Tip Tinners

[Fsck]

So I've been digging around out of curiosity and I'm curious what other people think and since I have no idea where this really fits, I'll drop it here.

There seem to be a rather interesting divergence of tip tinner composition between manufacturers. (typically sold in 10-15g cylindrical tins)
I've noticed the following 6 primary categories [major ingredients only] (by weight %s) in modern tip tinners:
       The first 3 have compositions similar to solder paste
a) a weak organic acid  (<=15%, as a salt) + tin either on its own or paired with 1+ of Cu, Ag, Au
b) rosin (5-25%) + tin either on its own or paired with 1+ of Cu, Ag, Au
c) a strong inorganic acid (<=15%, as a salt) + tin either on its own or paired with 1+ of Cu, Ag, Au
       The next two seem more like heavy duty cleaning for oxidized to hell tips
d) some kind of acid (rosin/organic/inorganic) (30-50%, as a salt) + tin (>=50%) either on its own or paired with 1+ of Cu, Ag, Au
e) some kind of acid (rosin/organic/inorganic) (>50%, as a salt) + tin (<50%) either on its own or paired with 1+ of Cu, Ag, Au
       The last one looks like solder but in very small independent crystals instead of joined together
f) >=95% Sn/Cu/Ag/Au, rest = acid in salt form (of any kind) or flux


And of course, you can find a couple (which seem to be rare for english sites) with lead as well. Oddly, I haven't seen any activators for rosin used, probably to save the tip as the flux concentration is pretty high?
Of course, I obviously haven't looked at every tip tinner on the market and that has ever existed, so feel free to enlighten me.

I've just been wondering:
1) if anyone else noticed this
2) what people are using (if people even know/care?)
3) any major functional (real-world) differences between the compositions? (ie leaded vs leadfree process, long term storage, etc)
4) people's preferences due to functional differences or people's preferences just cause?

[ablacon64]

I don't use tip cleaners at all, just tin the iron, remove the excess in a metal sponge (don't remember the name right now, but Hakko has one that is golden) and rapidly chock it against a wet sponge. I think it preserves tip life, it does not drop the temperature and does a very good cleaning job.

[nanofrog]

I'm using Weller's Tip Cleaner/Tinning compound (rejuvenation only). Couldn't locate any leaded (didn't check the composition particulars past lead-free as I didn't care beyond lead or lead-free), and it was the largest container for the money vs. other brands that were readily available.

Easy availability is important to me when it comes to consumables, as I tend to use them as filler items from whatever vendor I'm making the latest order from.

FWIW, it works quite well (saved a few tips with this stuff). If you're concerned about a strange alloy composition on the first few joints when using lead based solder wire, that's easily fixed by rinsing the freshly tinned tip with whatever lead alloy you're using.

[facumedica]

The metal sponges are a little bit dangerous from my point of view. They can scratch your tip and with time it will ruin it. Just use a wet piece of napkin or cotton, it works pretty fine.

[zapta]

I have the Hakko tip tinner and use it very rarely. It tins very well but I am doing good enough without it.

[BravoV]

Agree, Hakko FS-100 tip cleaner paste works like magic, its just they're too many fakes in the market, just make sure you buy from authorized distributor only.

->http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fs100.html

[Fsck]

If you're concerned about a strange alloy composition on the first few joints when using lead based solder wire, that's easily fixed by rinsing the freshly tinned tip with whatever lead alloy you're using.

it's pure academic curiosity. I've used several of the above and (since I only tested them under short-medium term storage under normal conditions), I haven't seen much difference. (tips that are well cared for)

I'd suspect that the more acidic compositions are designed to remove the oxide layer (as in, after damage is done), rather than to simply protect your tip. ie, the same way when some of you (you know who you are!) give a heavily oxidized tip a short soak in concentrated HCL.

@facumedia: typically, the metal "sponge", is just brass wool, analogous to steel wool. and for most tips, doesn't remove the solder layer that's bonded to the final layer of the tip (usually tinned iron) as brass is relatively soft and cooled solder usually just shakes right out of the brass wool.

[ablacon64]

The metal sponges are a little bit dangerous from my point of view. They can scratch your tip and with time it will ruin it. Just use a wet piece of napkin or cotton, it works pretty fine.

No problems with scratches so far, I've been using it for more than one year and my tips are like new.

The only danger I see is getting yourself burnt, since you should rub the tip very lightly and carefully in order to not spill melted solder around, specially in your skin (it happens once in a while) and eyes (I always use protection glasses when soldering).

This is how my tips look like, after more than one year using the method said above. No need to waste money on tip cleaners.

BTW, one of the reasons I started doing this is just because of poor quality and fake products available everywhere.

[David Hess]

I have a block of sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) which works well enough.  I do not think Kester sells them anymore but they are commonly available for cleaning soldering irons used for stained glass.

[Bored@Work]

I only use tip tinners as a last resort on tips that I would otherwise dump. And only if the tip is rather expensive and I don't happen to have a replacement at hand. It gets a bit more millage out of an almost done tip, but that's it. No tinner can repair a broken plating.

I don't use tip tinners on normal tips. I.e. I don't do "preventive maintenance" with tip tinner, because some tinners are rather aggressive and I don't trust them on a normal tip. If there is a minor defect of the plating they make it worse.

And a block of sal ammoniac? Heaven forbid. That stuff is very aggressive (some tinners also contain it) and I have seen it quickly eating through tips. All it takes is a small defect in the tip plating.

Sal ammoniac blocks are for plumbers. Same with soldering grease or soldering water. Too aggressive on electronics and tips.

[David Hess]

My soldering irons are all Weller Magnastat units and I have had only one tip fail in 30+ years.  I prefer using the sal ammoniac block to scraping the tip and I only rarely have to use it.

The tip that failed had a crack in the plating allowing it to dissolve from the inside out.

[zapta]

@facumedia: typically, the metal "sponge", is just brass wool, analogous to steel wool. and for most tips, doesn't remove the solder layer that's bonded to the final layer of the tip (usually tinned iron) as brass is relatively soft and cooled solder usually just shakes right out of the brass wool.

The best way I found to clean a tip is a wipe with Kimwipes. Better than the metal wool or wet sponge. Saw it in a youtube soldering video.

[Fsck]

I only use tip tinners as a last resort on tips that I would otherwise dump. And only if the tip is rather expensive and I don't happen to have a replacement at hand. It gets a bit more millage out of an almost done tip, but that's it. No tinner can repair a broken plating.

I don't use tip tinners on normal tips. I.e. I don't do "preventive maintenance" with tip tinner, because some tinners are rather aggressive and I don't trust them on a normal tip. If there is a minor defect of the plating they make it worse.

And a block of sal ammoniac? Heaven forbid. That stuff is very aggressive (some tinners also contain it) and I have seen it quickly eating through tips. All it takes is a small defect in the tip plating.

Sal ammoniac blocks are for plumbers. Same with soldering grease or soldering water. Too aggressive on electronics and tips.

actually, don't stained glass types usually solder with straight silver, or something closer to brazing?

and for some brands of tip tinners, it's basically a dip in concentrated acid followed by a tinning with solder: all-in-one!

[particleman]

I tin my tip every few joints and clean with a brass sponge.

[tautech]

A small porcelain cup stuffed with stainless steel wool. Just stab your hot iron in it a few times and it comes out like new. Quick, easy, effective and cheap.

[BravoV]

An example illustration from Hakko which I think similar with others, the tip structures :



Just use common sense, what ever you do, just make sure to minimize the damage at the very thin solder and chrome platings, cause once the inner iron part is exposed, then its time to throw away the tip.