I've returned to electronics as a hobby after a break of 10 years or so. My soldering iron is a bit the worse for wear. The tip has some black spots on it that keep it from holding solder on those spots when I try to tin the iron before soldering. Those spots also will not transfer heat to the wires I want to solder. I have to find a clean spot on the tip to get the job done.
I'd like to clean up the tip. I tried some fine-grain sandpaper, and that took a lot of it off. But some black spots remain. Should I use a knife to scrape them off? Use some coarser sandpaper? Or just give up and buy a new tip?
Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions from their more extensive experience.
When you get a new one, get two of them. That way you'll have a spare when you screw one up. You'll see that you kill it when you really want to finish that one circuit and all stores are closed
You should also get a variety of sizes and types of tips, so you can change them round when you solder different things. I would buy a large chisel tip, a smaller chisel tip and a pointy tip. This allows you to solder in small spaces, join thick wires and have a spare tip for playing around with.
You should also get a variety of sizes and types of tips, so you can change them round when you solder different things. I would buy a large chisel tip, a smaller chisel tip and a pointy tip. This allows you to solder in small spaces, join thick wires and have a spare tip for playing around with.
I'd say that's a bit un-necessary - Maybe 2 tips. I've managed with a 2-3mm chisel tip for about a year and I solder everything with it - you just need practice and some good solder.
