Just arrived - my soldering station

Just after I posted this thread UPS delivered my soldering station.  It wasn't cheap,but I wanted to do everything I can to insure success in soldering those tiny (to me) components.  Here's a picture of the unit:

Nice Iron

That's a nice soldering station Rick.  My Weller WLC-100 station is not as nice, or as expensive but it solders those little parts just fine.  Having a temp controlled station may help but it's the hand behind the iron that makes it look easy, ala Michael.

I've been dreaming of upgrading to a Hakko station.  At just over $100 it seems like a good deal.

https://www.adafruit.com/products/1204

Now get soldering and show us your illuminated boards.

Rick, nice new tool. I would

Rick, nice new tool. I would suggest a new method for testing the soldering iron to see if it is hot. I have watched lots of guys do a quick grab to see if it is hot and before long they have fingers that look like they have been burned because they have. I would suggest a wet sponge for cleaning the tip and when one touches it one can hear the sizzle.

Really looking forward to your new lights as well.

I can't touch it to my tongue?

Rob,  LOL!  I actually have a laser heat sensing gun to check the temp.

Kevin,  I'm still waiting on my solder before I can begin. :-(

I can't touch it to my tongue?

How do think they used to do it in the old days

Randy

Randy - LOL!

OUCH!  A case of engaging tongue before brain?

Now that's a job title to

Now that's a job title to strive for.     'Soldering Iron Tip Tester'

Kinda rolls off the tongue.....     quickly !

Randy

iRON

I have been using that same type for over 20 years, they are great !!!

Update - the resistors will probably ship this Monday or Tuesday

I just heard from Bill B. that my resistors will probably ship this Monday or Tuesday.  I'm getting closer to having everything I need to proceed!

Call me old fashion but

Call me old fashion but doesn't that Weller unit tell you what temp the iron is set to and if its like my Hakko, takes about 30 seconds to heat up.

Not sure on the Weller

I think it's not only the set temp, but actually the temp of the tip.  I haven't read the data sheets yet, but purchased it because that's what Michael uses.  If it's good enough for Michael then it's good enough for me.  I trust Michael's  decisions completely.

For those of you who have

For those of you who have read about my club.

We just give things to Leroy and he tells us if it is hot cold wet or dry, in fact we don't even have to give them to him he just needs to be able to reach them and see them.

I think it's not only the set

Correct. Can't wait until I see the blisters on your fingers !

Sizzle

Yup, that's how I do it. I think the folks who use their fingers must just not be too bright...

John

EDIT: I used to hold the tip under my nose to feel the heat. Did it for years until one time I missed. I'm a bit wiser now.

Wet Sponge

Throw the wet sponge away.  Get a brass tip cleaning sponge and use that instead.

Adafruit Brass tip cleaner

I have always used the tip of my solder roll to test tip temperature...

Kevin - great minds....

I already purchased a brass tip cleaner as I heard that they work much better than a sponge - and they don't need to be wetted.  Picture from Amazon.com

Awesome

Rick,

Great minds indeed!

Yes, I like my brass sponge a lot.  Never needs wetting and does not cool off the tip at all when you clean.  Knock the solder out of it now and then and it will serve you well for years.

Remember to clean often.

I've considered buying one of

I've considered buying one of those tip cleaners as well. I have been using the old damp sponge method since I was a kid. It seems to work very well. I guess my question, is the brass wire ball really any better, or is it just ease of use.  Maybe I have just developed a special skill in twisting my iron on the sponge...... still works for me. Since my weller soldering station has a sponge holder under the stand, not having another item on the workbench can be a plus.  Perhaps there is a good reason for the wire cleaners and those in the know can chime in on this.

Many thanks

Randy

I think it denends

I use both types of cleaner, sponge and wire. On PC board work, the sponge works well. The secret is to clean the tip when setting the iron down, or if it's been in the stand for more than a couple of minutes. This prevents any build up of burned rosin. The tiny amount of solder hanging on the tip is removed by tapping the iron on the edge of the sponge holder. When working with heavy wire and lots of solder, the brass shavings remove excess solder which tends to burn holes in the sponge. The sponge is used every four or five joints.

I use the wire when soldering track, with the occasional touch up on a (different) sponge*. A wet sponge is also handy for cooling big joints.

pqe

*Different iron too. Acid and rosin fluxes never mix.

Wet Sponge VS Brass Tip Cleaner

It's a hotly debated topic by some.  The wet (that means damp) sponge (it should never be WET) is arguably the best way to remove chemical contaminants from the iron tip.  If you only solder electronics with resin flux, odds are it's not an issue for you.

