How To Restore A Soldering Iron Tip

Soldering tips are made of copper base material and coated with iron to prevent erosion.

How to restore a soldering iron tip. A soldering iron functions by heating up an element that transfers heat to the tip. The flux in tip cleaner removes the oxidation and build up from the soldering iron tip and then the solder re-tins the tip ready for use. Push the soldering iron tip into the chemical cleaner until the entire rusted area is submerged.

First use a wet sponge to wipe off the tip before soldering. If it doesnt you need to remove all solder and grind the. Here we are not covering that advanced type of soldering Iron.

This should lead to a clean shiny tip ready for use for more info see this video. Operate at the lowest possible temperature 800F 427C or lower. Set the solderingdesoldering station to a temperature of 300C approximately 575F Add a flux cored wire solder that will be used in your applications or use the HAKKO FS-100 Tip Polish.

The best way to restore the tip is by re-tinning. This will restore the soldering iron to its normal functionality. Heat your soldering iron up to the low end of a typical work range generally between 280 and 320C.

Try not to leave the iron sitting hot on the bench while not in use. ANd of course if you dont tin the tip in the first place again letting. Leave it there until the paste melts around the tip.

However there are other things you need to consider to ensure the longevity of soldering iron. Install the prepared tip in your soldering iron. Once the re-tinning product melts around the tip hold it for several seconds and then clean the tip using dry cleaning methods like brass wool or an automatic tip cleaner.