How to tin a soldering iron: preparing and caring for a soldering iron. How to irradiate a fireproof soldering iron tip How to irradiate a soldering station soldering iron tip

During operation, the soldering iron tip is constantly heated, which leads to oxidation and the need for tinning, so you should know how to tin the soldering iron tip in order to repair household appliances and other appliances with it.

Basic information about the tinning process

Tinning a soldering iron is a process that involves coating the surface of the rod with a thin layer of solder, usually tin is used for this. Tinning can be both an intermediate operation before the main work, and an independent action aimed at improving the performance of the tool. Most tools, with the exception of soldering stations, are wire and tube solder with rosin and need occasional tinning. The process is the removal of an oxidation film that forms on the surface due to the constant overheating of the tip. Also need tinning new tools that have yet to be prepared for work.

The general principle of tinning is the same: using an abrasive, the soldering iron tip is cleaned and then rubbed to a shine. A soldering iron, grindstone or sandpaper can act as an abrasive. It is believed that it is more convenient for beginners to work with a file, but over time, everyone chooses the material that seems to him the most suitable for work.

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Tinning methods

Tinning can be done in different ways:

using an abrasive
forging;
from another soldering iron.

For tinning, the material is applied to the sting and sharpened to perfect smoothness, while constantly checking the cut: it must be even. There are no special requirements for the shape of the sting. Most often, the tip is given the shape of a cut, but there are exceptions - when soldering some parts, it is more convenient to make a cone-shaped tip.

Another way of tinning is by forging. This method allows you to increase the life of the tip of the soldering iron, since the solubility in the solder will be less. For some models of soldering irons, the tip is removable, so it is better to remove it and process it with a file.

Soldering irons used in domestic conditions are not always powerful, they usually range from 25 to 60 watts. The electrical network, in turn, does not always provide the 220 V necessary for operation. Because of this, there are cases when the soldering iron rod does not heat up to the required temperature and it is impossible to carry out tinning. The manifestation of this will be the solder, which will roll and will not be able to stick to the metal surface. In this case, you will have to use a transformer to work and increase the voltage, sometimes it is permissible to increase it to 230 V.

In order to properly tin the soldering iron, it must be turned on and heated to the optimum temperature. The optimal heating is determined very easily - the soldering iron rod acquires a reddish color. It is not necessary to tighten, otherwise the rod may burn out. As soon as the sting acquires the desired shade, it is immediately dipped in a pre-prepared rosin, resin can be used instead. Smoke will start to come out. Next, tin solder is melted, trying to cover the tip evenly.

Before tinning the soldering tip in this way, you need to be patient: the procedure is repeated 3 to 5 times, although the number of repetitions largely depends on the state of the soldering tip and the power of the soldering iron. After repeating the operation for the last time, the tinned tip is applied to a wooden surface so that the solder is better distributed over the surface of the rod. For this procedure, small boards are used. Softwood is better suited, as it contains resin that speeds up the work.

When working, it is important to follow the sequence of actions: first, lower the sting into rosin, then apply it to the plank. If unsoldered areas remain, repeat the sequence. You need to repeat as many times as needed to get an even layer of solder. The color should be silvery, shiny - this shows that the tinning is done correctly. Another way to tin is with a second soldering iron. Since there can rarely be two tools in a household, this method is used very rarely.

Tinning should be repeated periodically as needed.

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Preparing the wire for soldering

To solder copper wires, they must be tinned in the same way as the soldering iron itself. To work, you need to warm up the sting to operating temperature. The sting is lowered into the flux or rosin, then onto the solder, after which the wire is pressed tightly. All this must be done quickly so that the rosin does not have time to evaporate. This work will have to be repeated several times. As a result of the procedure, a high-quality layer of solder should be obtained on the surface.

The tinning process of oxidized parts differs in time. Oxides are recommended to be removed first with an abrasive material. Very difficult cases will require tinning acid, chemistry or solder paste. Solder wire is sometimes used for soldering. In this case, it is necessary to lower the rod into rosin, then attach it to the surface to be tinned, and put solder between them. Rub the edge of the solder with the tip of the tip.

