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Can I use steelwool for soldering iron cleaning
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Wondering should I use steel wool for cleaning my soldering iron tip.
Is it bad?
Will it impact my tip?
Will it clean the black oxidization off?
soldering soldering-iron-station
asked 3 hours ago
Moana Springfeild
112
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up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Wondering should I use steel wool for cleaning my soldering iron tip.
Is it bad?
Will it impact my tip?
Will it clean the black oxidization off?
soldering soldering-iron-station
asked 3 hours ago
Moana Springfeild
112
New contributor
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Wondering should I use steel wool for cleaning my soldering iron tip.
Is it bad?
Will it impact my tip?
Will it clean the black oxidization off?
soldering soldering-iron-station
asked 3 hours ago
Moana Springfeild
112
New contributor
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Wondering should I use steel wool for cleaning my soldering iron tip.
Is it bad?
Will it impact my tip?
Will it clean the black oxidization off?
soldering soldering-iron-station
soldering soldering-iron-station
asked 3 hours ago
Moana Springfeild
112
New contributor
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Moana Springfeild
112
New contributor
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Moana Springfeild
112
New contributor
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Moana Springfeild
112
asked 3 hours ago
Moana Springfeild
112
112
New contributor
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
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up vote
3
down vote
Steel is typically a harder metal than the plating on soldering iron tips. So while coarse steel wool might clean a tip, it would also quickly destroy the plating, thus it should only be used "in an emergency" or with a cheap tip you are willing to soon replace.
The metal sponges arguably appropriate are made of softer materials, such as brass. And they really should be brass all the way through, not some sort of copper plating on a steel core, as you might source at the dollar/kitchen store.
But even with a soft material, abrasion counts - something like a cellulose sponge will also eventually wear a tip. And so will sitting hot with solder and flux on it.
Tips are wear items. The less they are "cleaned" and the less time they sit hot, the longer they last. But cleaning is of course necessary, especially for modern fine pitch soldering.
The most modern professional solder stations have high power heaters and very tight control loops, so they can quickly go into a reduced temperature tip-saving mode when idle, and heat right back up again in the time the operator picks up the iron from the stand and applies to the work.
answered 3 hours ago
Chris Stratton
21.1k22662
Though my solder irons (Weller) have 900$^o$F tips, I keep them down to 400$^o$F. Enough to melt solder and not burn the PCB, and last a long time.
– Sparky256
9 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
Steel is typically a harder metal than the plating on soldering iron tips. So while coarse steel wool might clean a tip, it would also quickly destroy the plating, thus it should only be used "in an emergency" or with a cheap tip you are willing to soon replace.
The metal sponges arguably appropriate are made of softer materials, such as brass. And they really should be brass all the way through, not some sort of copper plating on a steel core, as you might source at the dollar/kitchen store.
But even with a soft material, abrasion counts - something like a cellulose sponge will also eventually wear a tip. And so will sitting hot with solder and flux on it.
Tips are wear items. The less they are "cleaned" and the less time they sit hot, the longer they last. But cleaning is of course necessary, especially for modern fine pitch soldering.
The most modern professional solder stations have high power heaters and very tight control loops, so they can quickly go into a reduced temperature tip-saving mode when idle, and heat right back up again in the time the operator picks up the iron from the stand and applies to the work.
answered 3 hours ago
Chris Stratton
21.1k22662
Though my solder irons (Weller) have 900$^o$F tips, I keep them down to 400$^o$F. Enough to melt solder and not burn the PCB, and last a long time.
– Sparky256
9 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
Steel is typically a harder metal than the plating on soldering iron tips. So while coarse steel wool might clean a tip, it would also quickly destroy the plating, thus it should only be used "in an emergency" or with a cheap tip you are willing to soon replace.
The metal sponges arguably appropriate are made of softer materials, such as brass. And they really should be brass all the way through, not some sort of copper plating on a steel core, as you might source at the dollar/kitchen store.
But even with a soft material, abrasion counts - something like a cellulose sponge will also eventually wear a tip. And so will sitting hot with solder and flux on it.
Tips are wear items. The less they are "cleaned" and the less time they sit hot, the longer they last. But cleaning is of course necessary, especially for modern fine pitch soldering.
The most modern professional solder stations have high power heaters and very tight control loops, so they can quickly go into a reduced temperature tip-saving mode when idle, and heat right back up again in the time the operator picks up the iron from the stand and applies to the work.
answered 3 hours ago
Chris Stratton
21.1k22662
Though my solder irons (Weller) have 900$^o$F tips, I keep them down to 400$^o$F. Enough to melt solder and not burn the PCB, and last a long time.
– Sparky256
9 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
Steel is typically a harder metal than the plating on soldering iron tips. So while coarse steel wool might clean a tip, it would also quickly destroy the plating, thus it should only be used "in an emergency" or with a cheap tip you are willing to soon replace.
The metal sponges arguably appropriate are made of softer materials, such as brass. And they really should be brass all the way through, not some sort of copper plating on a steel core, as you might source at the dollar/kitchen store.
But even with a soft material, abrasion counts - something like a cellulose sponge will also eventually wear a tip. And so will sitting hot with solder and flux on it.
Tips are wear items. The less they are "cleaned" and the less time they sit hot, the longer they last. But cleaning is of course necessary, especially for modern fine pitch soldering.
The most modern professional solder stations have high power heaters and very tight control loops, so they can quickly go into a reduced temperature tip-saving mode when idle, and heat right back up again in the time the operator picks up the iron from the stand and applies to the work.
answered 3 hours ago
Chris Stratton
21.1k22662
Steel is typically a harder metal than the plating on soldering iron tips. So while coarse steel wool might clean a tip, it would also quickly destroy the plating, thus it should only be used "in an emergency" or with a cheap tip you are willing to soon replace.
The metal sponges arguably appropriate are made of softer materials, such as brass. And they really should be brass all the way through, not some sort of copper plating on a steel core, as you might source at the dollar/kitchen store.
But even with a soft material, abrasion counts - something like a cellulose sponge will also eventually wear a tip. And so will sitting hot with solder and flux on it.
Tips are wear items. The less they are "cleaned" and the less time they sit hot, the longer they last. But cleaning is of course necessary, especially for modern fine pitch soldering.
The most modern professional solder stations have high power heaters and very tight control loops, so they can quickly go into a reduced temperature tip-saving mode when idle, and heat right back up again in the time the operator picks up the iron from the stand and applies to the work.
answered 3 hours ago
Chris Stratton
21.1k22662
answered 3 hours ago
Chris Stratton
21.1k22662
answered 3 hours ago
Chris Stratton
21.1k22662
answered 3 hours ago
Chris Stratton
21.1k22662
21.1k22662
Though my solder irons (Weller) have 900$^o$F tips, I keep them down to 400$^o$F. Enough to melt solder and not burn the PCB, and last a long time.
– Sparky256
9 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Though my solder irons (Weller) have 900$^o$F tips, I keep them down to 400$^o$F. Enough to melt solder and not burn the PCB, and last a long time.
– Sparky256
9 mins ago
Though my solder irons (Weller) have 900$^o$F tips, I keep them down to 400$^o$F. Enough to melt solder and not burn the PCB, and last a long time.
– Sparky256
9 mins ago
Though my solder irons (Weller) have 900$^o$F tips, I keep them down to 400$^o$F. Enough to melt solder and not burn the PCB, and last a long time.
– Sparky256
9 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Moana Springfeild is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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