For those who still use sponges for tip cleaning, make sure you only use distilled water. Tap water can contain a high level of minerals which can affect the cleanliness of the tip.
Here's how to prevent all of this from ever happening: Before you put your soldering iron away, tin the tip with a good blob of solder and let it cool like that. It will protect the tip from oxidation and you will never have this problem.
@@samfkt Yeah, put a big glob on there when you put your iron away. Protects the tip. When you turn it back on, add a little new solder and then clean the big glob off.
I swear, there will be a lot to learn, nobody will tell you the so called secrets of "soldering ("life")" you need to learn it yourself, I am 60 and still learning and learning to enjoy life. Androkavo has been doing a good teaching, you should see all his soldering videos ( specially how he pulls out the soldering Iron during sot package). Now I am planning to by a Binocular Mircoscope and a pencil iron, good one cost a lot and you Know... life goes on and nobody will know who you are.
@@jamesmazarello4625people will know you are, so long as you put in the time and take the risk to reach out to them. Everything starts from nothing, especially friendships
This is the most I’m depth explanations of how to without even saying a word. I now have to go find a video by this person to see how their solder joints look, I bet it’s a work of art.
This will rather damage your tip. The end of soldering iron tip is iron plated copper. The substance that oxidizes the iron coating on the tip is tin. Because lead-free solder is much higher in tin content, the soldering iron manufacturer responded to lead-free solder, increasing the thickness of the iron(metal) coating on the tip, but if it is too thick, it affects heat conduction performance, so the iron tip is still not manufactured strong enough to be mechanically polished. If the copper core behind the coating is exposed, the tip will be discarded because solder will not stick. Never scratch or grind the tip except for visible debris. If the tip is periodically retinned with a fresh solder and is insufficient, the oxide can be removed using an ammoniac tining block. This is the real way to use tips for a long time.
Yup. This is How To Destroy Your Tip in 438 Easy Steps. Do not do this. Only the very tip of the tip is meant to be wettable (i.e. solder sticks to it). What you are watching this person do is scrape away the chromium coating on parts of the tip that are not meant to be wettable anyway. You do not want to do this to your tips. Do not go beyond level 2 of this "tutorial".
@@Zaphod0414 hi i never have bought anything in cleaning my solder tip, do i not scratch the tip to clean it? and did he use a kitchen sponge in the video?
@@amberrr6651 Going any more aggressive than using a sponge or brass wool is overkill. Stage 2 as described in this video is as far as you'd want to go. If the tip is still not usable after that, then it's toast and should be replaced. You can go nuclear and use sandpaper on a dead tip and get it somewhat working again, but this will only last a short time as the tip is pretty much destroyed at that point. I'm not sure what type of sponge is being used in this video. You can use a clean (i.e. brand new) kitchen sponge so long as it has no additives like detergents or plastic scrubby particles or any such nonsense. To be safe, it is generally recommended to get a sponge that is meant for soldering to avoid the possibility. The important part if using a sponge is that it be damp to prevent the sponge from burning. It should only be slightly damp, but not wet. So wring it out as much as you can after wetting it. A much better alternative to a sponge, though, is brass wool. It's cheap, requires no water, lasts a lot longer, doesn't suck as much heat out of the iron when used, and is all around much more effective.
Agree. This video must be titled anticlean. In fact it will ruin the solder fatal. Must be clean only in cellulose. That us all. Coper-end must be protect. If not you will buy new one soon.
@@heksogen4788 a clean tip lasts years, idk about you but I'd rather spend money on sponges and stuff to clean tips properly than buying a new tip every other month.
@@HentaiNat I was talking about anal people who care too much for a thing that isnt really worth that much. You need to strike some balance between tedium and cost.
This is by far amazing, I will be showing my techs this very video for tip maintenance especially for the microsoldering stations. Absolutely an amazing watch. These Tips cost upwards of $40 and end up with dead spots due to oxidation and corrosive fluxes. This is absolutely a must watch and save. Highly recommending this to techs and novice user's.
I never used to clean my tip more than stage 1 or 2. The bras whole is the most aggressive I ever used. I really don't want to have more than the contract surface of the tip and 3 mm obove to be cleaned. In fact I've observed that the oxide of the rest is helping in keep my tip temperature more steady. It's working like an insulator for heat loss and that is helping my welding process.
@UnQ Tom I have same experiences from soldering 6 years every day. Btw for others : Use the acid like in video be sure u do that 2 times and tip is gone…. Anyways Nice video
Wow how you managed to make a 15 min video about cleaning soldering tips enjoyable to watched is beyond me. Also love your pick of music it was great also the amount of detail you went into. Especially for the both methods of high and low abrasion while using the razor was very helpful. Not to mention steel wool and soldering wick. Somehow I never though of using those things.
---One of the most WONDERFULLY INSTRUCTIVE, ENTERTAINING & ENJOYABLE videos I've watched on RUclips "to date". You managed to bring together every success and failure I've experienced over these many decades and condense it down to 16 mins. Recommend this to be the 1st stop for anyone soldering, new and seasoned. You are the "Soldering Iron Whisperer"!. Thanks so much. Cheers
I'm blessed to have the type of girl who not only shares in my passions but deeply values tools. I'm mopping a old led sound meter and my tip shines. I really appreciate her hard with and no doubt she appreciates my tip.
this guy gets it, only thing I would like to add is that you have to turn the temperature down while performing the more abrasive methods otherwise the tip gets reoxidised very quickly.
In my experience you can just shove the tip into the brass and vigorously move it through the brass and you will take care of that oxidation. You brushed it on the top of the brass too lightly, you have to be really rough with it. It does break some of the fibers in the brass but you can get refills pretty cheap. Also, do not use a wet sponge at all. Only use the brass.
First care is to keep your tip cleaned and tinned when not in use meaning keep solder on it and wipe it off when actually soldering. Also don't use more heat than needed. if a tip is in this condition it's had way to much heat used. Using any abrasive is going to ruin your tip. The brass tip cleaner works because brass is softer than the metal in your up. steam wool, sandpaper etc are all harder and will remove the fine coating on the tip. once that is gone you tip is useless. just trying to help you care for you're tips. it's up to you but with proper care a tip can last many years. my weller still has the original tip from 30 years ago. I keep it tinned and clean before every joint.
