How To Tin A Soldering Iron Tip
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ม.ค. 2019
- In this video I show you how to tin a soldering iron tip old or new and other care tips. Maintain your soldering iron for long life by keeping the tip clean and tinned. Clean up an older tip and tin it for more reliable use.
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Not a train guy, but im getting into soldering a custom keyboard and this was a lifesaver. 10/10
I always had trouble with this in the beginning. I also learned a lot from this video, especially on how to maintain an older soldering iron
I've watched a lot of soldering iron care vids and i always learn something new. People really love their irons!
Ron, I started Soldering with Silver solder and an Acetylene Torch, soldering pieces of Copper together. I did this fresh out of High School. This was my Job just after graduation at my Fathers Stampings company. Not anything to do with the small electronics soldering we do now. My Dad worked with me when I first started doing this job and he told me the most important thing to know about soldering is that solder flows to the heat! This information has always helped me to do a good job in soldering. Knowing that it is the heat that does the work!
Great point. Thanks. 👍🏼
Thank you Ron for reminding me of things I knew but had foregotten over the years. As my horoscope tells me I' ve got a lot of soldering on my horizon. I needed this video. Cheers, Chris Perry.
Complete newbie to soldering, thank you for such a clear explanation of tinning and tip care. Will try this out when my new soldering iron arrives.
Good points to ponder. Keeping the tip tinned is key.Been through a few irons and tips over the years. Maintenance is the best insurance for extending the life of your iron!
Ron, I like so many others want to say “thank you “ for this video. Literally I just bought the same exact Weller station that’s in this video. I was about to start soldering this weekend.... I am sure glad that I saw this . Wow you made me Happy 😃!!!!
Thanks. Purchased all the bits you recommended and I've just spent several hours happily soldering away. Great results and a soldering iron stored away ready for the next time. Great video. Much appreciated.
Thank you ,im a beginner,and no one tells you to tin the soldering iron tips,,,i just cleaned with soldering tip tinning and then flux, and the brass wool, now when it cools i will tin before hand, very good tips and advice ,Very Much appreciated
Yes, I had to learn the hard way too, but there are some good soldering videos on TH-cam now that are a big help.
Ron, I have a question. Do you apply flux before you wrap the solder around a new tip or just the solder without the flux
I would love an answer also
On a new tip, just solder.
I've been involved with soldering for a long time including Mil Spec & aerospace.
This is all great advice. Thanks Ron!
Thanks. Some disagree, but I guess we all have our ways of doing things.
Helpful info for sure! Right on Ron, thanks!! 👍
Good Video!! Been soldering for a long time have always been a big fan of Hakko stations, their tips are phenomenal at holding a good tin.
Perfect timing of this video, I just received my first quality iron. It happens to be the same as your new one. Will follow your tips. Also received my mini files today. Perfect. Thanks yet again Ron
That is awesome. I know you will enjoy working with them...if you keep that new iron in good shape. LOL.
Good teaching video. Thanks, now I 'm going to tin my soldering Iron. Thanks again.
Thanks Ron!
I’m novice and now I know why my brand new tip has gone so fast(~50 connections 😊).
Very helpful! Thanks again!
Great Tips Ron...thank you Tom
Hey Ron!
I was the kid you met at National last (2018) year!
Just wanted to say that you have inspired me to start a channel, it launched 2 weeks ago and I just made my first layout tour 2 days ago!!
Thanks man, and was incredible to meet you!
I remember. I still tease Lionel Strang about being my camera man. Lol. This is exciting. I'm going to go check out your channel now.
Wow!!!! Ron...a most helpful video. I just finished watching your "adding a crossover" video and before asking about your cleaning solution prior to the brass cleaner I watched this video on soldering. This video reminded me of seasoning a new cast iron skillet and why its done. I have been doing all the wrong things with my soldering iron for years and now know why the lack of performance from it. I never tinned it to begin with, I used sandpaper on it all the time to clean it and I never put it away correctly. Thank you for sharing this info..I need to pull out the iron, get the products of proper care and see about re furbishing my iron or buy a new tip and start from scratch correctly. Tom
Glad to help Tom. I think you will find much better results and longer life from your soldering tips going forward.