Some wires may be protected with enamel. To remove it, you can treat the wire with acetylsalicylic acid, that is, ordinary aspirin. The tablet is put in place and pressed with a soldering iron. After a while, the tablet melts and the acid acts on the varnish and breaks down. After such a simple procedure, it is not difficult to tin the wire.

Working with radio electronics involves soldering materials. It is easy to learn this, and if there are incomprehensible nuances, then with experience they will disappear. The tool requires maintenance for its quality work. The master needs to be able to correctly tin the soldering iron tip so that the solder holds. The tool must not be damaged. The quality of soldering depends on the correct actions when processing the base.

Coating Features

Simple type soldering irons traditionally have a copper tip. The material has been used ever since the invention of the tool due to its high thermal conductivity. But there is a drawback - the ability to high wear. Copper burns out or dissolves in the solder. The shortcoming had to be eliminated, and manufacturers began to apply an additional coating of nickel or silver.

Nickel has high strength and does not wear out. Long service life is the advantage of nickel plating. The disadvantage is poor adhesion. Such a tip does not hold solder well. Soldering can be performed only when solder is supplied directly to the work area. The working area is heated with a sting, then a small part of solder or solder paste is placed. Seizure comes from heat.

Silver has good adhesion, but is a poor conductor of heat. In addition, the material is expensive. Over time, the silver wears out and exposes the copper base. This is because the silver coating dissolves into the solder.

Spraying features complicate operation and maintenance. Therefore, radio amateurs, especially the older generation, prefer copper soldering irons. But the copper sting has a drawback - hot copper instantly oxidizes. Interaction with air occurs only on a thin layer, but this is sufficient for zero adhesion. Heat is also transferred worse. Way out - the tip should always be covered with a thin layer of solder.

Tin should not be applied before soldering, because copper begins to burn out under its layer. At the burnout site, slags appear, due to which there is no adhesion. The master begins to be distracted from work.

Abrasive materials wear down the coating. Nickel or ceramic is applied in a thin layer on the tip - that's why you can't grind them down. An expensive tip will turn into a copper bar.

The process of preparing a copper sting

The coating process is not difficult. Molten solder fits well on hot copper, but with one condition - it must be clean. This can only be achieved at low temperatures. Oxidation accelerates with increasing temperature and adhesion disappears. Cold solder cannot be stuck to the tip because it does not melt. It turns out a vicious circle.

Slag, rosin and plastic residues, scale and other debris can be removed on a cold tool. The rod is pulled out before this operation so as not to damage the heater. The sting inside the heater also oxidizes, which impairs heat transfer. Electricity due to scale overcomes excess resistance and is wasted.

Before you tin a soldering iron with a copper tip, it must be cleaned of dirt. Do it with a file or sandpaper. The material should be sharpened to a clean layer so that the appearance is like new. It's easier to do it with sandpaper. The surface is polished to a smooth state - so the oxidation is slower.

The rate of oxidation can be reduced by binding the sting. Do it with a hammer on an anvil. With gentle blows, they strengthen the surface and give shape to the copper bar. Next, they proceed to the tinning process until it is covered with slags.

Methods for tinning a copper sting:

Proper preparation will allow you not to be nervous at the initial stage of work. After a while, the process needs to be redone due to the fact that copper begins to oxidize.

Tinning of modern coating

Ceramic and nickel tips do not need to be tinned. Manufacturers read this way, but this is nothing more than advertising. Modern coatings are also prone to oxidation, only the process is slower. Tinning the soldering iron tip of a modern type soldering station in the usual way will not work - the coating will be erased.

Cleaning is carried out with a wet cloth from cotton fabric. They take hard rosin, where they put a little solder. The tip should be rubbed with a cloth and immediately dipped in rosin. A piece of solder is recessed vertically down. The solder melts and wraps around the cone of the tip.

