Another Soldering question

[ChadTower]

The tip on my new, 20/40 watt station just doesn't seem to get that hot anymore.

[ChadTower]

Bump!

[stevejt]

In my experience it seems to be too long between uses.  The hotter the iron, the sooner the flux/solder dries/burns up.  I think a copper tip "cruds" much faster than a steel tip. 

Steve

[NoOne=NBA=]

Are you cleaning it WHILE you are using it?
You should have a damp sponge handy, and rub the tip against it occasionally WHILE you are soldering, to keep the gunk from building up in the first place.

I've been using the same soldering iron for about 15 years now, and never had a problem with it getting too gunked up to work--or even needing to be sanded down.

A properly tinned tip should have almost NO solder on it.
The barrel part of the tip may get a little black, but the actual tip part should be shiny silver (from the VERY thin layer of solder on it).

[RayB]

I never clean mine, but I also never let solder accumulate on it. It's a common newbie mistake to put solder ON the tip and then apply that solder to the part being soldered. That's wrong. You're supposed to melt solder right onto the part. Any accumulated solder on the tip you should suck off with the solder-sucker.

[ChadTower]

So, then, if one never puts solder on the tip... how does one tin?

[krick]

Are you using a stand alone soldering iron (cheap) or a soldering station (expensive) ?

Soldering stations typically have a temperature sensor in the iron that adjusts the temperature to keep it from overheating.

[ChadTower]

Right... I have a $40 20/40w soldering station.

[RayB]

So, then, if one never puts solder on the tip... how does one tin?

Well, solder gets on the tip indirectly. I usually heat the metal leg of the part, while holding the solder against that part as well. So, when the leg gets hot enough, the solder melts onto it...

This might not be the right way to do this. I'm basically self-taught, and the parts I solder are large enough I don't worry about frying them. (I haven't had to solder/unsolder any chips).

A second opinion here would help. 

[Ken Layton]

You need a moist tip cleaning sponge always nearby. I wipe my tip on the sponge each and every time I solder something.

Iron clad tips need frequent wiping off while old plain copper tips need to be filed clean with a file. Never file an iron clad tip or you'll destroy it.

The tips will frequently work loose a tad during use and you must make sure the tip is secured tightly to the soldering iron.

[ChadTower]

Ken's got it pretty much on the head, from what I'm experiencing... I may have wrecked this tip by filing it.  Oh well, I needed to get a conic tip anyway.

You need a moist tip cleaning sponge always nearby. I wipe my tip on the sponge each and every time I solder something.

Iron clad tips need frequent wiping off while old plain copper tips need to be filed clean with a file. Never file an iron clad tip or you'll destroy it.

The tips will frequently work loose a tad during use and you must make sure the tip is secured tightly to the soldering iron.

[Thenasty]

since we are talking about soldering Irons, any1 here seen the commercial about a Soldering iron that get HOT in an instant and get COLD asap. I mean you can solder something then the next second you can put your finger and not get burn. If any1 has this, how do you like it ?

Here it is, found the www page.

https://www.asseenontvnetwork.com/vcc/coldheat/coldheat/115802/

[SirPeale]

Wow, I can't believe it's back.

General concensus: it's absolute crap.  It has some practical application, but for the most part it's ka-ka.

[ChadTower]

Okay, I'm noticing something after a couple hours doing this... this may be revealing the source of my problem, but is it bad to get solder on the tip of the iron?

[NoOne=NBA=]

Okay, I'm noticing something after a couple hours doing this... this may be revealing the source of my problem, but is it bad to get solder on the tip of the iron?

It shouldn't build up on the tip.
If it's working properly, and you are wiping it on a damp sponge regularly, you should have a REALLY THIN layer of solder on it--which should be bright silver when you finish wiping it.