I've honestly never tried to solder before all because of the things you pointed out, got my first iron a couple days ago and I've been worried about plugging it in til this video lol
I'm just getting started in soldering and Model Railroading and this/your video helped me tremendously ! Thanks Ron
See you down the road!
Hi Ron this is a great video for me as I got a new soldering iron for use on radio control cars and now for model trains hope it last a long time
I am so glad that you produced this video. I have had many times tried to determine the reason why my soldering task always had a hard time melting solder in order to establish a connection to my track. Immediately following your video, I went and carried out the cleaning of my soldering iron, and yes it was black. It now is super shiny! THX
You will enjoy using that clean and tinned soldering iron much more. Let me know how that works next time you use it. I think the difference will seem almost miraculous.
I've been soldering for nearly 20 years and I learned some good things from this video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks for telling me so. Can you tell me what was most helpful to you?
@@RonsTrainsNThings Gladly! I was not aware that irons should be tinned after every use. I've been doing it only periodically after the initially tinning. I also have used a file to clean irons too. Embarrassingly, my irons have never lasted consistently long either.
Thank you. I really appreciate your professional presentation and terrifically useful information.
I know that I'm using lousy solder wick, but I decided to go online as my soldering irons weren't working properly. I'm aware of the brass sponges but I just have a regular sponge at the moment. I haven't yet wrapped my cold soldering irons in solder, but I think I'll try that later today. Great video btw
Thanks Ron great videos
Really great video sir, thanks for all the info. Only thing I noticed from when I first was trying to understand soldering was everyone was always saying use a damp sponge, not a wet sponge. Why?, was always the question that came to mind. I understand now, it drops the temp significantly, but just something to keep in mind for any future content (there's always someone who honestly wants to know why and how come lol).Thanks a bunch sir, you've explained alot and it was extremely informative! Appreciate it tons!
thanks you for this information. I was struggling to solder a gold jump ring shut but after tinning my solder iron and making sure it is clean it worked.
Nice Video!
You're the Bob Ross of soldering stuff.
Thanks.
This was great information I was clueless about. Thanks!
You have been very thourough . You provided a lot of value to my life.
Great advise. Have used the brass sponge cleaner for years.
Thanks so much for your tutorial on tinning and maintaining your soldering iron. I am retired and into model railroading, now. I have never soldered before and just now learning about how to solder and maintaining the soldering iron. Not sure where you get that cleaning solution you dip your iron in to but, I am going to try and find it. I have learned so much from your tutorials on model railroading. I am in the process of building my HO layout and it is so much fun. Every step in the process is a new adventure for me. I am so passionate about doing everything the best I can and making my layout so realistic looking. Your tutorials have been so helpful. Thanks to guys like you posting these You Tube videos, it has helped me so much or I wouldn't have known about "transitioning" my curves on my layout. You saved me from making a big mistake in laying out my curves.
Great tutorial! My soldering tips oxidized today and I had to figure out how to clean it.
Wow... I don't know the first thing about soldering but "know enough" to know that "oxidation is bad". I had no idea at all that oxidation itself was such a terrible conductor of heat. Great demo!! and thanks.
I am new to soldering and it’s been really frustrating, solder refusing to melt on the tip.
Thanks for your advice on cleaning and tinning the tip, it’s much easier now, many thanks.
I'm glad you found it helpful.
Thank you very much for this great explanation. I'm new to soldering and this helps a lot.
Great tips...lol, Ron. I to got a new soldering station for Christmas and I likely would have just gone ahead and started soldering. Know i know how to properly make my tips last.
Ron, I have had the Weller WLC100 soldering station for some time now. I love mine, and I know you will grow to love yours as well. Your video is the first time I have heard of the wrap the tip in solder technique. I'll have to give that a try. That brass sponge looks interesting, as well. I enjoy your videos a lot!
Thank you and I'm glad you found the tips helpful.
Very good video. I rarely use a soldering iron but this information may keep my 15 year old iron in good working condition. Thanks!
A rarely-used soldering iron is a great case for why tinning after use is important. The longer your iron sits between use the more important it is to keep it tinned and protected.
Thanks Ron, I NEEDED that! I keep ruining tips, so now I will try your methods and see if I can keep the iron running hot.
