Silicone to handle hot T12 tips

[Pilatus]

Hakko has a B2300 silicone pad for hot swapping T12 soldering iron tips. Item cost plus shipping is relatively high in my parts.

I am wondering if this aliexpress product would do the trick:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800915346432.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.7.19721cedkJ52re&algo_pvid=4aa55a6a-0b86-48eb-83fd-0d496236ec24&algo_exp_id=4aa55a6a-0b86-48eb-83fd-0d496236ec24-3&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21USD%213.11%211.49%21%21%21%21%21%40210219c216849226528142653d0777%2110000014400117994%21sea%21CA%21766357888&curPageLogUid=DMl7oAmPh0aN&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

[ygi]

Kitchen silicone accessories typically melt after a few seconds at these temperatures, leaving a burning residue on the tip (ask me how I know...). IMO, a small soldering mat is a better choice and isn't much more costly.

[Pilatus]

Good to know about the kitchen silicone temperature (non) performance. I like the soldering mat idea. Thanks @ygi.

[dobsonr741]

I use a pair of pliers to grab and yank it out. Any concerns doing that?

[thm_w]

Kitchen silicone accessories typically melt after a few seconds at these temperatures, leaving a burning residue on the tip (ask me how I know...). IMO, a small soldering mat is a better choice and isn't much more costly.

You have a specific accessory example? I just tested some kitchen hot plate silicone mats and they work fine, no melting.
The one the OP linked would probably work OK, especially if you use it to grab the shaft of the iron and not the tip.

I use a pair of pliers to grab and yank it out. Any concerns doing that?

It can work but its easy to either dent the hollow shaft or cause damage to the tip.

[Nominal Animal]

You can buy high-temperature (600°F or 315°C) gasket silicone anywhere that sells car and motorbike parts, and make a suitable 'blob' out of it.

I would suggest getting a small piece of glass fiber cloth, then smearing a layer of the silicone on it, and forming a U out of it.  When cured, add a couple of layers to the outside.  It won't properly cure if too thick, and it is too adhesive to cast well: it'll stick.  The glass fiber cloth will help with both structure (tearing) and heat insulation.

[ygi]

Kitchen silicone accessories typically melt after a few seconds at these temperatures, leaving a burning residue on the tip (ask me how I know...). IMO, a small soldering mat is a better choice and isn't much more costly.

You have a specific accessory example? I just tested some kitchen hot plate silicone mats and they work fine, no melting.
The one the OP linked would probably work OK, especially if you use it to grab the shaft of the iron and not the tip.

I bought silicone kitchen mats with the same idea a few years back but they didn't fare that well when either touching them with a hot tip or subjecting them to hot air for more than ~30sec. Basically, they melt in direct contact with the tip and start deforming/bubbling up when I hot air a part resting on them. There's a food logo and "MAX 230°C -40°C" printed in the corner.
I also tried blobs of silicone waterproofing sealant (the stuff that's used for bathroom and kitchen) when I had leftover opened cartridges drying on a shelf. If it's not the high temp silicone, it can't take much more than 250°C for a few seconds.

[thm_w]

I bought silicone kitchen mats with the same idea a few years back but they didn't fare that well when either touching them with a hot tip or subjecting them to hot air for more than ~30sec. Basically, they melt in direct contact with the tip and start deforming/bubbling up when I hot air a part resting on them. There's a food logo and "MAX 230°C -40°C" printed in the corner.
I also tried blobs of silicone waterproofing sealant (the stuff that's used for bathroom and kitchen) when I had leftover opened cartridges drying on a shelf. If it's not the high temp silicone, it can't take much more than 250°C for a few seconds.

Interesting.
The kitchen mat is odd, since its designed around high temp use, and ovens might be up to 260 C. The mat I tested looks like this:

It feels identical to the Hakko/Metcal tip removal silicone pad.

