Homebrew PCBs

Can anyone please tell me about different types of solder bits based 
on the material used? Which one is the best one? How can I clean 
dirty bits? I am a newbie, please help me.
Thanks

On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 07:30:27 -0000, naveedguy2 <naveedguy2@...>  
wrote:

> Can anyone please tell me about different types of solder bits based
> on the material used? Which one is the best one? How can I clean
> dirty bits? I am a newbie, please help me.
> Thanks

There are the "cheap" ones, copper and copper plated with various stuff,  
and the "good" ones, which are copper but have a special plating of  
several layers containing iron as the most important. All solder tips are  
copper inside because it is the best heat-conductor (after silver).

The long-life tips with iron plating will not be eaten away by soldering  
(like copper ones are quickly). Also, you don't need to clean or re-shape  
them (if you do, the plating is gone).
You can easily solder for years with such a tip.
Only cleaning needed is the wiping on a wet sponge during operation. (keep  
a small bottle of water near your iron if you are the lazy kind otherwise  
you will develop a bad habit of wiping the tip with your fingers.)

Of course, the tip must fit into your iron. temperature controlled irons  
beeing the best.

Also, there is tip size, length, and shape.
For "heavy" work, e.g. thick copper cable, you need a thick, short tip  
that can apply heat quickly in big quantities. For soldering small stuff  
you need a narrow tip, and because it needs less heat it can also be  
longer and allow better access in difficult places. the heavier a tip is  
(more material) the better it is suited for stuff like soldering batteries  
(never try button cells they explode).

I regularly use a 3 or 4mm chisel-shape tip, and a 1mm pencil-shape tip.  
You don't really need much more.

Along with the right tip you need the right solder, standard tin/lead  
solder is still used by most. You need solder with a rosin core (flux).  
For standard PCB work i use 1mm or 0.7mm wire, for applications where you  
need more solder i use 3mm (i think).

ST

In a message dated 1/13/2005 8:04:44 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
naveedguy2@... writes:

Can  anyone please tell me about different types of solder bits based on the  
material used? Which one is the best one? How can I clean dirty bits? I am a  
newbie, please help me.<<
Forty or more years back, "all" soldering-iron tips were made of  copper.  
This conducted heat very well and assuming you didn't try to  solder 
black-painted cast-iron, it'd remain "tinned" easily.  However, at  "soldering heat", 
copper DISSOLVES in liquid solder, so the tip would develop a  nasty shape quite 
quickly, requiring filing, which require re-tinning, which was  difficult for 
cerebrally challenged impatient folks.
 
THEN someone discovered IRON did not dissolve nearly as rapidly (if at all)  
in hot solder, but iron is a poor conductor of heat.  SO, some  
chemical/metallurgical wizards came up with the obvious idea to IRON-PLATE  copper tips.  
The 0.1 mm thick iron was too thin to be a detriment to the  heating from the 
copper inside, yet enough to preclude dissolving the copper tip  (bit).  Sadly, 
those cerebrally challenged folks would FILE these tips if  the tinning got 
spoiled (it is MUCH more difficult to re-tin iron than copper),  and the tip 
would immediately begin to dissolve UNDER whatever was left of the  iron, and, 
well, you had "tooth decay" in a bad way. 
 
A NEW iron tip is pre-tinned.  Proper (aka SENSIBLE) handling will  keep it 
tinned.  That kind of tip will last a very long time.  Don't  MASH it onto 
connections.  Don't use ANY abrasives on it.  Keep  it clean by "shaking" the 
solder off it every couple of connections, apply some  fresh solder, and if REALLY 
nasty, swipe it on a slit-sponge slightly moistened,  the kinda thing MADE 
for this purpose.  A scrap of terry-cloth with a  couple ml. water can do nearly 
as well.   I find I can keep a tip  bright and fresh simply by applying some 
fresh rosin-flux solder and "tap the  iron body" against the rim of a 
porcelain or glass saucer, tray, old caster,  etc, to "shake off" the excess solder.  
NEVER try to "carry" solder on the  tip to the joint!  ALWAYS apply the 
solder-wire so that its end touches the  soldering iron's tip AND the joint at the 
same time.  Then, shake-off the  excess drop or two clinging on the iron.  If 
you DON'T, and let it  "collect", it will "turn nasty" and subsequent soldering 
joints will look like  they were done in East Europe by patients.
 
Takes a day or so of practice.  Works better if some OLD guy who has  BEEN 
there, DONE that, stands over you with a small bat, making threats if you  don't 
do it WELL, and quickly!  Oh, and he must also explain what you need  to 
change, etc.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 17:05:30 EST, <JanRwl@...> wrote:

>  I find I can keep a tip  bright and fresh simply by applying some
> fresh rosin-flux solder and "tap the  iron body" against the rim of a
> porcelain or glass saucer, tray, old caster,  etc, to "shake off" the  
> excess solder.


Jan, take care there, if the solder iron manufcturers read that they will  
immedately cancel any warranty you might have or ever get on any iron.  
This "knocking the iron around" can damage the heater and is strongly  
discouraged by anyone exept the not cerebrally challenged old guys.

So, follow the instructions and wipe your iron on the sponge that is meant  
for it. Sometimes i "shake" off solder too if the sponge is somewhere  
else, but i never knock the iron against something. I think we can accept  
without discussion that the g-forces on the heater will be magnitudes  
smaller if you just "flick" the solder off the iron instead of knocking it  
against a hard surface.

Might be that it took stupid people to force them invent durably plated  
tips, might also be that's just technological progress and they are much,  
much better. Of course you can use a nail and a candle with some wit, but  
hey... (not to say that i never did that in an emergency... butane  
lighters spring to mind..)

ST