Electronics > Beginners
Soldering tip melts
Keosintal:
Hi
I bought a butane soldering iron, Goot GP-101S.
http://www.goot.jp/en/handakote/gp-101s/
I had a problem of its tip melting after a few days (not even a week) of regular use. I've attached a picture of it so you guys can have a look and hopefully figure something out. This is my first iron and my first time soldering so I'm pretty much clueless. I've done some Googling on this and found a couple threads but they're not really helping.
The first time it happened I took it back to the store where I bought it and they said they never see something like that and hand me a new one. But my second unit also suffers the same issue after several days of careful use. I just bought a new tip hoping it won't happen again. A new tip cost US$11 and I can't afford to buy one every week.
The device itself is a rebranded Portasol Technic and I heard only good things about them so I must be at fault.
http://www.portasol.com/product-r3.asp?P_ID=333
In case if it would be of any help, this is how I use my iron:
- The package said the iron comes with brass tip, so I wonder if there is any special care for brass tips.
- I use 2.4 mm tip part no. GP-101T-2.4C.
- I solder wires from 20 up to 14 AWG.
- I tin my tip before use, although I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly.
- I use Burnley soldering paste. It states on the package containing zinc chloride
- Not really sure what kind of solder I use, but I guess it's leaded. The solder is shiny.
- I only use damp sponge (not wet) to clean my tip. No steel or brass wool or sandpaper whatsoever.
- The range of heat I use is variable. Sometimes I use maximum heat while sometimes just a little.
Thanks
soldar:
Well, brass/copper tips will dissolve like that but I've never seen it happen so fast. Possibly the solder you are using has some aggressive flux. Overheating doesn't help either. But, yes, steel tips are long lasting compared to copper alloys.
Any special reason you are using butane rather than electric?
BravoV:
--- Quote from: Keosintal on February 02, 2019, 12:25:58 pm ---I bought a butane soldering iron, Goot ....
... The device itself is a rebranded ...
--- End quote ---
"Genuine" Goot actually is very robust soldering iron and its well known for decades, as long its not faked one.
Try buy genuine Goot tip .. and yes, it will be much more expensive.
Ian.M:
--- Quote from: Keosintal on February 02, 2019, 12:25:58 pm ---- I use Burnley soldering paste. It states on the package containing zinc chloride
--- End quote ---
That's a very aggressive acid flux, and is only suitable for plumbing and sheet metalwork. It has corroded away the protective iron plating on the tip, and the solder has eroded the tip by dissolving copper from it (and probably zinc as well if its actually brass). It will also corrode fine copper wires so if you have used it to tin or solder any stranded wire, they will fail sooner rather than later, rotting away under the insulation next to the tinned end. It also rots PCB tracks. If you've used it on PCBs, you may be able to salvage them by scrubbing them with very hot (near boiling) water with a trace of detergent added, to remove the acid flux residue.
Throw that flux paste away (or put it with your plumbing tools) and get electronics grade RMA (Rosin) flux, free from zinc, mineral acids, chlorides or other halides.
You *may* be able to save the tip you are currently using, by taping over the vents to protect the catalyst, and washing the pointed section first with thinners to degrease it then in boiling water with a trace of detergent, scrubbing it with a toothbrush, taking care not to get any thinners or water into the vents and on the catalyst.
Eroded portasol tips can be rebuilt by filing the end flat, and drilling a hole to swage in a thick piece of solid copper wire, which should be very lightly tinned before you swage it in place, and must be a very tight fit in the hole before swaging the sides of the remaining conical part near the tip to retain it. The hole must not go through into the combustion chamber, so probe down the bore of the shank to get the depth to the solid part of the tip, then calculate the remaining length to the end of the tip and mark your drill bit accordingly. Tape over the catalyst while drilling and swaging to keep dirt and swarf out. Once the thick wire is in place, cut it off about 10mm from the rest of the tip, then run it at max heat for five minutes so the tinning on it alloys with the wire and the tip to fuse it in place, then turn it off, file the end to a hoof tip profile and tin it and its ready to use again. As it doesn't have any plating you'll have to keep it dressed to shape with a fine file as it erodes, and eventually, when it gets too short, drill it out again and repeat the rebuild. Erosion can be minimised by buying solder with an alloy composition containing 1% to 2% copper.
tooki:
--- Quote from: Keosintal on February 02, 2019, 12:25:58 pm ---In case if it would be of any help, this is how I use my iron:
- The package said the iron comes with brass tip, so I wonder if there is any special care for brass tips.
- I use 2.4 mm tip part no. GP-101T-2.4C.
- I solder wires from 20 up to 14 AWG.
- I tin my tip before use, although I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly.
- I use Burnley soldering paste. It states on the package containing zinc chloride
- Not really sure what kind of solder I use, but I guess it's leaded. The solder is shiny.
- I only use damp sponge (not wet) to clean my tip. No steel or brass wool or sandpaper whatsoever.
- The range of heat I use is variable. Sometimes I use maximum heat while sometimes just a little.
--- End quote ---
Zinc chloride is acid flux, which must never be used for electronics. I strongly suspect it’s what’s eating up the tip. It’s an aggressive acid flux intended for things like plumbing, sheet metal, etc. It’s categorically unsuited to electronics.
Don’t use mystery solder. It could also be contributing.
You need to get yourself proper electronics solder and flux. As you have seen, using the wrong supplies costs you a lot more in the long run.
For the solder: Either rosin or no-clean (I generally prefer rosin), and if it’s just for hobby use, get a quality leaded 63/37 or 62/36/2 (silver-bearing) solder from a quality brand like Kester, MG Chemicals, Multicore/Loctite, Stannol, or Felder.
For the flux: again, rosin or no-clean. You have many options here, between liquids, pastes, and gels.
Do not buy water-soluble electronics flux or flux-core solder: it’s also a mild acid flux and cannot be used as a general-purpose flux.
P.S. If you used the acid flux on any stranded wire, expect it to corrode and fail. (Even in solid wire it can sometimes wick up the insulation and cause corrosion. But in stranded, it’s guaranteed.)
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