Cleaning tips

[Shock]

Saw this video today, guy goes to a lot of effort to show how the various cleaning methods work on his oxidized tips.
Could have probably done the whole thing with a brass brush but anyway you get the idea.

[KL27x]

I vaguely remember when that kind of information was pertinent. Then I bought a Hakko. If solder doesn't stick, I'll buy a lottery ticket.

[helius]

I stopped watching at 2:00 when they try to wet solder to the side of a hoof/bevel tip, which is just pointless.

[BravoV]

On the last part that with heavily rusted tip, usually I used finer 1000 grit sand paper, and only used hand/fingers holding the paper when rubbing the tip, as its more controlled on the pressure and angle. Rubbing the tip on the paper that placed on flat surface like sharpening a knife usually ended up unevenly cleaned surface.

Once done, buffed with metal polish like Brasso and then thoroughly clean the polish residue like using acetone or IPA.

[KL27x]

I stopped watching at 2:00 when they try to wet solder to the side of a hoof/bevel tip, which is just pointless.

When using Hakko for the first time, I found it frustrating how readily the solder sucks to the side of the bevel tip.  Perhaps this is one reason Hakko makes bevels in two different kinds, one with chrome covering the entire side of the tip. Some manufacturers tips will fairly quickly just "die" and stop tinning in the spots you don't regularly use them. I'm sure this depends on temp and the kind of flux you use, to some extent. But the Hakko tips don't seem to know how to stop working at lead temp with rosin flux. Going on 9 years, and still waiting for the other shoe to fall. I've adapted to using the TFO tips for general purpose use. The regular bevel is more of the special purpose tip. Proper tip care and cleaning? Those habits died a long time ago. With the Hakko, other than removing the flux residue blob when it starts to fall off, or removing smd components, I am wondering if I ever have to clean a tip, again.

[wraper]

Yet another stupid "how to not do" video from this guy. He even used sandpaper  .

[wraper]

On the last part that with heavily rusted tip, usually I used finer 1000 grit sand paper, and only used hand/fingers holding the paper when rubbing the tip, as its more controlled on the pressure and angle. Rubbing the tip on the paper that placed on flat surface like sharpening a knife usually ended up unevenly cleaned surface.

Once done, buffed with metal polish like Brasso and then thoroughly clean the polish residue like using acetone or IPA.

Have you ever tried some good tip activator instead of doing this nonsense?

[Shock]

One good thing about that video is it demonstrates how wetting occurs and how heavy or stuck oxidization and crud won't allow the flux to do it's job.

Having the tinning on the side of the tip is handy for certain jobs but a hindrance in others, unless you end up with one of those conical tips where the whole thing is tinned they are just horrible and pointless .

The Hakko T18 tips are really sensible though such as the T18 D24 just enough to get the job done. Uses a little more solder when tinning it to put it away, but when using it you get a nice thermal bridge when loaded up with a bit of solder for refreshing or touching up non critical joints.

I always clean the tip back to front so I don't get a crusty ring. Noone likes a crusty ring.

[BravoV]

On the last part that with heavily rusted tip, usually I used finer 1000 grit sand paper, and only used hand/fingers holding the paper when rubbing the tip, as its more controlled on the pressure and angle. Rubbing the tip on the paper that placed on flat surface like sharpening a knife usually ended up unevenly cleaned surface.

Once done, buffed with metal polish like Brasso and then thoroughly clean the polish residue like using acetone or IPA.

Have you ever tried some good tip activator instead of doing this nonsense?

Yep, tip activator wont clean heavily rusted tip, I guess you never experienced it.

[KL27x]

It depends on the manufacturer/model, because they're not all the same. Some tips have a very thick iron layer, and you could spend a long time with even 400 grit sandpaper to even cause any wear. As long as you are careful to stay away from the chrome plating.

If my tips were rusting, though, I would double check the MSDS of my soldering flux.

[wraper]

Yep, tip activator wont clean heavily rusted tip, I guess you never experienced it.

Dunno, probably I cared to maintain the tips before they become completely useless. All of my tips failed because iron layer was eaten through as the consequence of huge amount of soldering (like 100k solder joints) with lead free solder. Not because they couldn't be cleaned from oxides with wet sponge and then tinned with tip activator.