How To Keep Solder Tip Clean
After cleaning the tip on the damp cloth tin it with a bit of solder to help it flow when solding wire etc.
How to keep solder tip clean. A polyurethane foam bar with embedded abrasives which is used to polish the working end of the tip to remove surface oxides. This is done by first ensuring the tip is clean and free of surface oxides. The best solder for oxidation prevention is one with a high amount of flux core.
Cover the tip immediately with solder after cleaning to prevent further oxidation. Never file the tip to clean it or form a different shape. With lead solder you will rarely have to use extra flux.
Wipe OFF the solder on the Cleaning Sponge or Copper Wool. With the iron tip cold use a polishing bar. How to clean and re tin your soldering iron - YouTube.
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. Use fluxes Spongeless and metal wool to remove small amounts of contaminants from your soldering iron tips during soldering circuit board or any other components. You also can clean your soldering iron tip with a sponge while using it to keep it clean.
You can dampen it somewhat but keep any water drips away from the electrics. Wrap the solder around the tip. After every soldering cycle make sure that you clean the tip with a wet sponge for long-life soldering tips or a steel wool sponge copper or iron.
Then dip into the tin of tinner cleaner with a slight twisting action. Clean it down to a fins shiny finish. 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.