back into its holder. This will keep the air from oxidizing the tip and keep it tip shiny. If you think you won't be using your soldering iron for 5 minutes or longer, coat your tip then just turn the iron off. Irons generally heat up pretty quickly so you won't lose that much time.
The brass metal pads do work very well and I, too, prefer those over a damp sponge. Your soldering iron temperature doesn't have to continually recover each time you wipe your tip clean.
FWIW...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Sounds to me like the tip is burned. When did you last replace it?
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
If you can find some that can silver solder, have them coat the tip of your soldering iron. Should last forever and need minimal cleaning.
My problem; I can't find anyone to do it.
Think about it this way. If you're into model railroading for the long haul, you'll find yourself doing all kinds of soldering jobs. So amortize the cost of a real, quality temperature controlled soldering station over, say, 10 or 15 years. If you do that, you'll see a Hakko FX-888D or Weller WES51 will cost you about $10/year. Since my other hobby is building vacuum tube audio gear, it's easy to justify for me. And you won't deal with cheap tips that can't be replaced, dropping temperatures after each joint, and crap connections. The Hakko comes with the coiled brass brush others have mentioned, and it works well. I do prefer to use a sponge, myself. But with a decent soldering station, temperature drops from a wet sponge aren't an issue. And if you do things ranging from DCC decoder installations to soldering track feeders, having an accurate range of stable temperatures available will be a godsend.
Seems like every time I need a new tip, I end up having to buy a whole new soldering iron because I can never find a tip that fits the old one.
My soldering station is 40 watts, which is sufficient power to do track - in fact the main reason i got it was to start building Fast Tracks turnouts. Many different tip sizes and shapes are available for it - I bought a few when I bought it, but am still on the original one, which is small enough for soldering electronics to PC boards and decoder wires, yet worked well soldering rails for frog points and soldering rail to the PC ties.
For attaching feeders to the #14 and #12 bus wires - I have a 150 watt soldering gun. A small iron will never work for something like that. Well, it sort of does - but by the time the joint area is hot enough to flow the solder, the bus wire is too hot to hold for 10 feet on either side of where you are working. Proper tool, proper job. The two have become my complete arsenal of soldering tools. I used to have 3 or 4 different size irons plus the gun.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
kasskaboose Radio Shack's soldering irons are very unreliable. I had two and they both stopped working, so I purchased one from HD. While quite a bit more expensive, it heats up much faster and has an LED (cue the ooohs and aahhhs). ~Lee
Radio Shack's soldering irons are very unreliable. I had two and they both stopped working, so I purchased one from HD. While quite a bit more expensive, it heats up much faster and has an LED (cue the ooohs and aahhhs).
Sounds like you got the same iron I bought at HD - LED lights on it - kinda cool and actually a bit helpful too!
Cheers, Jim
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Great post since I too can benefit from soldering suggestions. I used to clean the tip w/ a file, but was told about the copper like sponge thing. Amazon had one that I purchased for about $5 bucks. The damp sponge works, but one mentor suggested using the metal thing. Doing that should get the tip very clean fast.
As someone suggested, soldering should get done in bulk. I would add painting or gluing to this list. This makes the respective processes more efficient b/c you save time--less clean up and restarts.
Some good information here (scroll down to tips and cleaning:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldering_iron
And here: (at a minimum, read page TWO)
http://www.newark.com/pdfs/techarticles/oki-metcal/extendingTipLife.pdf
Ed
I use the damp sponge method, and know about the brass dish cleaning sponge
While looking around for some tutorials on good soldering techniques, I came across this oldie but goodie (1980s) video tutorial series from PACE concerning soldering for electronics (it's 9 parts, but they go fast).I think even the most jaded of us can get something out of the series (there are others series as well).
I've found a damp paper towel to be a suitable sub for the damp sponge. Then dip the tip in rosin flux and tin IMMEDIATELY.
Should be good for an hour or so of control panel wiring.
Another good idea is to get all your soldered joints prepped first. Then you just go down the rows and columns, a few seconds per each.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I have been soldering for 50 years. I have never used anything but a damp sponge to clean the tips.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
I have used heavily eroded tips and the tip cleaner and they still work. The tip can get a bit wonky as it erodes. Part of the reason you don't want the exporuse is because it's softer metal and wears faster than the outside.
Personally, I rely on the stip cleaner until things get that bad, then I just take a file to it as a holding pattern until I get around to buying a new tip in relatively short order.
With the tip cleaner, you'll find the need to brush the tip reduced. Now when you dip it, you leave some "skull" as they call it in the steel mills, a crusty deposit right above the depth you plunged the tip to. I leave it, but a light brushing just to knock that off won't hurt anything if you still felt the need to put that brush to use.
BTW, I'll second the recs to try a temp controlled sodlering station. Got mine from Radio Shack and it's much nicer to use than the big ol' iron. Keep the iron, as some bigger jobs will still need it. I build brass kits from time to time and they're still handy for the bigger parts.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Don't overlook cleaning the tip where it attaches to the iron. A temperature controlled unit is the answer.
Jim
Thanks for the advice guys!
I have a couple of other questions: I've been using a brass wire brush to clean the tip, every time I use the soldering iron. Will that damage the plating on the tip? I don't see any exposed copper (I don't think). Also, from what I see in these posts, it appears exposed copper will not take tinning, Should I get a new tip if this is so?
I just have a modestly priced Weller pencil iron which is working well right now, but when that fails, I look into the Xytronics - $49 isn't too bad.