Neither the mat or kitchen/bathroom silicone melt with a 390C iron tip. The silicone bathroom sealant does get brittle though, so is not suitable.
The thin silicone soldering mat I have does bubble upward if heated over ~300C, but recovers with no damage afterward.

[Nominal Animal]

There are many different types of silicones – more properly, polysiloxane polymeres.  Heck, some are even approved of use in food (polydimethylsiloxane, antifoaming agent; used by e.g. McDonalds in cooking oil).

[Shock]

Pace includes with their stations a tip tool in addition to the silicone pad (which is similar to Hakkos pad). From having used both the tip tool is far less clumsy, especially picking out hot tips from the rack. It has "heatshrink like" material on the end and won't damage the tip. The pad is still useful for resting hot components or tips.

If interested it's part 1100-0206-P1 from any Pace dealer such as tequipment.net etc.

https://www.tequipment.net/Pace/1100-0206-P1/Soldering-Accessories/

[Psi]

what about cutting up one of those silicone soldering mats

[RoGeorge]

There are tubes with high temperature silicone, for stove doors sealing.

The tubes look almost the same as bathroom silicone.  Bathroom/kitchen silicone might be temperature resistant, too, depending on the brand.  Often, the min/max temps are written on the thin print in the label.

[DavidAlfa]

Just use pliers. You have to be an animal to damage the tip with pliers.

[Pilatus]

So... I raided my wife's kitchen utensil drawers and found two silicone padded tongs. She does not need two, does she?

Works a treat, does not melt and is just the right size. I believe they are dollar store variety, though I have not seen these being sold there lately.

[amyk]

Don't eliminate the possibility that a lot of stuff marketed as silicone may contain other polymers that are not as heat-resistant.

[Nominal Animal]

Don't eliminate the possibility that a lot of stuff marketed as silicone may contain other polymers that are not as heat-resistant.

A large fraction of cheap "silicone leads" are actually just overly plasticized polyvinyls.

Not only do they burn at temperatures many real silicones can handle, the plasticizer tends to leach out, and if you store the leads in a plastic container (or even a plastic fabric pouch), they can fuse into the container.  (The plasticizer then acts kind of like a solvent, melding the two plastics together at the molecular level.)

In the kitchen, ovens can traditionally reach 260°C = 500°F, which is just slightly higher than "standard" silicones, into the "high-temperature" silicone range.  As there is no price difference between the two, really, there are kitchen utensils made of silicone that can handle such temperatures.  It's just difficult to discover which ones do, without testing them.

[MrAl]

So... I raided my wife's kitchen utensil drawers and found two silicone padded tongs. She does not need two, does she?

Works a treat, does not melt and is just the right size. I believe they are dollar store variety, though I have not seen these being sold there lately.

Hi,

Interesting idea with the tongs.  Don't have to worry about burning any surface by accident that you put the iron on or the iron rolling off or something.

Back many years ago when I worked for Singer Kearfott, I placed a hot iron at the edge of a desk so that the hot part would not burn the desktop.  Funny though, later I bent over to grab something on the desk where I had to reach over the iron, and my tie swung forward (no tie clip), and it touched the very tip of the hot iron (still plugged in) and the iron burnt a hole right through the middle of the tie.  I could not have gotten the hole more centered if I tried to do that on purpose.  It was funny and gave everybody else there a laugh.

[Arts]

So... I raided my wife's kitchen utensil drawers and found two silicone padded tongs. She does not need two, does she?

Works a treat, does not melt and is just the right size. I believe they are dollar store variety, though I have not seen these being sold there lately.

I was at Homesense with the GF last weekend and picked up the same pair of tongs, three buck. I really prefer them to the silicon rag that came with my Hakko FM-203. Great idea

[Pilatus]

I was at Homesense with the GF last weekend and picked up the same pair of tongs, three buck. I really prefer them to the silicon rag that came with my Hakko FM-203. Great idea

Glad you like it. I also find it works very well.

[xrunner]

Just use pliers. You have to be an animal to damage the tip with pliers.

Yea really, I've been doing it for years like that no damage done.