Good tin can be expensive. It may be economically better to buy new tip rather then to try to prolong it's life for 30 years. So there should be balance between clean and tinned states of the tip. In my experience if you use shavings (I do not use sponge at all) to clean it during use periodically not fanatically, you won't be experiencing "level 3" at all.
Tinning your tip means putting solder on it. Your not buying anything that you don’t have already. Yes you can purchase a tinning compound. However the use of solder for this has been around allot longer. Your manual for the iron should cover this. My main point thought is to prevent oxidation. Don’t let your tip get like this
+Arcstreams, Tips are copper underneath the plating. Copper erodes rather rapidly due to the activity of flux, and heat. Keeping a tip clean and tinned will give it the longest service life possible, and make perfect joints every time... As long as your technique is up to par!
After many years of heavy usage the tips of all of my soldering irons are in top condition because 1 I don't use higher temperatures than needed. 2 I use the "right" size of tip/wattage soldering iron 3 I don't powering the soldering iron to the eternity 4 I am cleaning my tips (not ofttenly) dipping it in soldering paste 5 IF a certain tip is oxydated I use bronzed wire-brass in conjunction with resin and kitchen paper
@@dimitrisgoktsis5702 διευκολύνει να φύγουν οι "σκληρές" οξυδώσεις που προκαλούνται από την πάστα που υπάρχει στον πυρήνα της κόλλησης & σκληραίνουν αν μένει το κολλητήρι αναμμένο άσκοπα για ώρες. Χωρίς πάστα το βήμα 5) θέλει πολύ περισσότερο χρόνο & προσπάθεια. ΟΠΟΙΑΔΉΠΟΤΕ όμως ΜΑΚΡΥΑ ΑΠΟ ΛΙΜΕΣ. ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΕΦΟΥΝ την επικάλυψη της μύτης
@@gamiwv Ευχαριστώ για την άμεση απάντηση.Πχ εγώ που είμαι ηλεκτρολόγος κ το χρησιμοποιώ μόνο στις λεντοταινιες,όχι κάθε μέρα δηλαδή, πως θα καταλάβω κάθε πότε πρέπει να το βουτάω στην κρέμα;Κ όταν το βουτήξεις τι άλλο κάνεις μετά; Απλά ένα σκούπισμα;
@@dimitrisgoktsis5702 σκούπισμα "έντονο" πάνω σε χαρτί κουζίνας ή πάνω σε χαρτοσακούλα (από τις παλαιότερες. εκείνες τις καφέ που δεν είναι η επιφάνειά του λεία). Θα δεις - πριν την καθαρίσεις - πως η μύτη έχει πιάσει μαύρη σκληρή πατίνα & η κόλληση δεν μένει πάνω στη μύτη αλλά κάνει μικρή σταγόνα που πέφτει. Ωστόσο πάντα έχω πρόχειρη μια συρματόβουρτσα με μπρούτζινες τρίχες (μικρή. λίγο μεγαλύτερη από οδοντόβουρτσα). Μου διευκολύνει τη ζωή
This is lifesaver & giving us so many options. I have been soldering wrong for years! For people complaining about what's right or wrong method, try all then put up a video to explain!
Just had to say not only is this educational, very good by the way. I also relieved a lot of stress I was carrying this day due to the nature of the video and it’s satisfying music. Thank you 🙏
I left my soldering iron laying on the bumper of a truck went to the front to turn on the lights and a plastic parts bag blew onto my soldering iron and screwed the tip I did everything I could think of to fix it and nothing worked until I seen this video and the soldering wick part so I tryed it and it worked like a charm so I'm greatful for this video even though my new tips will be here tomorrow lol so thank you for the "tip" !
Thanks a lot! This video turned out to be more than just an instruction. I watched with pleasure, listened to beautiful music and had a wonderful rest, distracted from routine thoughts, from problems. Fabulous!
I had the best perfectly tinned solder tip you've ever seen on my butane soldering iron the other evening when trying to finish up the DRL lights on my Kenworth T800. The projector halo led head lights had been installed I guess 3 weeks but I needed to run wire for the Day Time Running lights and tie them into the park lamps. By the time I got to soldering the wires into the park lamps at the nearest intersection it had gotten dark. No problem I have lights. It was still dark enough to where I let all of the solder get off my tip. Once that happens it is a nightmare to get back if its not accepting solder. I had also started with a new roll of cheap chinese 60/40 Tin Lead solder that didn't act right from the start but I didn't have anything else and didn't expect to need solder for a long time. I'm gonna give it one more chance before discarding it. It doesn't act like it has a rosen core. It doesn't smell right. Thanks for sharing. Never seen the solder tip refresher.
I was using all kind of ways to clean my tips, they never lasted more than a couple of months. I started cleaning them with my fingers, I add some fresh solder and then whipe it off with a fast finger swipe. The fingers don't have time to heat up and the tip as lasted me over a year of almost daily use
I have used my temp controlled Weller for almost 50 years. The tip is like the day I bought it. I NEVER use a wet sponge the sudden cold temp drop does not do well on an iron. Instead I use a small canister of teflon chips and use it frequently while my iron is on use. Once I shut the iron off I rub the tip once more before I let it cool down
I have never tried a sponge before. I have always used a kitchen steel wool(I know it's not wised to use that). I had two tips which were 3 level oxidized for sure, solder wont stick and need 400+C to heat anything. Steel wool wouldnt clean the black oxidation. So i tried all your steps and the only thing that worked was a 1000grit sandpaper and tin the tip all around as it heated up to 300C, wipe on sponge(a had a free one that came with the soldering station) and tin again. Now the tips are as new. I will use the sponge from now on and I ordered a proper brass wool. Really informative video. You have my subscription!
Have been clening the solder tip with the blade of a scissor for 40 years. It gets clean immediately and if you do it gentily enough, you don't ruin it. So easy so simple.
i dont know how many times i had watched this, over n over... educational yet somehow entertaining at the same time giving me the push needed everytime my soldering iron failed me times n times... 😪
Androkavo HEY DUDE WHAT SONG did you use? and goos video too but i woud rather buy a handle and a new tip i think this is too much process of cleaning it what do u think? anyways please let me know the song thanks good video
My old level 4 oxidized soldering tip is now functioning as it should thanks to this tutorial, and now I'll coat the tip with solder before turning off every now and then
I mostly use this black spunge, normally used for sanding. And I found these brass tips, used to stamp funny patterns on wood. Simply filed them to a tip, or flat surface and polished them a bit, with a dremel. They are cheap, work great and it does not hurt the wallet, replacing them.
