solder don't stick, new tip.

[datboi]

solder isn't sticking at all to my iron.

i always tin it when turning it off, not sure maybe i didn't do it properly one time and it oxidized.



i tried dipping it in rosin and applying tin to try to re-tin in like in some youtube videos, but it don't work



i also tried very lightly brushing it with a brass sponge to remove the oxidation layer but nothing seems to help.



why am i having so many issues with this? how do i remove the oxide layer and re-tin it?



(i can't use tip tinner as they don't sell it here, i had to buy it from the internet but delivery is gonna take a while)



is there any way i can restore my tip without tip tinner? i've seen people do it with rosin but it doesn't work ((

https://imgur.com/a/j3l0qSJ pics

the rosin i'm using: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...martRedirect=y



also i have a liquid rosin that is transparent, can't remember where i got that tho. not sure what it is but it gets the job done.

the solder i'm using is likely a 60/40, it doesn't say anything other than it being 2% flux. so since it doesn't specify it's lead free i'm guessing it's a 60/40

[stj]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

what tip temperature did you use?
that looks very strange - why is the end of the top not rounded?

[redwire]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

It looks pretty cheap, what you've bought. The tip probably has lousy plating and not much hope for that to work. Try a Hakko tip

[volkswagenvan]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

Time to get the Sandpaper out!

[stj]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

that will fuck the plating.
what temperature did you use?
and never put flux on a tip - it will dry on it and burn

[datboi]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

what tip temperature did you use?
that looks very strange - why is the end of the top not rounded?

up to 450c

about the tip not being rounded- i don't know? it came likes this, there is also a similar tip but rounded

[datboi]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

It looks pretty cheap, what you've bought. The tip probably has lousy plating and not much hope for that to work. Try a Hakko tip

can't get that in italy...

why should it matter if it's "cheap" i've seen lots of people solder perfectly with cheap stuff...

it's definitely not the best of the best, but it ain't cheap either, i upgraded to this kit from my old one which didn't have temperature control

[datboi]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

that will fuck the plating.
what temperature did you use?
and never put flux on a tip - it will dry on it and burn

no flux on tip? that's what so many people use in youtube videos to clean their tip from oxidation.

i've noticed there is so much contradicting information about soldering online it's giving me a headache honestly, wish there was a clear answer

[datboi]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

Time to get the Sandpaper out!

as far as i'm aware it's a big no no?


how exactly are tips made? copper on the inside with steel or something on the outside? or is there some additional layer of something on the steel?

if not i can't see how that would damage the tip if not done often? as long as you're not taking too much stuff away?

[stj]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

450 is too hot - 330-350 is optimal

[datboi]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

450 is too hot - 330-350 is optimal

i actually don't know much about temps.

i was soldering some 18650 batteries, most guides said to keep 400-480c because you don't wanna heat up the battery.

also, i dont have a welding station, it's just a 60w iron with controllable temp.

so being that there is no station the tip loses heat quicker and takes longer to heat back up, also the reason i used high temps.

is do stay around 350 for most other stuff tho.

is there no way to avoid oxidizing the tip at high temp?

[stj]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

lots of questions.

o.k. lets start with flux, flux is heat activated acid that keeps oxygen off the solder joint your soldering.
if your running 400+ you will oxidise the tip super fast.

if you need good parts in Italy then use Batterfly.
https://www.batterfly.com/shop/

[redwire]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

The tip - it's dead. From your pic, I can see grinding marks (cheap) and porosity, as if it's sintered. I don't remember ever seeing that usually there is a copper core with steel cladding.

Plato guide has some good advice:

"One of the common causes of tip failure is the loss of this protective layer of solder with the result that the tip working surface becomes oxidized. This is commonly referred to as a detinned tip. Simply stated, it reflects the inability of the tip to accept solder and to efficiently transfer heat to the metals to be joined.
Some of the major causes of detinning are:
1. Failure to keep the working end of the tip covered with solder during idling periods.
2. Operating at high temperatures, which speeds oxidation. Maintain the temperature of 800°F (427°C) or less, whenever possible.
3. Use of very small solder wire. Its small diameter carries inadequate flux to keep the tip tinned.
4. Lack of flux in the soldering operation. Use of no clean fluxes and low-residue fluxes.
5. Use of solder with low tin content.
6. Repair and touch-up, and the use of wick.
7. Wiping of tips on dry sponges, man-made sponges, rags, paper towels, or metal wool in lieu of a wet cellulose sponge."

Any of the Weller or Plato tip scrapers are to be used COLD on a tip.

Once I was working with a PC board lead-free, really hard dull solder and adding 60/40 lead and touching up cracked joints. The tip plating got destroyed by the lead-free joints, I'm not sure why. Running at 700°F (370°C). So some solder might wreck a tip's plating, shouldn't be the tin so I'm not sure what happened there. I never need or use tip cleaners, flux pastes etc.

[volkswagenvan]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

as far as i'm aware it's a big no no?

Typically, yes it is a bad idea with a high dollar tip and there should be no need to take such dramatic action.