Glad you found the video helpful.
Had to sub, just because he uses Weller. The 40watt led is my favorite iron!
Thanks and welcome to the chnnel.
Thanks for the video. Very helpful😊
Ron this is a great video, especially since i have been making all of the mistakes that have ruined my soldering tips. After watching the video the first time I went to Amazon and bought all of the products that you use, I haven't tried them yet but plan on trying them on Wednesday since w are expecting a heavy snow, and I plan to stay in. Barry
Hey, Barry. I'm curious to know how things went.
Good hits Ron, thanks for sharing....Jack
Thanks! This video was really helpful
I've been soldering circuits since 2007 and I only recently started learning about how to take care of soldering tips. Thanks for the tutorial.
Glad to be of help.
I learned to solder back in the 90’s as a kid. My dad taught me. Anyway, he taught me to use a wet sponge. IMO, nothing beats a wet sponge when it comes to cleaning your iron.
A wet sponge works great. The tinning solution just gives a bit of extra boost to the cleaning and coats the tip in solder.
Great video Ron. I better do some modifications to my flux capacitor!
LOL. We all need one of those.
Excellent video Ron! You know how much I hate soldering and I think you just showed me why. My tips are a black and charred as sin lol
Yup, anyone would hate soldering with a black, oxidized tip. They will not transfer the heat. Get a new tip, tin it, keep it clean and tinned, and who knows, soldering may become your favorite part of the hobby.
Steve, it's also important to use the right tip for the job. For soldering rails, and most general purpose use, I would use a tip that looks like a small standard screwdriver. For soldering electronic components, get a conical or pointed tip. The right tool for the right job.
Thank you
This is the best video I have ever watched on soldering. You did an excellent job of explaining the process. I really learned something today. Thank you, also, have you ever used "solder glue"? I am trying it out on my new layout and it seems to be working very well.
Hi, David. Thank you very much. As for solder glue, no I have not used it. I'm anxious to know how it conducts electricity and how it holds up over time.
Great information Ron. I'm fairly new to soldering.- Scorpio
These tips will make it a much more enjoyable and less frustrating task.
Thank you for sharing a lot of very useful information;PJP
Great detailed video and very direct and to the point! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Ron! For the wlc100 station and the 40 w iron provided, what dial setting on the station do you use for soldering rail joints? 3 ish?
Great video Ron. Much better than Eric’s explanation. :) -Mark
Well this explains a lot Ron. I've never heard of this before and could not figure out why my soldering iron took forever to melt the finest size of solder I could buy from Radio Shack. Time to pull them all out and do some tinning. Is this necessary with the soldering guns as well? You know the ones that look like a pistol. I have one of them made by Weller but I have not tinned it either. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work.
Hi, Roland. I believe that cleaning and tinning your tips will make your soldering a much more enjoyable and less frustrating experience. Yes, you should tin the tip on soldering guns as well. Thanks for your comment.
very helpful video! i just have one question, so after you clean it with the brass sponge between each item you solder, do you tin it again as well? or do you just tin it once in the beginning, and once at the end before you put it away?
Thanks for the informative video, Ron. My poor neglected soldering iron will appreciate it too!
Good Information Ron
Hey, Big Bill. Thanks, and thanks for "stopping by." Good to see you here as always.
I use to work in field service working on computer systems. The soldering iron I use had a tip with only a 1/4 to 5/16 coating on the end for solder. I was also taught only to solder with the very tip of the soldering iron.
Tip: I carried my soldering iron in my portable tool bag. So, I wouldn't have to wait for it to cool down or take the chance of burning something on the customer site seeing I didn't have a stand, I carried a wad of aluminum foil about the size of a large hot dog that I used as a sleeve around the tip to not only cover, but to also dissipate the heat real quick. I just slip the soldering iron in the wadded up sleeve and throw it in my tool bag. Another side effect of the aluminum foil was the cleaning action it performed as I put it in the sleeve.
Hi, Earl. Good tip. Thanks.
Nice!
Great video!
Thanks for the great tips.
Hi great vid, would oven clean work well to clean old soldering tips? or not thank you
Acid paste flux provides superior cleaning for soldering, I use it when solder assembling Fast Tracks turnouts but a note of caution, the solder joints must be cleaned to remove acid flux residue. I use denatured alcohol. Thanks Ron for an informative video.