I find the brass sponge cleans my tip very well and quickly, without a need for the twist and drag motion I used to use on the damp sponge.

I don't need to have water (should be distilled) on hand and I never find myself with a dirty tip, a dry sponge  and no way to properly clean my tip without going to dampen the sponge first.  There is no convenient tap in my shop and tap water is no good anyway.

Why must it be distilled?  If you are using tap water, chlorine and minerals will impact the life of the tip over time.  The fact is, water, any water, invites corrosion.  Corrosion causes the tip to resist tinning and will eventually ruin the tip.

Even if using warm water to wet your sponge there is some amount of thermal shock generated when you stick the tip in the damp sponge.  The colder the water and the wetter the sponge, the more severe the thermal shock.  Thermal shock effects tip life causing cracking in the chromium plating that protects the core of the iron tip.

Cooling.  If the sponge is just damp and warm it's not as dramatic but I have experienced a cool tip from wet cleaning on at least one occasion.  It's brief but it's there.

The bottom line is both methods work to a degree.  The damp sponge is better at removing chemicals and contaminants.  It might be the best option for cleaning just before putting the iron away for storage, with a good tinning first of course.  The brass sponge cleans very well just by inserting the tip into the coils.  It's great for soldering these boards because I am cleaning my tip quite often when working on pcb boards and with SMT components, even more so.

I don't find myself having issues with chemicals so I threw away my wet sponge and now use the tray on my Weller station to hold my tin of 'MG Tip Tinner' and some spare tips.  I find tip tinner is great for extending the life of a tip or for reviving an overheated or badly oxidized tip.  I have rejuvenated a tip that would not take tinning with solder by using tip tinner.

Having the brass sponge separate from the station is handy for me.  I have more than just the one soldering station in my soldering tools arsenal.  I even have an iron that is butane fueled.  The thing is, all my irons need to have their tips cleaned but I don't only solder at my workbench.  Having the tip cleaner in it's own container separate from the soldering station is a must have for me.

My thoughts on the subject.  Use whatever method suits you best.

The Secret...

I have to say that the secret, is to never set the iron down without cleaning then re-tinning first.  If you set your iron in the stand cleaned but not tinned, you'll have an oxidized tip very shortly.

Anytime I pick up the iron from the stand, I clean it first because it has a blob of oxidized molten solder on the tip from when I tinned just prior to setting it in the stand.

Maybe it's overkill.  It's how I do it.

In my ignorance

I never worried about distilled water or tinning Weller tips. Tip life when I was working as an electronics tech* was 5 to 10 years- that's with daily soldering sessions of 10 minutes to all day. Over 40 years, I've replaced a dozen tips at most. Maybe that's because of their high tech tip construction. Every Weller I've ever bought came with a sponge holder, but I see they are now encouraging dry cleaning.

On the other hand, tips on other brands would only last a few weeks or months. (I've bought nothing but Weller for the last 30 years, but the experiences of my students tell me this is still true.) Tips on free running irons are the worst, because they will heat up to 1500 degrees if left unattended for long.

I suspect distilled water is only necessary if you

• have particularly cruddy water
• are working with SMDs

​I can see how the odd crumb of carbonate would mess that up.

My first experience with soldering was in a junior high school metal shop class ca 1960. We would heat the irons over a gas flame, tin them by dipping them red-hot into a bucket of flux (what a sound), then rub them on an ingot of solder. A wet rag removed the excess. Since then I've soldered with everything from an alcohol lamp (using a blowpipe to get a hot flame) to a blowtorch. Weller irons are a natural extension of my hands.

pqe

*My university job was 50% technician, 50% teacher.

Mileage may vary...

You have faired much better than I.  However my first soldering experience was not done over a fire started with Flint and Iron Pyrite.

Nor have I been certified by NASA, the US Military, or Berkley's Engineering dept.

My lowly experience pales beside that of the soldering greats who have come up through the ranks, soldering on space stations, battleships and university super computers, like many guys on this forum.

I do have extremely cruddy water.  Will not drink it or cook with it, why would I 'clean' (and I use the term loosely) my soldering iron with it?  I am also soldering SMT parts, that's kind of where this discussion began...

In any event, even Weller agrees with me.  The wet sponge is not the way to clean anymore!

Very interesting discussion,

Very interesting discussion, thanks for sharing. In the few posts above a great deal of info was provided to those of us that thought soldering was nothing more than melted lead based metal.