Homebrew PCBs

i just use a damp sponge and the end off a small brass
brush mounted next to my spong holder ben do this for
many years dont use steel it to easy to destroy the
coating on the tip.
--- Steve <alienrelics@...> wrote:
> > > My wife does stained glass and she would shoot
> me if I put a wet
> sponge 
> > > anywher near her irons.  they make them start to
> oxidize and in short 
> > > order they won't remain tinned.
> -snip-
> > > Dave
> 
> 
> > i have such salmiac stones too.. but never used
> them.
> > i thought they are only for plain copper tips not
> the coated ones?
> > i use a wet sponge all the time (ok sometimes it
> is dry) or a paper
> towel 
> > (dry).
> -snip-
> > Stefan
> 
> 
> I'm betting Dave's wife's soldering iron has an
> uncoated copper tip.
> The wet sponge is for iron plated tips, which is
> what good soldering
> irons have on them. All the Weller soldering iron
> tips are iron
> plated. Cheaper soldering irons may have tin plated
> tips.
> 
> I do as I think Stefan said, mostly I just flick the
> solder off the
> iron to clean it, leaves a good coat of solder. I
> keep a damp sponge
> there, too, to get it clean when a lot of gunk
> builds up. Or if I'm in
> the field and don't have the sponge there, I am
> pretty quick with my
> fingers. Yes, I give the tip a quick wipe with my
> fingertip. Very
> quickly, if you hesitate at all your skin sticks and
> you'll get a
> blister. I also -never- wipe and then put it back in
> the stand, or the
> tip builds up oxide, especially if you used your
> finger to wipe it. I
> first put a tiny bit of fresh solder on the tip
> after wiping .
> 
> I've found most adjustable soldering pens to leave a
> lot to be
> desired. I use an 800 F tip in my Weller, solders
> fast, get in and get
> out and there's little chance of burning the trace
> off the board.
> 
> In the past I've found that if I don't tin my PCBs
> then I must scrub
> them immediately before soldering. If I tin them
> (electroless tin
> plate) soldering is easier.
> 
> Steve Greenfield
> 
> 


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