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Why do solder tips go bad?

Started by DonMack ●October 1, 2011
Subject says it all.
Reply by John S ●October 1, 20112011-10-01
On 10/1/2011 4:45 PM, DonMack wrote:

> Subject says it all.


Because you use them.
Reply by Rich Webb ●October 1, 20112011-10-01
On Sat, 1 Oct 2011 16:45:13 -0500, "DonMack" <DonMack@Maill.com> wrote:


>Subject says it all. 


It's the same old question of nature versus nurture.

-- 
Rich Webb     Norfolk, VA
Reply by Rich Grise ●October 1, 20112011-10-01
DonMack wrote:


> Subject says it all.


Partly oxidation, partly wear and tear, and partly from being dissolved 
into an alloy at the joint.

Hope This Helps!
Rich
Reply by Tim Wescott ●October 1, 20112011-10-01
On Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:45:13 -0500, DonMack wrote:


> Subject says it all.


Not really.  How are they going bad for you?

If it's a copper tip that's not iron plated, it goes bad because copper 
dissolves in solder.

My Weller WTCPN iron has iron-plated tips, and they only go bad if I do 
enough violence to one to break through the iron plating, at which point 
the copper starts getting eaten away.

-- 
www.wescottdesign.com
Reply by Nico Coesel ●October 1, 20112011-10-01
"DonMack" <DonMack@Maill.com> wrote:


>Subject says it all. 


Mostly because the soldering iron is set too hot and companies like to
make money from selling soldering tips. Some brands are better than
others.

-- 
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply
indicates you are not using the right tools...
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Reply by Rich Grise ●October 1, 20112011-10-01
Tim Wescott wrote:


> On Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:45:13 -0500, DonMack wrote:
> 
>> Subject says it all.
> 
> Not really.  How are they going bad for you?
> 
> If it's a copper tip that's not iron plated, it goes bad because copper
> dissolves in solder.
> 
> My Weller WTCPN iron has iron-plated tips, and they only go bad if I do
> enough violence to one to break through the iron plating, at which point
> the copper starts getting eaten away.
> 

I've used WTCPs, and the iron cladding does eventually wear out, but new
tips used to be about fifty cents, and it takes about a minute to replace
one.

Cheers!
Rich
Reply by whit3rd ●October 2, 20112011-10-02
On Saturday, October 1, 2011 2:45:13 PM UTC-7, DonMack wrote:

> Subject says it all.


Heat.

Long version: the circuit material and the solder AND the tip plating
all are at risk of dissolving when the tip is hot, so longlife tips
are made of things (iron) that aren't maximally sticky to hot solder.
Those are then plated (silver, chromium, nickel, whatever) with stickier alloys.
Then, you put a layer of solder atop that and the tip is tinned.

So, you can rub through (or dissolve) the sticky layer, and oxidize the
iron layer.  Or, you can dissolve a solid copper tip.
Reply by Jan Panteltje ●October 2, 20112011-10-02
On a sunny day (Sat, 1 Oct 2011 16:45:13 -0500) it happened "DonMack"
<DonMack@Maill.com> wrote in <j681k2$5l2$1@dont-email.me>:


>Subject says it all. 


Because they only put the protective layer at the tip.
The tips rot away just above that point.
 http://panteltje.com/pub/soldering_tips.jpg

If they protected the whole thing they would not sell tips anymore.
Illegal practice? Business opportunity (once)?
Reply by ●October 2, 20112011-10-02
On Oct 1, 5:45=A0pm, "DonMack" <DonM...@Maill.com> wrote:

> Subject says it all.


If you add a diode in series with an old-fashioned iron the tips last
forever.  My old standard had a shorting switch in parallel with the
diode, for "high" power.

--
Cheers,
James Arthur