Author Topic: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?  (Read 15672 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Mint.Topic starter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 523
  • Country: au
  • Account is inactive now. Thanks everybody!
    • Personal Blog, Mint Electronics.
Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« on: April 05, 2012, 11:34:00 am »
So I recently got my Hakko FX-888 and I noticed that after the part which is tinned on my tip, it seems to be very dirty. Why is that? Does it affect the performance of the iron? If so what can I do to remove it? Attached is a picture of my Hakko FX-888 tip.
Personal Blog (Not Active Anymore), Mint Electronics:
http://mintelectronics.wordpress.com/
 

Offline amyk

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 8240
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2012, 11:47:15 am »
Flux residue or other organic material oxidized on it? The actual tip itself is what really matters, you're not going to be using the tip holder tube nor the base of the tip to do soldering so dirt there won't have any performance effect. The tip looks clean to me.
 

Offline david77

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 934
  • Country: de
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2012, 11:58:41 am »
Looks perfectly normal.
 

Offline Write_to_Smokegenerator

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 52
  • Country: at
  • enthused hobbyist
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2012, 12:15:48 pm »
Important is the tip.

I did some soldering with lead free solder so my tip was much worse than yours

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/best-tips-for-cleaning-a-soldering-iron-from-lead-free-solder/msg100383/#msg100383

I also asked about the best ways to clean the tip if you use leed free solder.
hope it helps  (if you use lead free solder)
Wondering about my Username have a look at:
http://www.finkewitz.de/uwe/witze/ANSIASM.txt
 

Offline Psi

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9889
  • Country: nz
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2012, 12:27:28 pm »
Yeah, that's just the heat changing the color of the bran-new metal. It's normal.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2012, 12:29:15 pm by Psi »
Greek letter 'Psi' (not Pounds per Square Inch)
 

Offline 8086

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1084
  • Country: gb
    • Circuitology - Electronics Assembly
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2012, 12:32:45 pm »
Looks okay to me!
 

Offline G7PSK

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3859
  • Country: gb
  • It is hot until proved not.
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2012, 01:10:10 pm »
Heat your soldering iron in a reducing atmosphere and it will soon go back to being nice and shiny and bright.
 

Offline saturation

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4787
  • Country: us
  • Doveryai, no proveryai
    • NIST
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2012, 01:19:42 pm »
Its normal, its typically oxide formation, but that's what wear looks like.  Overtime that's what will destroy your tip so always used the lowest heat to get the job done.  Its not avoidable but the wear can be minimized.  Its the reason I discuss doing basic calibration on your irons to stay as far below 350C as above it, wear will be far faster.

Left is typical wear, bubbles occur when you use too much flux and don't clean it off, or its a poor quality tip so flux eats into it before you can even do anything about it, or too much heat, or a bit of all.



Clean off the flux as soon as possible with the brass wool,  use the sponge minimally and use distilled water instead of tap to minimize effects of trace chemicals or salts on your water further affecting the tips life.

And yes, N2 atmosphere can help, but could cost more to maintain that replacement tips on a simple Hakko Fx888.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2012, 01:26:46 pm by saturation »
Best Wishes,

 Saturation
 

Offline T4P

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3697
  • Country: sg
    • T4P
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2012, 02:36:14 pm »
Flux from the brass wool .  :)
 

Offline saturation

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4787
  • Country: us
  • Doveryai, no proveryai
    • NIST
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2012, 04:09:05 pm »
That is certainly possible, but I've not seen that been a problem.  But if so,  after brass wooling, sponge off.  The copies of Hakko wool may not have flux.

Flux from the brass wool .  :)
Best Wishes,

 Saturation
 

Offline T4P

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3697
  • Country: sg
    • T4P
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2012, 04:38:20 pm »
That is certainly possible, but I've not seen that been a problem.  But if so,  after brass wooling, sponge off.  The copies of Hakko wool may not have flux.

Flux from the brass wool .  :)

the copies don't but mine has .. the one i bought for 2$ from a store in my area .
 

Offline Jon Chandler

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 539
    • Throw Away PIC
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2012, 04:54:35 pm »
For a very effective tip cleaner that costs a few cents to make, check this out.

A Tip for Your Tips

 

Offline IanB

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11790
  • Country: us
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #12 on: April 05, 2012, 05:27:23 pm »
Paper towels tend to burn with the heat of the iron. I would prefer to use something more heat resistant such as the glass fibre sheets used in boat and model aircraft construction.
 

Offline G7PSK

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3859
  • Country: gb
  • It is hot until proved not.
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #13 on: April 05, 2012, 06:01:11 pm »
Moleskin, That,s what plumbers use.
 