That is true--subject of another video. Thanks.
Hi, many years ago I met a man who coated the tips of his soldering iron with a silver plating, they were always shining, no oxidation. What do you think about it ?
Good video. Thanks for making it. I never had any formal soldering class/education and it shows. Am I right in understanding that a higher wattage soldering iron allows you to get a joint hotter, quicker so as not to melt/damage nearby parts/circuits? I'm thinking a higher wattage iron would be best for soldering track segments without heating plastic rail ties too much.
Also, if you're able, you might consider raising the Audio Output level of videos like this one. I have the volume on my laptop all the way up, but was still wanting the video to play louder.
Thanks for the sound feedback. As for wattage, you want to strike a balance between heating your work quickly and getting it too hot. For N scale rails I use a 30 watt iron. For fine electronics I use about 10 watts--it just doesn't take much to get them hot and high heat can quickly damage surrounding parts.
Well, I learned something! (shamefully hides steel brush) Thanks Ron!
What temperature do you use for a variable soldering station. A 895d for example
"Just the tip!" - Archer
Great video
I have a really important question, i bought flux and it says its self-cleaning flux, water soluble, but it is white so can i use this to clean my iron
I need the Swayze Express!!
nice video very handy to watch :)
Can you use 63/37 rosin code solder as well
Great how to video
Thanks. Was the re something in particular that you found helpful?
I'm liking the whole video I'm still watching it now but it definitely helps me out knowing what to do to keep my tip of my iron like it needs to be cuz the thing go through them my last layout I went through 7 ironsso I wish this video is out long time ago
After watching your video I learned something new can I appreciate that like I said in the last message I want to 7 soldering iron how wishes video came out a long time ago it would have saved me a lot of money and I need to get some flux and some steel wool before I use my new one starts ordering attract together and wires
Great info thanks so much! Just learning and getting frustrated already. First two attempts didn't go so well. Started with old iron and old solder given to me. The solder job ended up cloudy white and also seen some of it was discolored on the spool. My question is does solder go bad when it gets old?
I don't think solder goes bad, but if it is greenish you probably have an acid core solder. You may want to buy some rosin core solder to use. Also, if you have an old iron and the tip is black, you may want to investin a new tip.
Hi ron, if I screw my tip like sandpaper it till bare metal, does it means its end of life and cannot be recovered? i.e. need to change new tip?
Did you put the flux on after you put the wire ?
Hi Ron thanks so much can the 30 watt iron work for the 40watt station if I plug it in
In N scale 30W will do all the track and feeder work easily. It should also be good for HO track also, but I'm not that experienced with HO.
will this work on replaceable tips?
Nice 👍
I do the winding solder around a new tip thing, I use up old bits of solder I no longer use to do it. Maintenance is the key, and before you run of to celebrate completing one of those cheap SMD practice boards, tin you tip. Or is it just me that goes into celebration mode? I actually keep my boards to monitor my improvement… I'll go back to my sad little corner now.
I’ve seen elsewhere that the tip tinning cleaner should be used before leaving your iron to cool as it works better. I’ve always used it as you do until now and my Hakko T18-D16 must be a year old and looks like new.
I use the Weller brass sponge as it’s finer and seems to clean better, I heard it actually has more/better flux in it. I didn’t even know they have flux in them until then.
What temporature and what kind of solder would I use to solder a small multi strand copper wire to a 5 mm thick round silver rod?
I'm brand new to soldering and I never did this. I kept wondering why after a few connectors soldered why my tip was black and not transferring heat that good. Thanks for the help!
Glad to be of help. Have you tried this? How did it affect your iron's performance?
@@RonsTrainsNThings Yup it made a huge difference!! I never realized that the tip needed a coat of solder but now it works so much better. Thanks again
Damn, already took sandpaper to my tip but it’s ok cause I literally have new ones coming in the mail today lol. Now I know.
Overall good, but... i hope your "cleaning solution" isn't the tip activator xD. That's a procedure you should do once every 6/12 or even more months, when your tip is in really bad shape. It usually has acids in it, and if you keep "cleaning" with it, you won't have a tip, cause it would be eaten away by it.