After a soldering job I just unplug the iron so it begins to cool down. Then it gets a "bath" of flux paste, then wipe with mildly wet paper towel. Repeat a few times until the iron is cold enough that oxidation no longer occurs. I've been using the same iron tips for several years and they look brand new every time.
That was the most informative soldering video without saying anything in 5 minutes I've ever seen! I'm gonna finish it cuz I see there's a lot to learn but wow and you make it so elegant and beautiful to watch :D :)
I needed this because my father has been using my soldering iron for making holes in plastic bottles and containers and returning it uncleaned. Heck, even the one I gave him for his own use has already broken down because of it.
For level 3 & 4 I use ordinary copy/print paper double-folded couple of times so I don't get burned. Fold the paper around a tip and press it hard against the tip with my thumb and an index finger. Turn the tip circullary couple of times until I see paper getting pretty heavy burns. Re-tin and repeat if needed.
I used a very fine sandpaper like 1000 grit and up i didn't notice a difference at soldering and its been clean for a long time and its still fine, some people said dont use sandpaper because you will end up removing a coating on the tip but i didn't notice a thing, maybe its just my soldering iron because its cheap so it doesn't have a coating
Thank you! The Sandpaper (Used 600 but I have 1200 too) with very low pressure fixed a level-3 ring of dust on my tip. Loved you levels of detail too. Thanks!
Level 1 and 2 fair enough. I have to this day never used an abrasive of any kind on my soldering irons. And I use my irons daily.
4 года назад+1
Next levels are only reached with a bad use of the soldering tip, so even if you don't use an abrasive, you maybe will have to buy another. Using an abrasive component doesn't matter that much here, and maybe you can still use your tip for a while
Thank you so much! Just starting soldering for a side-gig and how green I am. Got some lvl 3 tips already and I realize I have to clean them much more often. Thanks for showing how.
For cases 3 and 4 I use 3000 sandpaper remove the rust without damaging the tip, then clean it with Rosin resin. So the soldering Tip last me a long time
Thanks for making this video. I wasted $10 buying soldering irons and abraisives for a shiny tip but i failed and i only just have 1 which works like a charm. very shiny in the light.
Ideally the brass is covered in flux. There's some cheap ones on Amazon that come in a holder. I got the Hakko one for a decent price. You could just use that always and skip the sponge, since water exacerbates oxidation. I only use sponge while soldering, but before I drop the iron into the holder, or periodically while soldering, I always use the flux/brass cleaner and. And if it's going in the holder, put a huge amount of solder on the tip first. And just wipe it off and apply just a bit before you go to use it again. Especially if you won't be turning the iron off after setting it in the holder.
I LOVE keeping my tip clean! A clean tip is also less prone to contamination from dirty sources, which could spread unwanted oxidization to both the tip AND the shaft, resulting in unnecessary, premature tip replacement. ;)
Heres a tip I've used for many years. If you've got a tip thats in good shape, ALWAYS melt a large blob of solder on the tip before you turn the iron off. Next time you use it, just heat to temp and wipe with sponge and it will last for years. I've been using the same tip on my soldering station for 20 years. Granted, this does not get daily use but the tip still looks like new.
This is exactly the correct tip maintenance habit for any soldering iron. That's all it takes. You can also use brass wool to clean off the excess solder. This will still leave a thin layer of solder on the tip. Keeping some solder on the tip 100% of the time is the key to well functioning long lasting tips.
You can also use a dremel tool with a polishing tool out of brass. Put light pressure to the tip and swipe off the dirt afterwards. Then just tin the tip and clean it with the brass-copper whool.
Yep. Brass wool is the way to go. Brass works so well because it's softer than the iron/Nickel coating, and can't scratch or damage it. Brass also loves to absorb the excess solder. I don't use sponges because I think the thermal shock will cause delamination of the iron/copper plating. Also, I tried buying those copper/brass scrubbies at Wal-Mart. I found out, they aren't copper or brass. You have to test them with a magnet. Some brands are just colored steel. They will work, but not as well as true brass wool. Another thing I avoid is leaving my soldering iron on for hours on end. Cooking the tip unused, for hours is bad for building up corrosion. I only do option 2 in the video. NEVER scrape or sand the tip. This will ruin the iron/nickel/chrome plating. Also, the guy in the video was cleaning the sides of the tip. You don't really care about the sides. Only the silver part at the end that is 'wettable'.
Why would you want the solder to stick to the tip? The proper way to solder is heat the joint then add cold solder to a hot joint, although many people don’t do it this way and instead carry it on the tip, among other improper ways causing them to have issues. This way the joint doesn’t suck all the heat out, and to me it seems like solder sticking to the tip would just get in the way of this. Sorry if the reason is obvious, this is a genuine question
Clean your tips after each use and keep them tinned so that you don't need to use abrasives on them. Abrasive cleaning will shorten the life of the thing and you'll find yourself having to use abrasives more and more often.
I use ceramic blade to clean the tips when cold, it remove the black oxide stuff very effective and doesn't damage the tip surface what so ever. There is no tear or wear to the ceramic or soldering tip, further cost nothing once you have it. Highly recommend.
Thanks for the great visuals, here. I'm guessing the "high speed low abrasion" statement at 10:33 is what threw people off to thinking "high speed low grit" which caused them to unintentionally damage to their tip(s). High speed high grit is what may have helped. Doesn't matter now, great vid thanks again
Jhana probably! but also because each phase of the video is well commented with quality resolution .. and he is very good to soldering .. probably also uses good raw material to weld .. I find it hard to find solders that do not become dull and I have not yet try the Mechanic flux
I found this very useful I have 40-Watt soldering iron that i just use multiple times and i turn it off. After i want to use it again,i found that the solder donst stick,making soldering harder...this video fixed it
very good, thank you I am improving a lot with your techniques ... sorry for some mistake I am using a translator because I do not speak English ... I am from Brazil - Goiânia - Goiás
For gods sake! Dont do that! I did that when i was a kid, and ruined the tip. It gets blue if scratch it when hot, and then a layer of rust (yeah the brownish one, oxidation!), will appear and it will be basically irreversible the damage, as it may be thick. What happens is that you scrape off the coating that it has in the surface and even remove the metal and make some micro "grooves" (abrasions) and then oxigen gas can react with the metal (what it usually really "wants"), but it basically in a few seconds become very rusty and with a thick layer of oxidation, because the metal is hot. Thats why a gate, or metallic door takes some time to rust (without any protection), the heat of the soldering iron speeds up the reaction. A better solution is to heat up the tip at a temperature that tin melts down, then melt some tin at the point that the flux or the tin itself covers the tip, clean it with a soft paper as a paper towel or a toilet paper, without applying force basically, be gentle. Then tin it again, and turn it off. Aways clean like that, and tin the soldering iron's tip before storing it after every use. You wont see any oxidation, and probably you problem is dirt (all sort of things as melted plastic, burned flux, etc) and probably not oxidation. If it is, then i would consider buying a new tip and taking care of it as i described before. My $5 soldering iron awredy lasts 6 years!
