Article At A Glance

·How to Use Soldering Iron Tip?

·A Detinning/Oxidized Tip

  -What Cause Tip Detinning/Oxidized?

-How to Restore a Detinning/Oxidized Tip?

·Tip’s Maintenance

-How To Clean Soldering Iron Tip?

-How To Extend the Life of the Soldering Iron Tip?

How to Use Soldering Iron Tip?

• Before use

First wet the cleaning sponge, and then squeeze the excess water, so that the iron tip can be fully cleaned. The yellow sponge should be damp as opposed to being soaked in water. If the sponge that is not moist or has too much moisture is used, it will damage the tip and cause tip cannot get tin.

• During use

Try to use low and proper temperature to solder.

When working with general surface-mount, small connector soldering, or other smaller solder joints on a copper foil area, the temperature setting for a soldering iron with leaded solder is usually in the range of 310-330℃ (the temperature range for lead-free solder is typically 330-350℃). When the soldering area is relatively large or there is a significant heat dissipation area, the temperature can be appropriately increased to a range of 350-420℃.

But when the temperature exceeds 450℃, the oxidation of the soldering iron will be accelerated, greatly reducing the service life of the tip, and the high temperature will also cause some inferior copper pads and components to be damaged.

• After use

After use, the tip should be wiped clean and coated with a new tin layer to prevent oxidation. Learn the proper technique for cleaning the iron tip, please continue to read this article.

• When not in use

When not using a soldering iron, it is not allowed to remain in a high temperature state for a long time, as it will convert the flux on the tip into oxides, resulting in a significant decrease in its thermal conductivity.

A Detinning/Oxidized Tip

After using the soldering iron for a period of time, you will find that the soldering iron tip blacks out or cannot be tinned, and cannot continue to solder any object. At this time, the exposed coating of tip is oxidized, rendering the heat transfer of the tip ineffective.

So, what cause the soldering iron tip “detinning”?

Reason 1: no new solder is used to tin the tip when it is not used.

Reason 2: the soldering iron tip continues to be in a high temperature state. High temperature will accelerate the oxidation of the soldering iron tip.

Reason 3: the tip of the iron is deformed or perforated (in this case, the tip needs to be replaced)

Reason 4: scrub the tip on a dry or dirty sponge or cloth (a clean, damp, sponge that is industrial-grade and sulphur-free should be used).

Reason 5: the solder or iron coating is not pure, or the surface of object to be soldered is not clean.

Reason 6: use a very small solder wire. The diameter is too small to carry enough flux, so tin cannot always stick to the tip’s surface.

How to Restore a Detinning/Oxidized Tip?

1) Remove the tip from the handle after the tip has cooled.

2) Use 80# solder polishing bar (polyurethane foam) or 100# sandpaper to remove dirt and oxides on the tinning surface of the tip.

3) Install the soldering tip into the handle and tin the newly exposed surface of the tip with a tin wire containing rosin (≥Φ0.8mm), and turn on the power supply of soldering station.

Note: Proper daily maintenance will prevent the soldering iron tip from detinning.

Tip’s Maintenance

The oxides and carbides, derived from the residual flux of the tip after soldering, can damage the tip. It causes soldering errors, or reduce the thermal conductivity of tip. Therefore, you should regularly clean the soldering iron tip. Here is a step-by-step guide for tip cleaning.

How To Clean Soldering Iron Tip？

You should prepare the following tools to clean your tip effectively:

①Cleaning Sponge

②Brass Wool Cleaner/Sandpaper

③Premium Solder

Step 1: Heating

Reduce the temperature to 200-250℃ and wait for tip’s temperature drop stably. This helps to loosen any contaminants, residual solder, flux, or other contaminants that may be stuck to the tip.

Step 2: Sponge Cleaning

Press and rotate the soldering iron’s hot tip against the sponge to remove stuck solder flux and/or contaminants. 

Most soldering iron tips now is coated with iron. When use damp sponge to clean the tip, there will be severe quenching and cooling. Due to thermal expansion and contraction, the surface oxide layer will peel off, then you can obviously see the tip becomes brighter.

Step 3: Scrub the Tip Using Sandpaper, Steel Wool or Wire Brush

If the tinning part of the soldering iron tip contains black oxide, it can be coated with a new tin layer and then wiped with a cleaning sponge. If the tip is heavily oxidized, wipe it by brass wool cleaner, and then tin the tip with new solder. Repeat the process until the oxide is completely removed, and finally conduct tip tinning.

When the soldering iron tip has been cleaned and cannot be plated with tin, it indicates that the tip has been damaged and should be replaced in time.

Do not use a rasper to remove the oxide on the tip.

How to Extend the Life of the Soldering Iron Tip?

1. Use high-quality solder, flux and soldering iron tip

Good quality products leave little or no debris stuck into the tip and don’t produce burning stains, which can cause oxidation and thermal efficiency loss. RSM-SSM-200A adopts premium 911G soldering iron tip to make your soldering experience more pleasant and effective.

2. Select suitable tip size

Use thin iron tips only when necessary, because the coating of small iron tips is less durable than that of coarse tips.

3. Use lower temperature

In the case of being able to work, try to use a lower temperature, which can not only reduce the oxidation of the tip, but solder components easily.

4. Use a less active rosin flux

A less active rosin flux is recommended. A rosin with high activity will accelerate corrosion of the iron tip coating.

5. Tinning after use

Tin the tip with new solder after each use, which can prevent the oxidation of the soldering iron tip and extend the service life.

6. Turn off the power when not in use

Turn off the power as far as possible without using the soldering iron, or use a soldering station with sleep mode to extend the service life. The soldering station on RS soldering machine comes with sleep mode to maximize the service life of your tip.

7. Don't put the tip to other use

Do not use the soldering tip as a probe tool or put it to other use except soldering. It may cause soldering iron tip bending and crack the coating, resulting in shorter service life.

8. Don't put pressure on the tip

Do not apply heavy pressure to the soldering iron tip. The greater pressure doesn’t mean fast heat transfer. To improve the heat transfer, the solder must be melted so that a heat transfer solder bridge is formed between the soldering iron tip and the solder joint.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact our product specialists at info@cable-peeler.com. 

                （If there are any copyright infringements in the network pictures, please contact us for deletion）