How To Keep Solder Tip Clean
Dont touch the grinded tip with your hands.
How to keep solder tip clean. Do NOT use plumbing flux. Use stainless steel wool flux and thick clothe to clean the tip. If the tip is hot enough normally at least 300C and relatively free of rust the solder will flow up the tip and coat it.
With lead-free solder youll need a. You should not have to do more than periodically wipe the tip clean with a damp sponge then re-tin with fresh solder. A polyurethane foam bar with embedded abrasives which is used to polish the working end of the tip to remove surface oxides.
Add solder before putting it in the holder. Clean the tip and then tin the tip if you need to put it down and clean and tin once you come back. This should lead to a clean shiny tip ready for use.
Its also important the the metal you solder be clean too and apply flux with a bursh and it should flow well. The best tip tinner is your solder--tips should always be coated with a small amount of solder. Install the prepared tip in your soldering.
A layer of fresh solder keeps the layer right next to the tip from oxidizing. This step will coat the iron in a mixture of flux and solder. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983.
Never file the tip to clean it or form a different shape. Its a bunch of thick tinsel-like wires intertwined. With the iron tip cold use a polishing bar.