Yeah, Nowerdays hakko's Are cheap Am i right Sorry for late reply :D I hope your new iron is going to be better for you And me dont even ask what iron i have :DDDD
Or... Way better! Aways leave the tip tinned, and if its dirty, with flux or melted plastic, before tinning it, clean it with any soft paper as toilet paper or paper towels, because all the dirt is in a melt state, so without applying any force just clean it. It will prevent any oxidation from ocurring in the first way, and no need to damage the coating layer. No need to use any acid, any sandpaper, any grinding, nothing. Every time you sand the tip it gets worse. My second hand $5 soldering iron, has awready 6 years (2 with me, and 4 with the my friend who gave me it, when i was needing a soldering iron for some projects).
@1kparmar My friend had a really cheapo soldering iron for about 4 years wich he used to solder all kinds of stuff. But then he bought his first soldering station. I was trying to fix a pc, wich i had to repair until monday, and it was a saturday, and where i was at that time, wasnt even close to a eletronics store, so i asked if i could borrow his old soldering iron and he gave it to me. 2 years later here i was writting that comment, still using it because its good enough, i mean i dont need anything fancy for now. About price, its worth (converting to dollars $5 from when i gone to a eletronics store), but it's actually, in my local money "reais", around R$20. Edit: btw sorry for the late reply, youtube didn't notifyed me, so i only saw your comment when i stumbled across the same video again.
For those who still use sponges for tip cleaning, make sure you only use distilled water. Tap water can contain a high level of minerals which can affect the cleanliness of the tip.
Especially in Flint, Michigan.
Put Yucatán península on the list
...THAT'S THE TRUTH-!!!
Oh come on, baby. The tip is plenty clean.
California is out -20mg/l-
"Clean tip and apply solder before leaving or turning off".
I learnt this after years of experience. And this really works.
Here's how to prevent all of this from ever happening: Before you put your soldering iron away, tin the tip with a good blob of solder and let it cool like that. It will protect the tip from oxidation and you will never have this problem.
how do you mean? And just put it away until next time? Without removing it until next time?
@@samfkt Yeah, put a big glob on there when you put your iron away. Protects the tip. When you turn it back on, add a little new solder and then clean the big glob off.
Solid advice, been doing this for a long time and have never had problems with tip maintenance!
Was looking for this comment.
I second this. You can also buy soldering tip tinner, looks like compresed gray sand.
when i was 17 in high school
my teacher didn`t told us that tip
"just soldering"
now I'm 38..
thank u so much
by korea
I swear, there will be a lot to learn, nobody will tell you the so called secrets of "soldering ("life")" you need to learn it yourself, I am 60 and still learning and learning to enjoy life.
Androkavo has been doing a good teaching, you should see all his soldering videos ( specially how he pulls out the soldering Iron during sot package). Now I am planning to by a Binocular Mircoscope and a pencil iron, good one cost a lot and you Know... life goes on and nobody will know who you are.
soldering? my school teachers never seen a soldering iron.
By Belarus
And yea, I'm 19 and finish it 2 years ago...
@@jamesmazarello4625people will know you are, so long as you put in the time and take the risk to reach out to them.
Everything starts from nothing, especially friendships
This is the most I’m depth explanations of how to without even saying a word. I now have to go find a video by this person to see how their solder joints look, I bet it’s a work of art.
This will rather damage your tip. The end of soldering iron tip is iron plated copper. The substance that oxidizes the iron coating on the tip is tin. Because lead-free solder is much higher in tin content, the soldering iron manufacturer responded to lead-free solder, increasing the thickness of the iron(metal) coating on the tip, but if it is too thick, it affects heat conduction performance, so the iron tip is still not manufactured strong enough to be mechanically polished. If the copper core behind the coating is exposed, the tip will be discarded because solder will not stick. Never scratch or grind the tip except for visible debris. If the tip is periodically retinned with a fresh solder and is insufficient, the oxide can be removed using an ammoniac tining block. This is the real way to use tips for a long time.
Yup. This is How To Destroy Your Tip in 438 Easy Steps. Do not do this. Only the very tip of the tip is meant to be wettable (i.e. solder sticks to it). What you are watching this person do is scrape away the chromium coating on parts of the tip that are not meant to be wettable anyway. You do not want to do this to your tips. Do not go beyond level 2 of this "tutorial".
@@Zaphod0414 hi i never have bought anything in cleaning my solder tip, do i not scratch the tip to clean it?
and did he use a kitchen sponge in the video?
@@amberrr6651 Going any more aggressive than using a sponge or brass wool is overkill. Stage 2 as described in this video is as far as you'd want to go. If the tip is still not usable after that, then it's toast and should be replaced. You can go nuclear and use sandpaper on a dead tip and get it somewhat working again, but this will only last a short time as the tip is pretty much destroyed at that point.
I'm not sure what type of sponge is being used in this video. You can use a clean (i.e. brand new) kitchen sponge so long as it has no additives like detergents or plastic scrubby particles or any such nonsense. To be safe, it is generally recommended to get a sponge that is meant for soldering to avoid the possibility. The important part if using a sponge is that it be damp to prevent the sponge from burning. It should only be slightly damp, but not wet. So wring it out as much as you can after wetting it. A much better alternative to a sponge, though, is brass wool. It's cheap, requires no water, lasts a lot longer, doesn't suck as much heat out of the iron when used, and is all around much more effective.