Cleaning during operation

Correctly irradiating the soldering iron is important not only during preparation for work. After some soldering time, it may happen that the material does not stick to the base again. This happens after 15 minutes. Copper burns under a layer of tinning. There are several ways to properly tin a soldering iron while working.

block of wood

An unhewn block of wood should always be at the hand of the master. Conifers are used, since such wood has natural rosin. I pour flux on the wood and put a little solder. As soon as scale appears on the sting, rub it against the tree. During this process, the base is cleaned and tinned.

metal sponge

The method of instant tinning the base of the soldering iron. Factory soldering machines are equipped with a similar device in the form of a steel sponge in a container.

It is convenient for the master to use this method, but it can be improved. The bottom of the sponge is smeared with flux - soldering fat. With a shallow immersion of the sting, it will simply be cleaned. And if you apply solder to the base and dip it deep, to the base of the sponge, then cleaning will be combined with tinning.

The method is optimal for modern tips with ceramic or nickel coating. Even copper can be cleaned and tinned in this way. Damage to the device is difficult to cause even with strong pressure.

The use of rosin

A method for a traditional tool with a simple copper tip. The metal quickly oxidizes and after 10-15 minutes the solder can no longer be picked up. If you clean it separately from the flux, then the master will not have time to bring the soldering iron - oxidation passes so quickly.

Clean the instrument because of this in rosin. A file is placed under the soldering iron, you can use steel wire. Then rub with a sting until the flux melts. Solder should not be.

Classical method and prevention

The previous methods were invented by the master relatively recently. Our ancestors, even our fathers, did tinning a little differently. This required a file with a fine notch., a workbench for work (can be replaced with a board), rosin and the most refractory solder.

Procedure:

The procedure will take 10 minutes, no less. A large amount of preparation time is paid off by the fact that you can work with the tool for several days without much preparation.

Working for a long time will cause overheating. An increase in temperature increases the oxidation and the rod has to be prepared for work more often. In order to avoid unnecessary procedures, you should follow some rules.

Preventive measures against oxidation:

The tool must always be kept ready. After a long period of inactivity, the soldering iron tip is not tinned due to strong oxidation. Restoring the adhesion of the coating, especially from copper, is carried out with rosin. After immersion in it, the sting is rubbed with a cotton cloth. During operation, the soldering iron also needs to be cleaned periodically.

During operation and storage, an oxide layer forms on the tip of the soldering iron. It interferes with high quality soldering. To remove this layer and prevent its re-formation, the operation of tinning, or coating the copper surface with a protective layer of tin alloy, is performed. There are many different ways of tinning. Before the operation, the sting must be carefully cleaned.

Basic information about the tinning process

Tinning is divided into initial, carried out on a new or stored soldering iron for a long time, and working, performed immediately before soldering.

How to tin a soldering iron tip? First, the tip is mechanically cleaned from scale, oxide film, slag and other contaminants, then a thin layer of molten solder is applied to the prepared surface, most often on a tin basis.

For mechanical cleaning are used:

abrasive stone;
sandpaper;
another soldering iron.

Preparation and maintenance

The more intense the work is, the sooner the soldering iron tip burns out and becomes overgrown with scale scales.

During prolonged heating to high temperatures, the copper from which the tip is made partly passes into the molten tin, and partly wears out on the soldered surfaces and contacts. Physical and chemical erosion of matter occurs. In addition, under the influence of heat, an oxidative reaction of copper with atmospheric oxygen occurs. On models that allow you to adjust the temperature, it is recommended to reduce it during breaks in soldering, or simply turn off the soldering iron during this time.

The sequence of operations to remove scale:

Carefully pull out the stinger.
Clean up the scale layer with fine-grained abrasive paper.
Apply a protective layer of graphite to the tip by rubbing it with a simple pencil lead. This will slow down the reappearance of the scale layer.
Lightly tapping on the body of the electric heater and turning it, remove the scale from the recess for the copper rod.
Insert the tip back into the mount.

To ensure electrical safety, each time before starting work, inspect the insulation of the network cable for the absence of mechanical damage and melting.

From time to time it is also useful to measure the value of the insulation resistance. Measurement is carried out between the contacts of the plug and the sting. The value must be greater than 10 mΩ.

Sting Features

The sting is the main (and only) working body of the device. It is heated by an electric heater and heats the solder, rosin (or other flux) and parts to be soldered. In the course of work, an oxide film invisible to the eye is formed on it, which reduces the wettability of the material. Visually, it looks like this: tin or rosin does not spread evenly over the entire area, but collects in a drop and flows down.

The size and geometry of the working body is chosen so that they correspond to the operations performed. So, when soldering parts of large sizes and thickness, a powerful soldering iron with a thick tip is chosen. To mount the legs of microcircuits, on the contrary, a device of particularly low power is required, with a thin tip and good grounding, so as not to damage sensitive components by static charge or overheating.

A universal soldering iron is sharpened with a spatula. Thin parts are soldered with a narrow side, and more massive parts are soldered with the blade plane.

Tinning the soldering iron tip

The soldering iron must be re-tinned before each soldering. The device must be turned on and wait for it to fully warm up. In this case, the copper of the working body will acquire a red-orange hue. It is also not necessary to overheat, in order to avoid burning. A heated soldering iron should be pressed against a piece of rosin. The rosin will begin to melt and give off a strong smelling smoke. The melt should evenly cover the sting. Then you need to melt a small piece of tin and let it spread over the surface in an even layer.

How to tin a soldering iron with a copper tip

Tinning a soldering iron is a simple job and usually does not cause difficulties. If the surface of the rod is well prepared and cleaned, then both tin-lead and silver solders fit well on it.

It is necessary to clean the surface of the rod to the state of a new part. First you need to work with a large sandpaper, level the surface and give it the desired shape. If there is a technical possibility, it is not bad to polish the surface - so it will oxidize more slowly.

There is another trick - forging. To do this, the sting should be pulled out of the heater and, like a blacksmith, forged with a hammer on an anvil (or a massive vice). A surface compacted in this way will also oxidize much more slowly.

After machining, it was time to actually tin the sting. Experienced shareholders recommend various methods:

Place a few pieces of solder into the rosin jar. Heat the soldering iron and dip the cleaned tip into it. The rosin melt of rosin will act as a flux additive and will not allow the metal to become covered with an oxide layer. Instead, it will be covered with a layer of tin. Next, you need to take a square of coarse natural cloth and wipe the freshly tinned tip. In this case, the tin will rub over the surface and stick to it perfectly. The disadvantage of the method is a lot of smoke and a pungent smell.
The next way to tin the tip produces less smoke, but requires more labor. A piece of coarse natural cloth should be laid out on a smooth board, crushed rosin should be poured into it or a whole piece should be put. Dip the cleaned tip into rosin, rub the surface with a solder rod. This operation will have to be repeated several times, and then rub the work surface on the rosin cloth.

A soldering iron with a copper tip must be tinned each time before soldering and, of course, after storage in inactivity.

How to tin a soldering iron tip while working

If you carefully clean and tin the sting, then after half an hour of work, or even earlier, tin will no longer accumulate on it again. Copper slowly began to burn, slag residues accumulate on it. There is no point in pushing the soldering iron harder, take a break for tinning. There are a number of tricks on how to tin the tip.

Using a wooden block

A rough wooden block (spruce or pine, they contain natural resin, similar in composition to rosin). A small amount of flux composition should be poured onto the bar and a small piece of solder should be placed. if you notice dross, you can clean and tin the tip again, almost without interruption.

In a metal sponge

This way to quickly tin the tip will require some preparation. In a metal cup, place a household wire sponge for washing dishes. The bottom of the sponge should be smeared with a thick flux, such as soldering grease. With a slight immersion of the tip in the sponge, it can be cleaned of slag and scale. And if you pick up a drop of tin and immerse it deeper in a sponge, it will turn out to be tin.

With this method, you can clean and tin both the classic copper tip, and modern ones made of nickel or ceramic.

in rosin

This traditional way of tinning will require a certain amount of dexterity and speed of movement. Copper oxidizes very quickly, and you may not have time to bring the tip from the place of mechanical cleaning to the flux tank. Therefore, they clean directly under the flux, placing a file under the sting. The tip should be rubbed over the file until the flux melts, after which it can be tinned by bringing a tin rod.

Tin the classic way

Another traditional way to tin is associated with the use of refractory solder. The refractoriness of solder allows it to evaporate more slowly from the surface of a tinned soldering iron and will last longer on copper. It will require:

a file with a frequent notch;
rough board made of coniferous wood;
rosin;
piece of hard solder.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

put solder on the board;
clean one side
dip deep into rosin;
quickly clean on the board, tracing along the solder;
repeat for the second side.

How to tin a modern soldering iron tip

According to manufacturer's declarations, ceramic or nickel tips do not need to be tinned. In real life, they are also prone to the formation of soot and scale. It will not work to irradiate such a soldering iron in the usual way. You will need:

cotton rags;
a jar of rosin;
solder rod.

Wipe the tip on a rag and immediately immerse it in rosin. Along the tip, you need to immerse a solder bar in boiling rosin. It will melt and stick to work surfaces.

Tinning methods

There are several ways to clean work surfaces before tinning:

With the use of abrasive materials. File, file, whetstone, sandpaper.
With the help of forging. It is recommended to remove the sting before processing it.
Using another soldering iron. Tips rub against each other.

After stripping, immediately, without waiting for the restoration of the oxide layer, immerse the tip in a container with rosin. A rod of solder is also immersed there, melting it and allowing it to spread over the surface of the rod. This operation should be repeated several times to ensure that the working surfaces are completely covered with solder.

The tip must be carefully inspected. If there are areas not covered with solder, the operation should be repeated until a dewy continuous layer is obtained.

Tin once and for all will not work. Tinning needs to be repeated periodically.

How to tin a fireproof sting

The traditional red copper tip has a tendency to permanently burn out and dross. Quite often it is required to clean and tin it. On the other hand, work on desoldering microcircuits and other electronic components highly sensitive to overheating requires a minimum presence of solder on the working body. Even the minimal heat that is stored in a drop of solder can be enough to damage them.

To mount such heat-sensitive parts, fireproof tips are used, with a thin nickel layer applied. This coating is easy to scratch, and the traditional cleaning of copper tips with a file or sandpaper will quickly disable it. Also, do not remove excess solder by tapping on the stand.

Such working bodies can be tinned in the following way:

prepare a piece of cotton cloth, rosin and solder;
moisten it with cold water, squeeze lightly;
place a piece of solder in a jar of rosin;
strongly rub the heated soldering iron on the fabric, achieving the erasure of the oxide layer;
quickly dip the tip into the rosin and melt the tin in it, allowing it to spread evenly;
rub on a cotton cloth.

It is permissible to use a wire sponge made of copper alloys for this. Steel wire will not work - it will damage and peel off the nickel plating layer.

For fireproof soldering irons, it is especially important to observe the temperature regime - if it is exceeded, the tip may fail. It is necessary to carefully monitor the temperature, during breaks in soldering, reduce power if the device is equipped with a regulator. If there is no regulator, the soldering iron should be turned off during the break. In advanced models, there is an automatic power adjustment function. It uses information from the temperature sensor and reduces power if the device is in danger of overheating. In addition to overheating, it is also harmful for non-burning tips to be without solder for a long time.

Non-burning tips have another advantage - they can be easily removed and replaced. Entire sets of interchangeable working bodies are available, designed for different types of soldering.

Good afternoon, beginner radio amateurs and radio technicians. Today, in this article, I will tell you about a very useful and necessary thing for high-quality and reliable soldering, radio components and electronic circuits.

This skill is useful to everyone, without this, it is simply impossible to competently and reliably perform high-quality installation of radio elements.

Why do you need to tin a soldering iron?

During installation and soldering, it is necessary to add a certain amount of tin to the leg of the microcircuit or other radio element. There are times when, due to a poorly tinned soldering iron tip, the tin does not want to be taken. Sometimes it is taken in very small quantities, or simply taken in small balls or porridge. Therefore, you need to properly tin the soldering iron tip.

Normal contact of the leg of the radio component with the board, without a tinned and heated soldering iron, you will not succeed. These troubles and inconveniences must be avoided and dealt with, now I will tell you how to do this, consistently, explain in an accessible language and illustrate all this with photographs.

Preparing the soldering iron for tinning and work

Let's say you have a soldering iron, it is either new only from the store, or your worker, but with overheating spots and shells from the temperature on the tip. As a result, the soldering of electronics becomes not of high quality and inconvenient.

To start tinning the soldering iron, the tip must be cleaned or corrected using special tools. You can use a file, only preferably a small one, sandpaper and a file from the set.

In the absence of the listed tool, you can use any abrasive object, even a brick.

We remove oxides and fumes, if the soldering iron is new, grind off all the burrs and immediately shape the tip that we need or will be convenient. At the end of the procedure, you should have a clean, smooth and slightly shiny soldering iron tip. Now you will learn how to properly tin a soldering iron tip.

Let's start tinning the soldering iron tip

For the following steps, we will need the soldering iron itself, a socket for connecting it to a 220 volt 50 Hertz network, a wooden plank, solder and rosin.

We turn on the soldering iron in the network and wait for the soldering iron to start heating up, it will become clear when the characteristic smell of burning appears, and immediately dip it in rosin and leave it to heat up.

As soon as the rosin on the tip of the soldering iron begins to boil, add a piece of tin or solder to it. As soon as a piece of solder begins to melt, we immediately begin to rub it against a wooden block.

We continue this friction until a positive result is obtained. When a thin film of solder does not form over the entire surface of the tip, its working part, the one that we cleaned.

It may not work the first time, try again and it will work.

How to properly tin the tip of a new soldering iron

If the soldering iron is just purchased, it is required to carry out the same actions with it as with the worker. But first, it must be properly warmed up so that the spiral and the working part of the soldering iron itself are burned from oil and other unnecessary spraying.

After warming up, you should let it cool down, and start tinning the soldering iron.

Over time, the soldering iron often overheats and shells form on it. Over time, they eat the copper sting. After that, it has to be re-tinned correctly.

To avoid this trouble, always after work, clean the soldering iron from the remnants of tin, rosin and other material that you may have touched during work. Just brush away the remnants with a folded leaf, this will prolong its life.

By performing this not tricky procedure, you don’t have to bathe, often tin the soldering iron tip.

Soldering is the physical and chemical process of forming a joint between parts when the solder interacts with the metal to be soldered. Unlike welding, the working surfaces are not melted, but they are wetted with solder.

What does a simple soldering iron look like?

An indispensable condition for the implementation of the soldering process is the melting of the solder and wetting the surface of the working tool with it. Over time, the soldering iron tip turns black and stops working. Therefore, it is necessary to know the way to restore it - how to properly tin the soldering iron tip. The photo below shows the oxidized surface of the tool and covered with solder.

Soldering iron tip surface: 1) oxidized tool surface; 2) solder coated - tin plated

In the first case, you should not even try to solder, since oxides prevent the solder from holding on to the surface of the tip.

The soldering iron will be ready for use only when its tip is covered with a layer of molten material with a lower melting point than the metals being joined.

Soldering materials

For soldering, solder is used - a material that serves to connect metal surfaces and has a lower melting point than the materials of the parts to be joined.

Solder consists of different alloys, which can include tin, lead, copper, nickel and cadmium. It is produced mainly in the form of rods and wire.

Soldering is necessary to create a connection, reduce the contact resistance of the electrical contact and protect the connection of parts from oxidation.