Offline Jon Chandler

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 539
    • Throw Away PIC
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #14 on: April 05, 2012, 06:38:30 pm »
Paper towels tend to burn with the heat of the iron.

Really?  Have you tried this?  The attached picture is a brush I've been using for a few months.  The soldering iron hasn't been on that much but it's had some use.
 

Offline Mint.Topic starter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 523
  • Country: au
  • Account is inactive now. Thanks everybody!
    • Personal Blog, Mint Electronics.
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #15 on: April 05, 2012, 09:47:38 pm »
Thank you everybody for your input. You helped a lot. I was just overreacting about my tip, since it's brand new. I'll also try the paper towel trick to see whenever it will clean my old plug into the wall iron. :)
Personal Blog (Not Active Anymore), Mint Electronics:
http://mintelectronics.wordpress.com/
 

Offline grenert

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 448
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #16 on: April 06, 2012, 06:44:49 am »
Some Metcals have wand cradles that put the tip to "sleep" so that the tip doesn't stay hot and continue to oxidize the stuff on it when you're not using it.  The tips heat up so quickly that it doesn't adversely affect use.
 

Offline CampKohler

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 17
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2012, 10:58:34 pm »
Copper tips will get pitted due to the copper dissolving in the solder (which is why they have to change the solder out in flow soldering machines after a long while [or otherwise treat it]).

Some tips are iron plated in order to retard that process and so last longer. Once you wear through the plating, you are back to the tip dissolving again, so you never want to file or otherwise damage the plating. But once the plating is gone, you can file and scrape and re-tin like the good ol' days. Until then, just pretend you are stirring dinner in a Teflon pan.
 

Offline nukie

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 799
  • Country: au
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #18 on: April 07, 2012, 12:57:38 am »
what's wrong with good old damp sponge, I tried all sorts of cleaning nothing beats it. The tip is suppose to be replaceable, it will last quite a while if you are soldering at lead free temperature. I never had a tip wear out from soldering 60/40. 
 

Offline NiHaoMike

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 8973
  • Country: us
  • "Don't turn it on - Take it apart!"
    • Facebook Page
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #19 on: April 07, 2012, 01:24:22 am »
Could a tip be replated with iron using a DIY process?
Cryptocurrency has taught me to love math and at the same time be baffled by it.

Cryptocurrency lesson 0: Altcoins and Bitcoin are not the same thing.
 

Offline IanB

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11790
  • Country: us
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #20 on: April 07, 2012, 01:28:41 am »
Could a tip be replated with iron using a DIY process?

I really don't imagine so. Even if you could, you could buy 100 replacement tips before you recovered the cost of the equipment needed.
 

Offline T4P

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3697
  • Country: sg
    • T4P
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #21 on: April 07, 2012, 02:25:57 am »
Some Metcals have wand cradles that put the tip to "sleep" so that the tip doesn't stay hot and continue to oxidize the stuff on it when you're not using it.  The tips heat up so quickly that it doesn't adversely affect use.
Ah . Quick heating inductive technology requires good tips .
Substandard tips will become brittle quick .
 

Offline NiHaoMike

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 8973
  • Country: us
  • "Don't turn it on - Take it apart!"
    • Facebook Page
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #22 on: April 07, 2012, 02:47:44 am »
I really don't imagine so. Even if you could, you could buy 100 replacement tips before you recovered the cost of the equipment needed.
The only equipment needed would be a bench power supply, some scrap steel, and some sort of chemical solution. The DIYer will have the first two items, but maybe the third is a problem...
Cryptocurrency has taught me to love math and at the same time be baffled by it.

Cryptocurrency lesson 0: Altcoins and Bitcoin are not the same thing.
 

Offline david77

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 934
  • Country: de
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #23 on: April 07, 2012, 04:27:58 am »
Why would you want to do that? Tips aren't that expensive and the good brands last long enough that DIY replating doesn't really make sense. If you're tips only last an unnaturally short time, then clearly something is wrong.

http://www.globalelectronica.cl/images/Ersadur.jpg

A modern tip is a bit more complicated than just a lump of copper.
 

Offline G7PSK

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3859
  • Country: gb
  • It is hot until proved not.
Re: Why is my soldering iron tip getting so dirty?
« Reply #24 on: April 07, 2012, 08:42:46 am »

[/quote]
The only equipment needed would be a bench power supply, some scrap steel, and some sort of chemical solution. The DIYer will have the first two items, but maybe the third is a problem...
[/quote]

Steel will not electro-plate very well. It is not pure iron but an alloy which contains things like carbon and sulfur as well as phosphorus possibly chrome and other metals. some of these will just interfere with the plating process while others will deposit first before the iron. You would need a source of pure iron for the plating to work.
 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf