User:Jstapko/EngLab/TipClean

Cleaning the Screwdriver Tip
When attempting to solder the wire into a ring shape, the soldering iron tip was found to be untinnable, at any point on it. A discussion with professor Foerster resulted in ordering soldering iron tip cleaning supplies and in using a firm sponge with a surface like fine sandpaper to just take the corrosion off the surface of the tip. The flat part of the tip between the edges (screwdriver tip) remained dark and dirty, So an effort was made to clean it with the tip of a razor blade. The razor blade helped some, but it was ultimately decided to use a miniature ball shaped dremel cutter (basically a ball end mill) (possible link: Page on Ball (and other) end mills)) designed to fit a dremel.  Holding it by hand and twisting it between two fingers while closely examining the process, the ball mill cleaned the tip well, partly because it has hardened steel cutting surfaces, and partly because its convex curvature allowed it to get into the concave portions of the solder tip.  To re tin the tip after cleaning it, I put some paste flux on some scrap wood, and rubbed the tip into it as soon as it started to warm up. This is done to isolate the flux from the bulk supply of flux, because if a hot tip is placed in the flux supply enough times, it changes the flux’s properties and ultimately ruins it.  By isolating a small part of the flux for the tip coating operation, the remainder of the supply is preserved as new. The tip is coated as soon as it is warm enough to melt the flux because if it is allowed to heat up more, metal that was formerly protected from corrosion by dirt/debris is now exposed directly to the air, and heat accelerates corrosion. If, instead, it is fluxed and tinned as soon as possible, that destructive process is minimized, and once tinned, the solder coating prevents further corrosion of the tip.

Next Steps

 * trying to clean the tips of the other 3 soldering irons
 * page on combination helping hands/ring stand soldering assistant
 * build a ventilating fan to reduce exposure to lead fumes while soldering
 * organize the dremel tool bits

Things This Page Needs

 * a link to the supplies ordered for future tip cleaning
 * a link to tutorials, such as websites or videos, describing how to clean the tip
 * pictures of this process as performed above