How To Clean Oxidized Solder Iron Tip

Squeeze and twist the sponge as you drag the tip out of the sponge.

How to clean oxidized solder iron tip. Try not to leave the iron sitting hot on the bench while not in use. The Enemy of Oxidation. Its important to note that the vast majority of long-life solder tips are going to have a protective coating on their surface which is specifically designed to help protect against oxidization.

Use a damp sponge to clean the tip and wipe it off quickly to avoid cooling the tip excessively. If some of the oxides are just sticking really well you could try to mildly abrade them on a brass sponge copper braid or similar but you cant be too hard or you will damage the iron plating good tips are typically copper core plated with iron then chromium everywhere but the working area. If you clean off the rust and spot a hole in the iron coating recognizable by the copper color showing through from the inside or if any part of the tip appears hollowed out its done.

Keep the tip clean Keeping a tip clean is also a solid strategy to reduce oxidation. First use a wet sponge to wipe off the tip before soldering. Wrap the wetted sponge around the tip.

The flux in tip cleaner removes the oxidisation and build up from the soldering iron tip and then the solder re-tins the tip. It took a lot of effort with tip tinnercleaning compound to make the solder wet the tip again. Below are some great tips to use to clean an oxidized solder tip.

Take either a wet sponge or wire wool. If you are experiencing reduced effectiveness from a soldering iron or there is visible oxidation you should clean the tip to restore proper operation. Wipe the tip clean and re-tin it between every joint.

Pay triple to get good flux. January 31 2020 122852 pm. This is a form of polishing the tip while the solder is molten which will remove both the solder and oxidization from the tip surface.