The solder must have the property of wetting the substrate. In this case, it diffuses into the base metal, and it dissolves in the solder, forming an intermediate layer, which, after solidification, connects the parts as a whole.

For soldering irons, soft solders with a melting point of 191 0 C to 280 0 C are used. Their main components are tin and lead in different proportions.

It is necessary to remove oxides from the surface of the joined metals for soldering. This is what fluxes are for. In addition, they contribute to a better spreading of the solder and protect the surfaces from the action of the external environment.

Flux is used in solid, liquid and paste form. It can be inside the solder tube.

As a flux are used:

rosin;
acetylsalicylic acid;
orthophosphoric acid;
salt;
glycerol;
ammonia.

Common fluxes for soldering in solid, liquid and paste form

Fluxes should provide low leakage current and be non-corrosive.

Soldering principle and process

Soldering is done by capturing solder and flux with a soldering iron tip, introducing them between the parts to be joined and further heating the contacting surfaces until they are wetted with solder, which subsequently solidifies, forming a joint. To do this, stop heating.

Soldering iron sharpening

The tip of the soldering iron before work is sharpened with a file at an angle of 30-40 0. The edge is made slightly blunt, 1 mm wide.

If the tip is new, it is already sharpened. Here it remains only to process the sting with a fine-grained sandpaper, file or file to remove the patina - greenish copper oxide.

Shop sharpening does not suit many, since it is not always possible to solder with it. Therefore, it is advisable to remove the copper tip from the body and forge the working part in the form of a concave blade.

Such cold working is more effective than sharpening, since the metal structure is compacted, and the sting is less susceptible to corrosion. A little sanding with a file at the final stage is necessary to give the working part of the soldering iron a finished look.

How to make a sting?

After sharpening, the tip should be irradiated with a thin layer of solder. To do this, an electric soldering iron is turned on, and the copper rod warms up until it takes on a reddish-orange hue.

You do not need to wait long, otherwise the rod will burn. After warming up, the entire tip is immersed in rosin, and then a piece of solder is melted and the entire working surface is covered with it.

If you rub the tip against the surface of the wood, the solder better covers the working area of the soldering iron.

The layer of solder on the tip should be uniform. If the surface is partially covered, the process is repeated. As soon as the soldering iron is ready to work, it can be used for soldering products.

How to tin a fireproof sting?

The working part of some soldering irons is covered with a special protective compound. The layer is thin enough that it cannot be scraped off. For this, a special sponge is used. If it is not available, a regular piece of cloth moistened with water or glycerin will do. You can use a sponge designed for washing dishes.

Special sting cleaners are produced in the form of a ball of non-ferrous metal shavings, into which the sting is immersed. In this case, the oxides remain inside. They can then be thrown outside.

Mechanical influences reduce the service life of the protective layer. When soldering, it is not recommended to shuffle the board or knock on metal surfaces.

The non-burning layer oxidizes rather quickly. To increase its service life, it is recommended to maintain the soldering temperature no higher than 250 0 С.

The temperature is considered normal when smoke comes from rosin in a thin stream, and not a cloud with splashes. In this case, the soldering is obtained with clear boundaries and a characteristic luster. If the surface of the solder is dull and with low mechanical strength, the heating temperature should be increased.

To irradiate the tip of a coated soldering iron, you need to put a piece of solder into the molten rosin. The soldering iron warms up and you need to shuffle the end of it on a wet cloth, removing oxides from all sides. Then the tip is lowered into the rosin under a piece of solder. In this case, the remains of oxides are removed, and the solder melts and partially remains on the sting.

After tinning, the tip is again wiped with a cloth and the soldering iron is ready to work. It is important not to overheat it above 300 0 C, otherwise everything will have to be repeated all over again.

Overheating is visible by boiling and splashing of rosin when lowering the tip of the soldering iron into it.

A set of replaceable non-flammable tips used on a soldering station

A standard “needle” type tip has a low thermal conductivity, and it is convenient to solder only miniature elements with it. Soldering radio components with it is quite difficult.

