Soldering Station Solutions

trainrider06

Active Member
Yup, I usually just coat it in solder and shut it off...if not you'll have to clean the tip up everytime you use it.
 

trainrider06

Active Member
I've always done that, it's how my dad taught me, + I've read that's how some have suggested.
But I've also read where some say to wipe it clean.
I guess it's personal preference, I just like when I heat the iron, I just wipe it on a damp sponge and ready to go.
 

Tony

Staff member
Interesting, I have always completely cleaned my tips when I'm done. Never put solder on it since it will tarnish with the heat. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, but if the manual says otherwise, I would follow them.
 

trainrider06

Active Member
This Ol Weller of my dads sat out in his shop at least 5 years after his death, and I finally started taking some of his tools back with me this past year. He had it tinned up with solder on the tip, and it was just fine.
I've read somewhere, a guy says even if ones a little mucked up just take fine steel wool to it...
Don't know about that though ain't tried it...
 

Tony

Staff member
You know what, I may be thinking of acid core solder. I just remember a tip that I left solder on and it ate it. But this has been many years ago and I bet you it was acid core.
 
Yea Tony I bet it had to be acid core. I chatted with a Hakko USA tech this afternoon and they definitely said to plop some solder on the tip after cleaning prior to shut down. They also gave me 2 doc's on it I will post that has some interesting info in them.
Well cranked her up and went to town on the toughest items I had trouble with on the other unit. Used the S3 tip and at 750 I had the solder bubbling within 10 seconds on a bullet connector I couldn't use due to the other unit not heating it up enough.
700 was great for 12 Guage wire I could have even took it down to 650 for that.
So far so good. I think the Hakko and I will have a long lasting relationship [emoji12]
 
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