That being said, a little 500 grit paper has taken the shine off cheap China tips for me in the past and got the solder to stick. Also I may add that the Cheap tips hit the trash when the good ones arrived in the mail!
Night and day difference!

My learning experience.

[redwire]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

I'd never use sandpaper on a soldering iron tip. Not since the days of Radio Shack solid copper tips lol. Why? Because the sandpaper grit is harder that any plating, kiss it goodbye if you rough it up. You have to use something softer to scrape the slag off the tip, assuming it's not dead.

[datboi]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

The tip - it's dead. From your pic, I can see grinding marks (cheap) and porosity, as if it's sintered. I don't remember ever seeing that usually there is a copper core with steel cladding.

Plato guide has some good advice:

"One of the common causes of tip failure is the loss of this protective layer of solder with the result that the tip working surface becomes oxidized. This is commonly referred to as a detinned tip. Simply stated, it reflects the inability of the tip to accept solder and to efficiently transfer heat to the metals to be joined.
Some of the major causes of detinning are:
1. Failure to keep the working end of the tip covered with solder during idling periods.
2. Operating at high temperatures, which speeds oxidation. Maintain the temperature of 800°F (427°C) or less, whenever possible.
3. Use of very small solder wire. Its small diameter carries inadequate flux to keep the tip tinned.
4. Lack of flux in the soldering operation. Use of no clean fluxes and low-residue fluxes.
5. Use of solder with low tin content.
6. Repair and touch-up, and the use of wick.
7. Wiping of tips on dry sponges, man-made sponges, rags, paper towels, or metal wool in lieu of a wet cellulose sponge."

Any of the Weller or Plato tip scrapers are to be used COLD on a tip.

Once I was working with a PC board lead-free, really hard dull solder and adding 60/40 lead and touching up cracked joints. The tip plating got destroyed by the lead-free joints, I'm not sure why. Running at 700°F (370°C). So some solder might wreck a tip's plating, shouldn't be the tin so I'm not sure what happened there. I never need or use tip cleaners, flux pastes etc.

honestly in the pic it looks much worse because it's a macro camera, to the eye it doesn't look much different from a new tip exepct that it became blue due to oxide.

i tried scratching it off a bit before work and it seems to work, i'll try again with some time on my hands so i can do it properly .ty!

"Use of very small solder wire. Its small diameter carries inadequate flux to keep the tip tinned." is 0.8mm wire good enough you think?

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

If you have a polishing wheel clean up with that and try tinting the tip and see if this help

[datboi]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

If you have a polishing wheel clean up with that and try tinting the tip and see if this help

i do have a cloth polishing wheel and wool, you mean just put some abrasive paste and try to remove it? doubt that will nearly be abrasive enough to remove any material to be honest

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

No —>just ( use the cloth type on ) high speed on the buffing wheel until you have a shiny surface and then tinted the tip and see if it will stick to the tip

You do not say what type of solder you are using but if you have leaded solder this will help it stick better to the tip

If you are using lead free solder is a little hard to use you have to have the temperature higher and you might need use the type that has flux but not the no clean type in the solder not just flux to me this is different type of flux

I would highly recommend that you use a battery stud welder and put tabbing on your battery terminals and avoid soldering if you can help it yes you can solder them but you have to have your iron hot enough use good quality solder and you need some type of tabbing still left on the battery for this process to be done easier ( one note some 18650 type batteries have to much steal in them and if this is the case it is much harder to solder some tabbing is the same exact way so make sure that when you buy tabbing that it is nickel and that it is 100% not just plated you can use plated type but if you scrape it then it becomes harder to use )

Something like this

https://www.ebay.com/itm/31338813135...53.m2749.l2649

This is what I use to weld tabbing on 18650 batteries and it works very good one note do not do more than 2 welds per 10 seconds because if you do you might lock the the controller up and you will have power cycle it to be able to use it correctly again

[datboi]

Re: solder don't stick, new tip.

No —>just ( use the cloth type on ) high speed on the buffing wheel until you have a shiny surface and then tinted the tip and see if it will stick to the tip

You do not say what type of solder you are using but if you have leaded solder this will help it stick better to the tip

If you are using lead free solder is a little hard to use you have to have the temperature higher and you might need use the type that has flux but not the no clean type in the solder not just flux to me this is different type of flux

I would highly recommend that you use a battery stud welder and put tabbing on your battery terminals and avoid soldering if you can help it yes you can solder them but you have to have your iron hot enough use good quality solder and you need some type of tabbing still left on the battery for this process to be done easier ( one note some 18650 type batteries have to much steal in them and if this is the case it is much harder to solder some tabbing is the same exact way so make sure that when you buy tabbing that it is nickel and that it is 100% not just plated you can use plated type but if you scrape it then it becomes harder to use )

Something like this

https://www.ebay.com/itm/31338813135...53.m2749.l2649

This is what I use to weld tabbing on 18650 batteries and it works very good one note do not do more than 2 welds per 10 seconds because if you do you might lock the the controller up and you will have power cycle it to be able to use it correctly again

WOW, it works wonders, i never though something so soft could work, thanks!!! can this be done often or does this also shorten tip life?