Agree. This video must be titled anticlean. In fact it will ruin the solder fatal. Must be clean only in cellulose. That us all. Coper-end must be protect. If not you will buy new one soon.
Old soldering irons were bare copper & worked fine. I’ve used a bare copper tip plenty of times, of course solder will stick to it!
That's one hell of a dedication for cleaning an iron soldering tip. This is very helpful indeed. Great effort and great video!
Sogeking_X ....... Not Dedication.......Debauched F**king around a soldering tip. !!!
Pretty useless considering you can get new solder tip for like 0,5 usd. Good for bigger ones which can cost 2usd and more.
Considering without a solder we would not be here, its very propriate
@@heksogen4788 a clean tip lasts years, idk about you but I'd rather spend money on sponges and stuff to clean tips properly than buying a new tip every other month.
@@HentaiNat I was talking about anal people who care too much for a thing that isnt really worth that much. You need to strike some balance between tedium and cost.
Level 5: Sandpaper
Level 10: Angle grinder
Level 11: buy a new one, for god sake.
Lol, I agree with you. I'm usually using sandpaper. Angle grinder is too much.
Edit: well, you can try this to clean solder tip with wet tissue.
So the wire brush would be level 7 then???
Well i use combination of 400 grit of sandpaper with cordless drill. acid based flux & tin
Level 11
Cut the Tip off with Angle Grinder 😀
This is by far amazing, I will be showing my techs this very video for tip maintenance especially for the microsoldering stations. Absolutely an amazing watch. These Tips cost upwards of $40 and end up with dead spots due to oxidation and corrosive fluxes. This is absolutely a must watch and save. Highly recommending this to techs and novice user's.
I never used to clean my tip more than stage 1 or 2. The bras whole is the most aggressive I ever used. I really don't want to have more than the contract surface of the tip and 3 mm obove to be cleaned. In fact I've observed that the oxide of the rest is helping in keep my tip temperature more steady. It's working like an insulator for heat loss and that is helping my welding process.
Interesting
@UnQ Tom I have same experiences from soldering 6 years every day. Btw for others : Use the acid like in video be sure u do that 2 times and tip is gone…. Anyways Nice video
Wow how you managed to make a 15 min video about cleaning soldering tips enjoyable to watched is beyond me.
Also love your pick of music it was great also the amount of detail you went into. Especially for the both methods of high and low abrasion while using the razor was very helpful. Not to mention steel wool and soldering wick. Somehow I never though of using those things.
---One of the most WONDERFULLY INSTRUCTIVE, ENTERTAINING & ENJOYABLE videos I've watched on RUclips "to date". You managed to bring together every success and failure I've experienced over these many decades and condense it down to 16 mins. Recommend this to be the 1st stop for anyone soldering, new and seasoned. You are the "Soldering Iron Whisperer"!. Thanks so much. Cheers
I'm blessed to have the type of girl who not only shares in my passions but deeply values tools.
I'm mopping a old led sound meter and my tip shines. I really appreciate her hard with and no doubt she appreciates my tip.
Thats so wrong on so many occasions
this guy gets it, only thing I would like to add is that you have to turn the temperature down while performing the more abrasive methods otherwise the tip gets reoxidised very quickly.
In my experience you can just shove the tip into the brass and vigorously move it through the brass and you will take care of that oxidation. You brushed it on the top of the brass too lightly, you have to be really rough with it. It does break some of the fibers in the brass but you can get refills pretty cheap.
Also, do not use a wet sponge at all. Only use the brass.
First care is to keep your tip cleaned and tinned when not in use meaning keep solder on it and wipe it off when actually soldering. Also don't use more heat than needed. if a tip is in this condition it's had way to much heat used. Using any abrasive is going to ruin your tip. The brass tip cleaner works because brass is softer than the metal in your up. steam wool, sandpaper etc are all harder and will remove the fine coating on the tip. once that is gone you tip is useless.
just trying to help you care for you're tips. it's up to you but with proper care a tip can last many years. my weller still has the original tip from 30 years ago. I keep it tinned and clean before every joint.
Good tin can be expensive. It may be economically better to buy new tip rather then to try to prolong it's life for 30 years. So there should be balance between clean and tinned states of the tip. In my experience if you use shavings (I do not use sponge at all) to clean it during use periodically not fanatically, you won't be experiencing "level 3" at all.
Sandra, that was the only correct answer. Besides buying a new tip once in a while ... ;-)
Tinning your tip means putting solder on it. Your not buying anything that you don’t have already. Yes you can purchase a tinning compound. However the use of solder for this has been around allot longer. Your manual for the iron should cover this.
My main point thought is to prevent oxidation. Don’t let your tip get like this
+Arcstreams,
Tips are copper underneath the plating.
Copper erodes rather rapidly due to the activity of flux, and heat.
Keeping a tip clean and tinned will give it the longest service life possible, and make perfect joints every time... As long as your technique is up to par!
You can see in the video that his tips have a thick layer of chromium. You can sand It a little.
After many years of heavy usage the tips of all of my soldering irons are in top condition because
1 I don't use higher temperatures than needed.
2 I use the "right" size of tip/wattage soldering iron
3 I don't powering the soldering iron to the eternity
4 I am cleaning my tips (not ofttenly) dipping it in soldering paste
5 IF a certain tip is oxydated I use bronzed wire-brass in conjunction with resin and kitchen paper
Καλησπέρα Ηλία.Το 4ο βήμα αν δεν το κάνεις ποτέ τι μπορεί να συμβεί; Γιατί έχω ακούσει ότι δεν πρέπει να το βουτάς στην αλοιφή
@@dimitrisgoktsis5702 διευκολύνει να φύγουν οι "σκληρές" οξυδώσεις που προκαλούνται από την πάστα που υπάρχει στον πυρήνα της κόλλησης & σκληραίνουν αν μένει το κολλητήρι αναμμένο άσκοπα για ώρες. Χωρίς πάστα το βήμα 5) θέλει πολύ περισσότερο χρόνο & προσπάθεια. ΟΠΟΙΑΔΉΠΟΤΕ όμως ΜΑΚΡΥΑ ΑΠΟ ΛΙΜΕΣ. ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΕΦΟΥΝ την επικάλυψη της μύτης
@@gamiwv Ευχαριστώ για την άμεση απάντηση.Πχ εγώ που είμαι ηλεκτρολόγος κ το χρησιμοποιώ μόνο στις λεντοταινιες,όχι κάθε μέρα δηλαδή, πως θα καταλάβω κάθε πότε πρέπει να το βουτάω στην κρέμα;Κ όταν το βουτήξεις τι άλλο κάνεις μετά; Απλά ένα σκούπισμα;
@@dimitrisgoktsis5702 σκούπισμα "έντονο" πάνω σε χαρτί κουζίνας ή πάνω σε χαρτοσακούλα (από τις παλαιότερες. εκείνες τις καφέ που δεν είναι η επιφάνειά του λεία). Θα δεις - πριν την καθαρίσεις - πως η μύτη έχει πιάσει μαύρη σκληρή πατίνα & η κόλληση δεν μένει πάνω στη μύτη αλλά κάνει μικρή σταγόνα που πέφτει. Ωστόσο πάντα έχω πρόχειρη μια συρματόβουρτσα με μπρούτζινες τρίχες (μικρή. λίγο μεγαλύτερη από οδοντόβουρτσα). Μου διευκολύνει τη ζωή
@@gamiwv ευχαριστώ κ πάλι!Κρατάω την ιεροτελεστία της μύτης! Χαιρετώ
This is lifesaver & giving us so many options. I have been soldering wrong for years!