More convenient are stings of the "cylinder with a bevel" type. For soldering in a set, it is advisable to have 3 tips of this type, with a diameter of 1, 2 and 3 mm.

The 5 mm knife tip has decent power and can be used to solder both thin parts and massive ones if the knife is turned around correctly. Similarly, you can use the classic wedge-shaped tip.

Soldering iron overheating

In the absence of a voltage regulator, the soldering iron can heat up above 300 0 C, which leads to its burning. If it is not possible to measure the temperature of the sting, overheating can be noticed by boiling and splashing rosin.

You can reduce the temperature of the soldering iron using a power regulator - a dimmer. Here you can pick up a conventional incandescent lamp brightness control device. It is important that it is suitable for power.

You can assemble a thyristor regulator on the Kr1182PM2 chip with your own hands, which allows you to control devices with a power of up to 150 watts.

A microchip-based power regulator that you can assemble with your own hands

The HL1 lamp is shown as a load. Instead, you can connect a soldering iron, which is an active load. Power is regulated by a variable resistor R1.

The dimmers provide smooth switching on and off of the load. For a soldering iron, this is not required and you can get by with a simpler device.

Scheme of a simple thyristor regulator

The positive half-cycle is not controlled and passes through the diode VD1. Regulation is carried out only through a negative half-cycle by controlling the thyristor VD2 using a variable resistor R2. For a soldering iron, this is quite enough.

Miniature control devices are built into the handle of the soldering iron. The best ways to maintain the optimum soldering temperature are in soldering stations, where the mode can be manual or automatic.

Common soldering station "Weller"

For a home network with a stable supply voltage, manual heating control is quite enough, depending on the brand of solder.

Soldering iron wear is uneven. When burned out, irregularities appear on the surface of the sting. From time to time it needs to be sharpened and tinned.

When heated, copper dissolves in the solder, and prolonged heating without use leads to the formation of a layer of oxides. Therefore, it is recommended to turn off the soldering iron during pauses or reduce its temperature.

Fixing the soldering iron tip

The presence of a removable sting allows you to remove and sharpen it. But in many designs, its additional fixation is required, since the rod begins to dangle and fall out. It has a metal sleeve that is put on top. If it is constantly removed when replacing the sting, the strength of the connection will decrease. You can leave the sleeve in place, but over time it will jam and it will be difficult to remove the sting.

To create a reliable connection between the body of the soldering iron and the tip, the sleeve is replaced with another one so that it can be easily put on. Then a hole is drilled in it and an M3 or M4 thread is cut. After the sleeve is put on the tip, a screw is screwed into it, creating a reliable connection and preventing the tip from turning. The figure below shows a disassembled (a) and assembled (b) soldering iron, where a regular nut is used as a sleeve.

What does the attachment of a replaceable soldering iron tip look like?

A removable tip is necessary for a soldering iron in order to regulate its temperature. If you insert it into the heater at different depths, the temperature of the working part will change.

Periodically, descaling of the joint is required. When it accumulates, the operating temperature of the soldering iron decreases. Cleaning is done as follows:

remove the copper rod with pliers from the soldering iron;
remove scale with an emery cloth;
apply a layer of graphite to the rod by rubbing a pencil lead against it;
remove the remaining scale from the opening of the heating element by lightly tapping it;
install a new or return the old copper rod and fix it with a sleeve with a screw.

The insulation of the soldering iron should be checked periodically. To do this, the ohmmeter is set to the megaohm limit (1-10 mOhm) and the resistance between the tip and the pins of the soldering iron plug is measured, which should be infinitely large.

Soldering lessons. Video

The basics of soldering for beginners are collected in this video.

The soldering iron burns out over time during operation. His sting must be periodically sharpened and tinned. In the presence of a fireproof coating, the working surface is cleaned with special chemicals, after which it is also tinned. During operation, it is important that the soldering iron does not overheat.