How to clean Soldering Tip

About sandpaper, use only sandpaper grit 600 1000 1500 or higher (called High grit, Ultra fine sandpaper)
- wrong way : sandpaper (low grit) with high pressure like abrasive, sander machine
- correct way : sandpaper (600+) with low or enough pressure by finger

[mrbill]

For those who still use sponges for tip cleaning, make sure you only use distilled water. Tap water can contain a high level of minerals which can affect the cleanliness of the tip.

[md_nawshin_zaman]

"Clean tip and apply solder before leaving or turning off".
I learnt this after years of experience. And this really works.

[less-name]

when i was 17 in high school
my teacher didn`t told us that tip
"just soldering"
now I'm 38..
thank u so much
by korea

[TheKojak]

This is the most I’m depth explanations of how to without even saying a word. I now have to go find a video by this person to see how their solder joints look, I bet it’s a work of art.

[sogeking_x]

That's one hell of a dedication for cleaning an iron soldering tip. This is very helpful indeed. Great effort and great video!

[kyle]

Here's how to prevent all of this from ever happening: Before you put your soldering iron away, tin the tip with a good blob of solder and let it cool like that. It will protect the tip from oxidation and you will never have this problem.

[minipolenet]

This will rather damage your tip. The end of soldering iron tip is iron plated copper. The substance that oxidizes the iron coating on the tip is tin. Because lead-free solder is much higher in tin content, the soldering iron manufacturer responded to lead-free solder, increasing the thickness of the iron(metal) coating on the tip, but if it is too thick, it affects heat conduction performance, so the iron tip is still not manufactured strong enough to be mechanically polished. If the copper core behind the coating is exposed, the tip will be discarded because solder will not stick. Never scratch or grind the tip except for visible debris. If the tip is periodically retinned with a fresh solder and is insufficient, the oxide can be removed using an ammoniac tining block. This is the real way to use tips for a long time.

[NZer]

Level 5: Sandpaper
Level 10: Angle grinder

[pwarrow]

Wow how you managed to make a 15 min video about cleaning soldering tips enjoyable to watched is beyond me.
Also love your pick of music it was great also the amount of detail you went into. Especially for the both methods of high and low abrasion while using the razor was very helpful. Not to mention steel wool and soldering wick. Somehow I never though of using those things.

[ovalwingnut]

---One of the most WONDERFULLY INSTRUCTIVE, ENTERTAINING & ENJOYABLE videos I've watched on YouTube "to date". You managed to bring together every success and failure I've experienced over these many decades and condense it down to 16 mins. Recommend this to be the 1st stop for anyone soldering, new and seasoned. You are the "Soldering Iron Whisperer"!. Thanks so much. Cheers

[danieldollive]

This is by far amazing, I will be showing my techs this very video for tip maintenance especially for the microsoldering stations. Absolutely an amazing watch. These Tips cost upwards of $40 and end up with dead spots due to oxidation and corrosive fluxes. This is absolutely a must watch and save. Highly recommending this to techs and novice user's.

[Brian_L_]

This is lifesaver & giving us so many options. I have been soldering wrong for years!

For people complaining about what's right or wrong method, try all then put up a video to explain!

[tanishqbhaiji]

this guy gets it, only thing I would like to add is that you have to turn the temperature down while performing the more abrasive methods otherwise the tip gets reoxidised very quickly.

[smgvbest]

First care is to keep your tip cleaned and tinned when not in use meaning keep solder on it and wipe it off when actually soldering. Also don't use more heat than needed. if a tip is in this condition it's had way to much heat used. Using any abrasive is going to ruin your tip. The brass tip cleaner works because brass is softer than the metal in your up. steam wool, sandpaper etc are all harder and will remove the fine coating on the tip. once that is gone you tip is useless.
just trying to help you care for you're tips. it's up to you but with proper care a tip can last many years. my weller still has the original tip from 30 years ago. I keep it tinned and clean before every joint.

[Gunzee]

I'm blessed to have the type of girl who not only shares in my passions but deeply values tools.
I'm mopping a old led sound meter and my tip shines. I really appreciate her hard with and no doubt she appreciates my tip.

[MrPimpVick]

Just had to say not only is this educational, very good by the way. I also relieved a lot of stress I was carrying this day due to the nature of the video and it’s satisfying music. Thank you 🙏

[qtom]

I never used to clean my tip more than stage 1 or 2. The bras whole is the most aggressive I ever used. I really don't want to have more than the contract surface of the tip and 3 mm obove to be cleaned. In fact I've observed that the oxide of the rest is helping in keep my tip temperature more steady. It's working like an insulator for heat loss and that is helping my welding process.

[stealthcamo]

Thank you so much! Just starting soldering for a side-gig and how green I am. Got some lvl 3 tips already and I realize I have to clean them much more often. Thanks for showing how.

[RC-Heli]

I had the best perfectly tinned solder tip you've ever seen on my butane soldering iron the other evening when trying to finish up the DRL lights on my Kenworth T800. The projector halo led head lights had been installed I guess 3 weeks but I needed to run wire for the Day Time Running lights and tie them into the park lamps.
By the time I got to soldering the wires into the park lamps at the nearest intersection it had gotten dark.
No problem I have lights. It was still dark enough to where I let all of the solder get off my tip.
Once that happens it is a nightmare to get back if its not accepting solder.
I had also started with a new roll of cheap chinese 60/40 Tin Lead solder that didn't act right from the start but I didn't have anything else and didn't expect to need solder for a long time.
I'm gonna give it one more chance before discarding it. It doesn't act like it has a rosen core. It doesn't smell right.
Thanks for sharing. Never seen the solder tip refresher.

[SkyMaXX]

Thanks a lot! This video turned out to be more than just an instruction. I watched with pleasure, listened to beautiful music and had a wonderful rest, distracted from routine thoughts, from problems. Fabulous!