For people complaining about what's right or wrong method, try all then put up a video to explain!
Just had to say not only is this educational, very good by the way. I also relieved a lot of stress I was carrying this day due to the nature of the video and it’s satisfying music. Thank you 🙏
I left my soldering iron laying on the bumper of a truck went to the front to turn on the lights and a plastic parts bag blew onto my soldering iron and screwed the tip I did everything I could think of to fix it and nothing worked until I seen this video and the soldering wick part so I tryed it and it worked like a charm so I'm greatful for this video even though my new tips will be here tomorrow lol so thank you for the "tip" !
Thanks a lot! This video turned out to be more than just an instruction. I watched with pleasure, listened to beautiful music and had a wonderful rest, distracted from routine thoughts, from problems. Fabulous!
I had the best perfectly tinned solder tip you've ever seen on my butane soldering iron the other evening when trying to finish up the DRL lights on my Kenworth T800. The projector halo led head lights had been installed I guess 3 weeks but I needed to run wire for the Day Time Running lights and tie them into the park lamps.
By the time I got to soldering the wires into the park lamps at the nearest intersection it had gotten dark.
No problem I have lights. It was still dark enough to where I let all of the solder get off my tip.
Once that happens it is a nightmare to get back if its not accepting solder.
I had also started with a new roll of cheap chinese 60/40 Tin Lead solder that didn't act right from the start but I didn't have anything else and didn't expect to need solder for a long time.
I'm gonna give it one more chance before discarding it. It doesn't act like it has a rosen core. It doesn't smell right.
Thanks for sharing. Never seen the solder tip refresher.
Any update?
I was using all kind of ways to clean my tips, they never lasted more than a couple of months. I started cleaning them with my fingers, I add some fresh solder and then whipe it off with a fast finger swipe. The fingers don't have time to heat up and the tip as lasted me over a year of almost daily use
I have used my temp controlled Weller for almost 50 years. The tip is like the day I bought it. I NEVER use a wet sponge the sudden cold temp drop does not do well on an iron. Instead I use a small canister of teflon chips and use it frequently while my iron is on use. Once I shut the iron off I rub the tip once more before I let it cool down
dam doing soldering works for 50 years is kinda cool
@@Bwucey yes my father taught me electronics
Could you please make a video demonstrating how to use Teflon chips to clean a soldering iron? Could you post it on this user's channel?
I have never tried a sponge before. I have always used a kitchen steel wool(I know it's not wised to use that). I had two tips which were 3 level oxidized for sure, solder wont stick and need 400+C to heat anything. Steel wool wouldnt clean the black oxidation. So i tried all your steps and the only thing that worked was a 1000grit sandpaper and tin the tip all around as it heated up to 300C, wipe on sponge(a had a free one that came with the soldering station) and tin again. Now the tips are as new. I will use the sponge from now on and I ordered a proper brass wool.
Really informative video. You have my subscription!
Have been clening the solder tip with the blade of a scissor for 40 years. It gets clean immediately and if you do it gentily enough, you don't ruin it. So easy so simple.
i dont know how many times i had watched this, over n over... educational yet somehow entertaining at the same time giving me the push needed everytime my soldering iron failed me times n times... 😪
Use quality solder! It makes a world of difference.
@@goku445 in time brother... Thanks for the advise, in time I definitely will...
Hello. What microscope do you use?
video quality magnificent
Andonstar ADSM201
Androkavo HEY DUDE WHAT SONG did you use? and goos video too but i woud rather buy a handle and a new tip i think this is too much process of cleaning it what do u think? anyways please let me know the song thanks good video
Ok
4:00 pixelated 1080p?
4:00 pixelated 1080p?
My old level 4 oxidized soldering tip is now functioning as it should thanks to this tutorial, and now I'll coat the tip with solder before turning off every now and then
A good demonstration, now I know why I've been having problems with my soldering.👍
Quality material makes all the difference. Use the expensive irons, solder and flux
Very Detailed video & high dedication to solve the biggest problem in soldering operations, really grateful to you
I mostly use this black spunge, normally used for sanding.
And I found these brass tips, used to stamp funny patterns on wood.
Simply filed them to a tip, or flat surface and polished them a bit, with a dremel.
They are cheap, work great and it does not hurt the wallet, replacing them.
NOOOO BRO DONT SAND THE TIP YOUR REMOVE THE COATING AND RUIN THE SOLDERING IRON NOOO
Androkavo, you are The Soldering Guru. Thank You for your wisdome and help. Best Wishes from the UK.
gotta love the xmas music. seriously was about the best video ive ever seen for tip repair and cleaning
After a soldering job I just unplug the iron so it begins to cool down. Then it gets a "bath" of flux paste, then wipe with mildly wet paper towel. Repeat a few times until the iron is cold enough that oxidation no longer occurs. I've been using the same iron tips for several years and they look brand new every time.
Thanks for your video! This is super effective! My soldering iron just come back to life!
