Kudu:
majenko:
Kudu:
majenko:
Kudu:
I've been having some issues with temperature loss when using a wet sponge. Also, aren't "tip tinners" just a mixture of solder and (more) weak flux?No, there's an abrasive element in there as well to scrape the tip.
Interesting. It's always been recommended to me not to abrase the tip regularly.
Only because that removes the nice tinned layer that helps it work. This puts it back on again at the same time.
Ah, I see. Thanks.
I heard that regular copper-coated scourers can be substituted for these higher-end tip cleaners, the major difference being the lack of a flux coating. What do you think? Do they do the job?
I used (solid copper versions) them all the time with my radio shack irons, as the wet sponge caused them to fracture and rot away, and the brass sponges were more expensive than the irons. I still use them when I accidentally get plastic or some other hard crud on the iron, but they are more abrasive than the brass, and leave your tip very dry
pro-tip though, make sure its solid copper, I got some at family dollar that were copper coated, and made a freaking mess as the coating would flake off and junk up the tip and my desk.