Recoating a Tip?

[bigbeark]

I have a Hakko 936 with a 2.4mm chisel tip taht I use for recapping.
I have managed to "clean off" the iron coating, so now you see the copper underneath.

I coat the tip with solder, but it doesn't stay. If I use tip cleaner I still have to repeatedly re-tin the tip.

My idea is to use a solder with a higher melting point - say silver solder to tin the tip.

Then when I am using the regular stuff, the tip will stay tinned.

Any comments?

[jsog]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

There's tip tinner.

[Toasty]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

A "real" silver solder is usually an acid-based core. Not good for tips. Fine for metalwork and torch. The electronics solders with silver in them are rosin core, but there is no gain to tip longevity, only joint strength.

Your best bet is to keep spare tips handy and replace them when you reach the point you are at now.

I remember when Radio Shack introduced the iron coated tips for their irons 30+ years ago. What a god-send!

[Krankshaft]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

Radioshack still sells the crappy copper tips for their higher wattage irons last time I checked anyone who still uses their crap must go through tips quickly.

[smason]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

I dunno. $2.59 on Ebay for a new tip, seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

I dunno. $2.59 on Ebay for a new tip, seems like a no-brainer to me.

True. But i've never had to replace a tip in my life... altho i still have plenty of time ahead. My 25W iron belonged to my grandfather. It's made in Russia and it's over 20 years old IIRC. It came with a big round copper bar for a tip. When it gets dirty, it can be cleaned using sandpaper. When i need to solder SMDs, i can sand it till the tip gets sharp enough for what i want to solder. Then when the tip has gotten short due to all that sanding, i can simply loosen a screw and pull more of the bar out. It has enough to last another 10 years.

[mathog]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

I have a Hakko 936 with a 2.4mm chisel tip taht I use for recapping.
I have managed to "clean off" the iron coating, so now you see the copper underneath.

If you really want to you could probably electroplate iron onto it. Oh heck, somebody else must have thought of that and tried it already. Googling... Yup, it can be done, here's a link:

http://www.finishing.com/379/18.shtml

[ratdude747]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

Radioshack still sells the crappy copper tips for their higher wattage irons last time I checked anyone who still uses their crap must go through tips quickly.

the desoldering irons are the worst... 45w and the tips of the tips are thin... but when you have no $ for a hakko 808, you use what you can get.

[Toasty]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

If you really want to you could probably electroplate iron onto it. Oh heck, somebody else must have thought of that and tried it already. Googling... Yup, it can be done, here's a link:

http://www.finishing.com/379/18.shtml

Neat stuff!

But, that's a lot of work (and some really nasty chemicals) for a <$5 tip.
I'm with smason on this one.

[smason]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

Un1qu3, I suspect my Weller is older than you by a few years

I've only replaced the tip on my Weller once in 30some years, and that was because the temp sensor got flakey, the tip itself still looked great.
I only replaced the one on my Hakko (which I got free) because it was too big. I did have to replace the element, but it had sat powered on 8 hours a day for years in the shop that I got it from.
That said, if I "cleaned" the plating off of a tip, I'd just replace it.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

Un1qu3, I suspect my Weller is older than you by a few years

Could very well be. Btw, scratch that 20 years about my iron... it's likely more than 30 years old. As i grow up i forgot to restate the age of some of my tools... a habit i guess.

As for me, i'm gonna be 20 next month.

[smason]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

As for me, i'm gonna be 20 next month.

Jeez, most of my test gear and tools are older than you.

Feeling old now, pass the Geritol.

[ChaoZ]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

Radioshack still sells the crappy copper tips for their higher wattage irons last time I checked anyone who still uses their crap must go through tips quickly.

I've used an Antex copper pointed tip, for my 230v mains soldering iron. It's good quality but it disintegrate itself after every use.

*BLAH* After 6 months and it is gone. my $$$.

On the other hand, the tip refresher/activator/tinner is as expensive as a new tip.

[Digital Technophile]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

There's tip tinner.

Thanks for the "tip"

Jeez, most of my test gear and tools are older than you.

Feeling old now, pass the Geritol.

Hey now smason, you're only as old as you feel; got any Geritol left?

As for me, i'm gonna be 20 next month.

Man, that means you were born when I was in 10th grade!!! Seriously, I'd love to be 20 (hmmm, make that 21) again! Enjoy your twenties Th3_uN1Qu3, we're coming over there to kick your ass if you don't

[Uranium-235]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

I remember our old shop manager sanding down regular tips with sandpaper

and our new manager saying he'll replace caps with a pen torch

I work with a bunch of idiots

and he says he might visit here, so yes TERRY i'm talking about you

[Evil Lurker]

Re: Recoating a Tip?

Im a cheap bastard and use harbor freight soldering irons. If I catch them on sale I can get them for less than $4 each. Use my glas-col heating mantle controller to regulate their heat if need be. When a tip gets too fu-barred I just take and rub it on a fine bastard file until it has a nice sharp tip on it. Then immediately retin it before it has a chance to oxidize.

I know this isn't "good form" but it works in the end. The irons themselves will run a looong time plugged in before they die, and you can do a lot of filing on a tip before it wears out. When it goes, I just buy a new iron.

Radio shack desoldering irons are total crap. I do good to get one to run for 12 hours or so before they die. My current desoldering iron uses the same pumping mechanism, but the tip has been replaced with a heavy copper gas torch tip modded to screw in where the dinky stocker went. For heat I filed the shaft that goes into the iron down to where it will fit in a harbor freight iron, and provide supplimental heat via a bunsen burner. Needless to say it will handle joints soldered with that RoHS bullshit in an instant... ya know the kind where you can literally set the PCB on fire and the joint still remains solid.

I plan on kludging some sort of heat reservoir onto a harbor freight iron, adding on a grounding strap, and modding a foot switch to momentarily turn the iron off when working on sensistive stuff. Pick up iron, push on foot pedal right before you solder the joint, and use the heat stored in the reservoir to get the job finished.