Hi everyone, i've just got me a new gas soldering iron, and need to tin the bit, since it is new, and they say i need to. Now i've had to do this to my other two soldering irons(1 240v, 1 12v) in the past, and i've not really made a very good job of it. since i want to get it right this time can any one sujest the best method they know for doing this. thanks
The way I did mine seems quite easy to me. I, too, recently bought a new soldering iron and the way I tinned it was as follows: Get a piece of solder roughly 3-5 cm long. With the soldering iron turned off, wrap the solder around the nib such that it covers the size you wish to be usable for soldering. Hold the soldering iron upright so that the "solder cap" does not fall off the nib. Turn on the soldering iron and wait for the solder to melt.
i just heated the iron up, straightened out a pieve of solder, and moved the tip along, not leaving it anywhere long enough to melt all the way through. also rotate to get the whole tip. worked just fine, nice and shiny, and it makes smooth, strong joints. something about the solder "cap'' method and a strem of solder flowing down my iron sounds a bit sketchy. that's just me though.
The main problem with tinning is that flux gets onto the iron, and stops the solder from tinning the iron. What you need to try and do is find some fluxless solder, or solder some joints with another soldering iron, burn off the flux, and then unsolder them with the new iron.
Only if you let flux burn to carbon. Just get it hot, quick wipe on a slightly moist sponge and tin with electronics-grade multicore solder. With a plated bit, never file it. If it's badly caked up, clean with a brass wire brush. Keep the sponge handy when you're soldering, and clean any crud off frequently.