Soldering is an art .... as well as keeping the soldering iron as clean as shown...... awesome 👌 thks
That was the most informative soldering video without saying anything in 5 minutes I've ever seen! I'm gonna finish it cuz I see there's a lot to learn but wow and you make it so elegant and beautiful to watch :D :)
From now on I'll take care of my tip way better ....didn't know that was so hard to clean ... thank u my friend :)
Same
Never thought that cleaning soldering iron tip is so much complicated. Thanks for the video
Outstanding video. I restored a tip that I thought was ready for the bin. Thank you very much.
the best video i have ever see about a cleaning soldring iron, well done
I needed this because my father has been using my soldering iron for making holes in plastic bottles and containers and returning it uncleaned. Heck, even the one I gave him for his own use has already broken down because of it.
I did this thinking it wouldnt matter, it's all fun and games until you have to ise the iron for real :v now it's a real pain
For level 3 & 4 I use ordinary copy/print paper double-folded couple of times so I don't get burned. Fold the paper around a tip and press it hard against the tip with my thumb and an index finger. Turn the tip circullary couple of times until I see paper getting pretty heavy burns. Re-tin and repeat if needed.
I used a very fine sandpaper like 1000 grit and up i didn't notice a difference at soldering and its been clean for a long time and its still fine, some people said dont use sandpaper because you will end up removing a coating on the tip but i didn't notice a thing, maybe its just my soldering iron because its cheap so it doesn't have a coating
@@anxiety1209 the last part 🤣
I haven't soldered since high school 8 years ago and probably won't for many more years, but this video was very useful thankyou
I finally bought a soldering station. Amazing tips guys, thanks!
No pun intended
@@hnassrat How do you know no pun was intended?
Thank you! The Sandpaper (Used 600 but I have 1200 too) with very low pressure fixed a level-3 ring of dust on my tip. Loved you levels of detail too. Thanks!
You’re an outstanding teacher! Thanks for the videos.
The value to educate people is the most amazing dedication.
Love this video. 👍🏼👍🏼🥰🙏🏼
Level 1 and 2 fair enough. I have to this day never used an abrasive of any kind on my soldering irons. And I use my irons daily.
Next levels are only reached with a bad use of the soldering tip, so even if you don't use an abrasive, you maybe will have to buy another. Using an abrasive component doesn't matter that much here, and maybe you can still use your tip for a while
Thank you so much! Just starting soldering for a side-gig and how green I am. Got some lvl 3 tips already and I realize I have to clean them much more often. Thanks for showing how.
For cases 3 and 4 I use 3000 sandpaper remove the rust without damaging the tip, then clean it with Rosin resin. So the soldering Tip last me a long time
Thanks for making this video.
I wasted $10 buying soldering irons and abraisives for a shiny tip but i failed
and i only just have 1 which works like a charm.
very shiny in the light.
Tinning the tip before using makes a protective layer around the tip, when using again remove the tin and its good as new
Ohhhh. It's called cleaner brass.. I was thinking about replacing mine since it's started to get pretty old.
Thanks for the informational video!
Ideally the brass is covered in flux. There's some cheap ones on Amazon that come in a holder. I got the Hakko one for a decent price. You could just use that always and skip the sponge, since water exacerbates oxidation. I only use sponge while soldering, but before I drop the iron into the holder, or periodically while soldering, I always use the flux/brass cleaner and. And if it's going in the holder, put a huge amount of solder on the tip first. And just wipe it off and apply just a bit before you go to use it again. Especially if you won't be turning the iron off after setting it in the holder.
I LOVE keeping my tip clean! A clean tip is also less prone to contamination from dirty sources, which could spread unwanted oxidization to both the tip AND the shaft, resulting in unnecessary, premature tip replacement. ;)
I c wat u did there!
Spittake/10
Phrasing!
who else watched this because it's satisfying...?
It's annoying
Holy shit its orgasmic i am goint to cum!!
🙋🏻♂️
@@modcore6425 lol 😂
Thanks for making this. I nicely tinned the tip I had just thrown in the bin.
Dip the hot iron tip in solid caustic soda. It works immediately.
Heres a tip I've used for many years. If you've got a tip thats in good shape, ALWAYS melt a large blob of solder on the tip before you turn the iron off. Next time you use it, just heat to temp and wipe with sponge and it will last for years. I've been using the same tip on my soldering station for 20 years. Granted, this does not get daily use but the tip still looks like new.
This is exactly the correct tip maintenance habit for any soldering iron. That's all it takes. You can also use brass wool to clean off the excess solder. This will still leave a thin layer of solder on the tip. Keeping some solder on the tip 100% of the time is the key to well functioning long lasting tips.
You can also use a dremel tool with a polishing tool out of brass. Put light pressure to the tip and swipe off the dirt afterwards. Then just tin the tip and clean it with the brass-copper whool.
Yep. Brass wool is the way to go. Brass works so well because it's softer than the iron/Nickel coating, and can't scratch or damage it. Brass also loves to absorb the excess solder. I don't use sponges because I think the thermal shock will cause delamination of the iron/copper plating. Also, I tried buying those copper/brass scrubbies at Wal-Mart. I found out, they aren't copper or brass. You have to test them with a magnet. Some brands are just colored steel. They will work, but not as well as true brass wool. Another thing I avoid is leaving my soldering iron on for hours on end. Cooking the tip unused, for hours is bad for building up corrosion.
I only do option 2 in the video. NEVER scrape or sand the tip. This will ruin the iron/nickel/chrome plating.
Also, the guy in the video was cleaning the sides of the tip. You don't really care about the sides. Only the silver part at the end that is 'wettable'.
The tiny holes are pits - usually a sign that the tip needs to be replaced soon. Otherwise pretty extensive cleaning tutorial.
@F. Friedrich Kling Hauss zoological?
Wow，your video is so practical. I just bought E-design's TS100 Soldering Iron (BC2 Tip) for electrical solder. Your sharing is so useful for me!
Excellent! No body told me how to do the things you show. I always liked the thin conical tip.
Why would you want the solder to stick to the tip? The proper way to solder is heat the joint then add cold solder to a hot joint, although many people don’t do it this way and instead carry it on the tip, among other improper ways causing them to have issues. This way the joint doesn’t suck all the heat out, and to me it seems like solder sticking to the tip would just get in the way of this. Sorry if the reason is obvious, this is a genuine question
Excellent close-up photography / videography.