A thing i do before putting away my soldering iron (a pinecil, so... better not ruin my tips xD), is to put the tin, to a point it creates a sphere, then hold it there till the tip is cold enough, then drop the sphere. This will make sure the tip has a uniform layer of tin on it, fresh and clean, and the flux to protect even more. Also, as you said on the video, don't be scared of the brown color of the tip, it's usually flux that is burnt away, and can actually be helpful to keep oxidation away, make sure you don't use acid based flux, else you ruin your tip if you don't clean it real good.
I understand that the upper part of the tip isn't used for soldering so it doesn't need to be perfect. I was hoping to see an old tip made usable. I suppose I'll just repeat the steps you show & hope that it works for me.
Tips are consumable, and they reach a point of no return. If you cannot get solder to stick it is time to replace it. It isn't going to transfer heat at that point.
I’ve never used paste or the cleaner although I do have them. I just use a brass sponge before and after soldering a component.
hi ron this is my first time commenting on your videos that I'm a big fan of. ive noticed you are using radio shack solder that I also use. unfortunately radio shack has closed in my area a great loss to me and I'm sure to a lot of other modelers
Hi, Bill. Radio Shack is out of business now entirely, a fact about which I have mixed feelings. This roll of solder is a spare that I had stocked up on a few years ago and recently opened.
I never have had much luck trying to tin a tip by heating it just with its own iron. I almost always need to use a second soldering-iron to melt the solder onto the freshly-cleaned tip (I don't know why you say not to use sandpaper or a wire brush to clean the copper tip; that's a necessary step for the solder to adhere properly, especially for a used tip that's already oxidized or soiled with baked-on contaminants. I find that a Lola stainless-steel-mesh scrubbie-pad works best of all, though, for gently removing even very hard or deeply-embedded oxides and deposits, without taking off too much of the tip's base-metal; a little wet-paste Comet cleanser can be a helpful "persuader" for scouring off really "stubborn" build-up) of the first iron. The solder-coiled-around-the-tip method you showed does work sometimes, but you will want to add a thick dabbing of paste-flux to both the tip and the solder prior to heating it, so that oxidation doesn't form before the tip gets hot enough to melt the solder onto itself; the flux should be applied even if you're using rosin-core solder, too, since the solder would have to be heated hot enough to melt (and this temperature would be too hot for oxidation not to form on the bare-copper tip) before the flux inside could touch the tip and stop the new oxidization.
For the last part of your comment about the solder-coiled-around-tip method and the thick dabbing of flux: I am using Novacan's old master's stained glass flux and lead free solder (jewelry making). Can I use this liquid flux on the tip, could the solder, then heat? or is that a big no no
@@BiologicalTableSalt I have always used just regular paste flux, so I am unfamiliar with the liquid type. But in any case, as I said, I have had much better results by using a second iron to heat the first iron's tip when re-tinning, rather than just heating up the iron whose tip I'm trying to tin, and having it oxidize before it gets hot enough to melt the solder. Really, though, if you just get a container of regular paste flux to use for tinning your tips and other general-purpose soldering, this would likely be the best solution, and it's not even very costly, either --- a 1-or-2-ounce container is only a few bucks at a hardware store or eBay, and if you usually just do occasional small soldering-tasks like I do, that container should last you several years.
Are you using lead free solder or rosin core solder to tin the tip
I used rosin core, but either will work.
What's your opinion on using the 'Ammonia Block ?'
Only as a last resort. It is abrasive and is hard on a good tip.
I ruined my first tip because I didn't even know you were supposed to maintain and clean them but after I learned to clean the tip with wool+wet sponge and to keep it tinned I've never had issues since and my tips perform great weeks after being opened, unlike my first one that died after a day of use
I've been finding that rather than leaving a shiny tip, the rosin core seems to burn and leave a charred residue on the tip. How do I avoid this?
I use plumbers solder paste which is cheap and will last for MANY years.Dip the tip and wipe excess off with a dry rag being very careful not to get burned....This works best for me after a lifetime of frustration with this subject...I also can't believe I now own a solder sucking pen after all these years...lol!!!
Did you put some flux onto the tip and then wrapped it with soldering?