Don,
Good advice but I use Metcals and always use the moist sponge. ?I have added a brass wool cleaner but not sure how much good it does. ?
I always tin the tip before I solder and before I shut the iron down. ?The Metcals have some special protections that help with tip problems. ?In 15 years, I have had very few tip problems. ?
Hot air and solder paste is better but 60 plus years with the irons work for me.
73
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On Jan 26, 2023, at 1:20 PM, Donald S Brant Jr via groups.io <dsbrantjr@...> wrote:
?I avoid the wet sponge tip cleaner and instead always use the brass (or whatever) wool tip cleaner.? I believe that your spatters are from wiping the sponge, which snaps back and flings droplets; with the wool kind you just plunge the tip into
the wad.
Also, the thermal shock of the wet sponge can cause cracking of the tip plating, resulting in early failure, and causes slow tip temperature recovery time when making repetitive joints..
But you want to clean the iron?before you make the joint, not after; you should re-tin the tip generously before putting it into the holder or shutting down.??
73, Don N2VGU
