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Seeking Advice: Persistent Blackening of Soldering Iron Tip
- Thread starter denni
- Start date
About 97% of lead is recycled.
Hi,
I would guess that the temperature of the iron is being set too high.
You can usually idle it at a lower temperature between soldering, then turn it back up just before you go to solder something.
Tips will always blacken if the temperature is set too high.
If the solder type is in question, then go get some better solder. I use 63/37 mostly but also 60/40 that I have from some years back. Always get rosin core, not acid core, and don't get solder with no core at all.
The right solder and the right tip temperature will get you there, possibly combined with lowing the temperature when not using it. I actually turn mine off between solder jobs because when I need it, it heats up fast enough for the next job with hardly any wait time at all.
For professional work you might want to recognize that solder has an expiration date, especially solder paste for SMD work. I never had a problem with either of these in the past though. I have some 60/40 solder i have had since something like 1980 and it still works. It may be the rosin core that expires as it may not flow as well after years of sitting on a shelf. Still use my 1980 solder though once in a while when i need thicker solder wire. I've used my SMD solder paste something like 3 years after the expiration date and it still flows very nicely. I keep mine in the refrigerator when not being used which is highly recommended.
I would guess that the temperature of the iron is being set too high.
You can usually idle it at a lower temperature between soldering, then turn it back up just before you go to solder something.
Tips will always blacken if the temperature is set too high.
If the solder type is in question, then go get some better solder. I use 63/37 mostly but also 60/40 that I have from some years back. Always get rosin core, not acid core, and don't get solder with no core at all.
The right solder and the right tip temperature will get you there, possibly combined with lowing the temperature when not using it. I actually turn mine off between solder jobs because when I need it, it heats up fast enough for the next job with hardly any wait time at all.
For professional work you might want to recognize that solder has an expiration date, especially solder paste for SMD work. I never had a problem with either of these in the past though. I have some 60/40 solder i have had since something like 1980 and it still works. It may be the rosin core that expires as it may not flow as well after years of sitting on a shelf. Still use my 1980 solder though once in a while when i need thicker solder wire. I've used my SMD solder paste something like 3 years after the expiration date and it still flows very nicely. I keep mine in the refrigerator when not being used which is highly recommended.
Last edited:
Welcome to AAC.
The photo looks to me like a very low quality tip and the results you are getting are exactly what I would expect.
A good tip will be made of copper, and plated with iron. There will be a nickel plating above the working part of the tip to prevent the solder from creeping up. Nickle doesn’t readily wet with the solder used for electronics. There will also be a protective chrome plating.
Anyone who has used the really cheap old-school irons where the tip is nothing but a thick iron wire held in what a grub screw, and left it on overnight with residue on it, should recognize your tip’s condition. Some cheap tips are only iron, and not very good iron. I think if you invest in better tips, you will not have this problem any more.
The iron looks like it almost certainly takes the same tips as a Hakko FX88. Buy a real Hakko tip and try that. I think it will be a revelation. If I am correct, the difference should be dramatic.
The photo looks to me like a very low quality tip and the results you are getting are exactly what I would expect.
A good tip will be made of copper, and plated with iron. There will be a nickel plating above the working part of the tip to prevent the solder from creeping up. Nickle doesn’t readily wet with the solder used for electronics. There will also be a protective chrome plating.
Anyone who has used the really cheap old-school irons where the tip is nothing but a thick iron wire held in what a grub screw, and left it on overnight with residue on it, should recognize your tip’s condition. Some cheap tips are only iron, and not very good iron. I think if you invest in better tips, you will not have this problem any more.
The iron looks like it almost certainly takes the same tips as a Hakko FX88. Buy a real Hakko tip and try that. I think it will be a revelation. If I am correct, the difference should be dramatic.
Sure, it is but must be refined in the recycling process to recover pure lead. The point I was making is that using scrap lead can be problematic due to alloying. If you don't care about alloying, it is cast into many things, fishing sinkers being but one example. I would not use scrap lead (as apparently some solder makers may do) to create solder that is specifically alloyed.
