soldering iron tip like eroded

Comments

• Martin_H Posts: 4,051

  2012-04-29 19:20 edited 2012-04-29 19:20

  From what I've read the inside of the tip is made of copper to transfer heat and the outside is plated with another metal to strengthen the tip. But the flux and solder slowly dissolves the plating and once it is breached the copper dissolves readily in the molten solder.
  
  I've never had one go that dramatically, but usually the tip gets soft over time as the metal is annealed by the heating and cooling. Then the tip begins to erode and it is time to get a new one.
• Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

  2012-04-29 19:24 edited 2012-04-29 19:24

  That looks pretty "tip-ical" for a plating breach. 'Time for a new tip.
  
  -Phil
• Leon Posts: 7,620

  2012-04-29 19:38 edited 2012-04-29 19:38

  Copper dissolves in molten solder, so tips are coated with iron. If there is a break in the coating, the tip gets eroded.
• Peter KG6LSE Posts: 1,383

  2012-04-29 20:18 edited 2012-04-29 20:18

  I have seen this on my OLD weller gun .. I use for fast jobs a tip I make on the spot of No.16 -12 solid wire ..
  
  its all Copper . but in 2 hours of use I have dissolved a entire tip ..
  
  
  Peter
• potatohead Posts: 10,261

  2012-04-29 20:29 edited 2012-04-29 20:29

  Anyone try this?
  
  http://www.finishing.com/379/18.shtml
• rwgast_logicdesign Posts: 1,464

  2012-04-29 21:56 edited 2012-04-29 21:56

  wow ive had tips go bad on me before, but i really never took to good care of my irons basically only used them for some stereo stuff. but ive never seen a tip decay like this. The thing that suck is I bought a 40 watt weller iron kit about 3 weeks ago at home depot. The thing had that tip and two chisel looking tips, I hate the chisel tips, im finishing up my board with it and its just making my work alot more messy. Iike I said I seriously clean this tip at least every three joints and I make sure to clean it well and re-tin the tip after use... I cant belive I only got three weeks out of the thing, and what really sucks is I have no local place to buy new tips. I seriously have to go buy a whole new iron out of the 4 to choose from in this town to get a new tip. Seriously three weeks?? Is that normal for a fine tip? Ive seen people use copper wire tips before but this irons tips have kind of a fat base so that wont work, plus making a tip for two hours of use doesnt seem like its worth the effort... Is there some way I can make tips last longer, at least a few months?
• VonSzarvas Posts: 3,593

  2012-04-29 22:52 edited 2012-04-29 22:52

  ...are you sure the flux is not the demon here?
  
  Or perhaps that tip had an unfortunate manufacturing fault. Might be worth to send an email and picture to Weller- I am guessing they have some sort of customer service or head office contact shown at their website. They might be very interested in your experience which might represent an issue with their internal quality controls, and they also might be able to post you a replacement fairly quickly. Of course they also might just tell you what "you" have done wrong But that could also be useful advice!
• potatohead Posts: 10,261

  2012-04-30 00:09 edited 2012-04-30 00:09

  Did you "tin" it on initial use, and at times during?
  
  http://www.instructables.com/id/Soldering-101%3A-Lesson-1%3A-Tin-the-Tip/
• rwgast_logicdesign Posts: 1,464

  2012-04-30 00:25 edited 2012-04-30 00:25

  yes i tinned it when it was new, and i stated above i re tin and clean before putting away
• potatohead Posts: 10,261

  2012-04-30 01:58 edited 2012-04-30 01:58

  Yeah, didn't see it. I had trouble when I failed to do that.
  
  I think I agree with the above. Defect.
• Martin_H Posts: 4,051

  2012-04-30 05:55 edited 2012-04-30 05:55

  rwgast_logicdesign wrote: »

  . i also use alot of flux, i got the flux out of a tourch kit.

  
  What kind of flux is it? Rosin or acid? I could see acid flux eat away the iron plating and causing this.
• phishguy Posts: 36

  2012-04-30 08:54 edited 2012-04-30 08:54

  I would guess that the previous poster is correct. The tourch kit flux I would imagine is for soldering copper pipes and is quite corrosive. I would recommend not using this flux for electrical/electronic circuits.
• Mark_T Posts: 1,981

  2012-04-30 10:09 edited 2012-04-30 10:09

  phishguy wrote: »

  I would guess that the previous poster is correct. The tourch kit flux I would imagine is for soldering copper pipes and is quite corrosive. I would recommend not using this flux for electrical/electronic circuits.

  
  Be stronger than that - DONT USE corrosive (acid) flux on PCBs - they are very strong acids and you should be using goggles and gloves if handling/soldering the stuff. Such acids probably attack the FR4 itself over time let alone the thin copper traces.
• Duane Degn Posts: 10,588

  2012-04-30 11:29 edited 2012-04-30 11:29

  I'm going to agree with those thinking the flux from the torch kit being the problem. That's not meant for electronics.
• rwgast_logicdesign Posts: 1,464

  2012-04-30 21:50 edited 2012-04-30 21:50

  the ingredients listed are zinc chloride, ammonium chloride, copper, bismuth.
• Leon Posts: 7,620

  2012-04-30 22:12 edited 2012-04-30 22:12

  The zinc chloride will dissolve the tip.
• rwgast_logicdesign Posts: 1,464

  2012-05-01 03:08 edited 2012-05-01 03:08

  Is that gonna eat away at my perfboards too? I don't understand how its so harsh when its used to brase copper.
• Leon Posts: 7,620

  2012-05-01 03:15 edited 2012-05-01 03:15

  Yes, it will damage wires and tracks.
  
  Fluxes like that are always washed off, to remove all traces of them, after assembly..
• Heater. Posts: 21,230

  2012-05-02 02:28 edited 2012-05-02 02:28

  A long time ago as a student I took a summer job correcting thousands of defective electronic widgets off a production line. I would get through a soldering iron tip every day.
• Leon Posts: 7,620

  2012-05-02 03:16 edited 2012-05-02 03:16

  Ersin used to make solder with a small amount of copper in it, to reduce bit wear. I think it was called "Savbit".