This is true. you need to put a 'small' amount of solder on your tip. it creates a heat bridge. A 'dry' tip is a poor conductor of heat and may damage the board spending too much time there.
Brian
> There you go.
>
> I find with a cheap iron, and a dirty tip, the parts never got hot
> enought to get the solder to flow. a little solder on the tip and
> that 'wets' the part allowing heat transfer and then putting solder
> on the far side of the part does the rest.
>
> Soldering 12 ga wire is where the odd method comes in with my iron.
> for boards, the method is just like you mentioned.
>
> if solder does not flow, clean the tip.
>
> Dave
>