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Soldering Iron Tips Stop Working/Melting Solder (feddit.de)

submitted 1 year ago by codiefz@feddit.de to c/askelectronics@discuss.tchncs.de

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Hey everyone,

I'm a complete beginner in the world of soldering, and I'm facing some frustrating issues with my soldering iron tips. After just a few minutes of use, my soldering iron tips can't melt the solder anymore.

I always keep a sponge nearby and make sure to clean the tip frequently, just like I saw in tutorials. However, the tips still look a little "burned"/ black. Am I doing something wrong? Or could it be related to the soldering equipment I'm using? I bought a $20 kit on Amazon just to practice.

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[–] Saigonauticon@voltage.vn 1 points 1 year ago

Hm, that's an unusual issue! I don't know off the top of my head, but I'll ask a few questions that might help diagnose the problem.

What kind of soldering iron are you using? A soldering station, or a dollar store 'firestarter'? Also the wattage? It should be printed on it somewhere.

What type of solder are you using? It's electronics solder, right?

You're not getting molten plastic on the soldering iron tip? That tends to ruin them pretty fast.