Always tin your tips from day one!!! If it’s a habit, really they never get damaged/oxidized
Clean your tips after each use and keep them tinned so that you don't need to use abrasives on them. Abrasive cleaning will shorten the life of the thing and you'll find yourself having to use abrasives more and more often.
Best video so far. Great work man
I use ceramic blade to clean the tips when cold, it remove the black oxide stuff very effective and doesn't damage the tip surface what so ever. There is no tear or wear to the ceramic or soldering tip, further cost nothing once you have it. Highly recommend.
I used high grid sandpaper.. Works well though...
Edit.: you used it too.
Dado Pachuau
Dado Pachuau worst technique
grit*
Thanks for the great visuals, here. I'm guessing the "high speed low abrasion" statement at 10:33 is what threw people off to thinking "high speed low grit" which caused them to unintentionally damage to their tip(s). High speed high grit is what may have helped. Doesn't matter now, great vid thanks again
There's only one way: never power off the iron without having cleaned the tip. Just clean the tip before powering off and it will last forever!
Oh my god, just what I needed 15 years later
this was really therapeutic lol.- I watched it all
The best guide I've ever seen! And I've seen many!
And you still haven't seen the correct one.
your video are super relaxing, I see all them!
It´s the music.
Jhana probably! but also because each phase of the video is well commented with quality resolution .. and he is very good to soldering .. probably also uses good raw material to weld .. I find it hard to find solders that do not become dull and I have not yet try the Mechanic flux
Michele Dima yeah ur right its so calm
@@jhana.2023 No. I always mute the music and get the same effect. :)
Nobody show me how to do that and I needed to change my soldering tips because the where not melting the metal anymore.. Thanks man!
Thanks, your explanation is great. I use other methods and are also very effective
I found this very useful
I have 40-Watt soldering iron that i just use multiple times and i turn it off.
After i want to use it again,i found that the solder donst stick,making soldering harder...this video fixed it
Thanks! I also enjoyed the Christmas music 😄
I'm using lemon salt only and nothing else, it's wonderful, easy to stick solder on tip and cleaning tips and make it shiny, it's like magic 👍
i use Steel Scouring Balls and makes my soldering tip very clean
Same haha.
Minecraft Gölü me too. Curious name, in my country we call it steel sponge or something like that... (Direct translation).
Same lol... Very cheap and works just fine
very good, thank you I am improving a lot with your techniques ... sorry for some mistake I am using a translator because I do not speak English ... I am from Brazil - Goiânia - Goiás
Sandpaper and knfie with running hot tip or powered off?
Power off for safe, power on when use materials required temperature like solder wire, tip refresher
Androkavo thankss
A very important detail.
For gods sake! Dont do that! I did that when i was a kid, and ruined the tip. It gets blue if scratch it when hot, and then a layer of rust (yeah the brownish one, oxidation!), will appear and it will be basically irreversible the damage, as it may be thick.
What happens is that you scrape off the coating that it has in the surface and even remove the metal and make some micro "grooves" (abrasions) and then oxigen gas can react with the metal (what it usually really "wants"), but it basically in a few seconds become very rusty and with a thick layer of oxidation, because the metal is hot. Thats why a gate, or metallic door takes some time to rust (without any protection), the heat of the soldering iron speeds up the reaction.
A better solution is to heat up the tip at a temperature that tin melts down, then melt some tin at the point that the flux or the tin itself covers the tip, clean it with a soft paper as a paper towel or a toilet paper, without applying force basically, be gentle. Then tin it again, and turn it off. Aways clean like that, and tin the soldering iron's tip before storing it after every use. You wont see any oxidation, and probably you problem is dirt (all sort of things as melted plastic, burned flux, etc) and probably not oxidation. If it is, then i would consider buying a new tip and taking care of it as i described before.
My $5 soldering iron awredy lasts 6 years!
If you want to murder your tip, sure.
It was very informative and useful, thank you ❤
This video would've been so helpful 2 years ago lol but still thanks anyway! :D
Amazing video! ...This is the world's Best Way To Clean Your Tips
This is why I always tin my tip.
ANTHONY CABALLERO may i simply know what company iron you use? Thanks
My first Iron was Model KX-30R from TAIYO ELECTRIC and it still do most of my job, I'm gonna upgrade probably to Hakko soon
Yeah, Nowerdays hakko's Are cheap Am i right Sorry for late reply :D I hope your new iron is going to be better for you And me dont even ask what iron i have :DDDD
Thanks :D
ANTHONY CABALLERO do u know what song is used in this video
It's like reading a boom written by a mime with only chapter headings. Thanks Marcel Marceau.
Or... Way better! Aways leave the tip tinned, and if its dirty, with flux or melted plastic, before tinning it, clean it with any soft paper as toilet paper or paper towels, because all the dirt is in a melt state, so without applying any force just clean it.
It will prevent any oxidation from ocurring in the first way, and no need to damage the coating layer.
No need to use any acid, any sandpaper, any grinding, nothing. Every time you sand the tip it gets worse.
My second hand $5 soldering iron, has awready 6 years (2 with me, and 4 with the my friend who gave me it, when i was needing a soldering iron for some projects).
@1kparmar My friend had a really cheapo soldering iron for about 4 years wich he used to solder all kinds of stuff. But then he bought his first soldering station.
I was trying to fix a pc, wich i had to repair until monday, and it was a saturday, and where i was at that time, wasnt even close to a eletronics store, so i asked if i could borrow his old soldering iron and he gave it to me.
2 years later here i was writting that comment, still using it because its good enough, i mean i dont need anything fancy for now.
About price, its worth (converting to dollars $5 from when i gone to a eletronics store), but it's actually, in my local money "reais", around R$20.
Edit: btw sorry for the late reply, youtube didn't notifyed me, so i only saw your comment when i stumbled across the same video again.
I have to order a bottle of that tip refresher i hate to sound stupid but in all my years soldering i never heard of it thanx for info
All you need to do is keep it clean and dip it in Flux occasionally and use the damp sponge or brass scrubbing pad.
Video images are high quality and clean, suitable for all ages when watching videos.
This is very... Relaxing... i love it!
Thanks! Surprisingly the method of using knife cutter worked for me.
That's what i have asking you for. Nice channel ;)
This was absolutely invaluable many thanks for posting it
I remove the oxide layer with sandpaper or an exacto blade works well
VERY good video, thanks. Have not seen this expertise on any other 'pro' vids here on YT.