Portasol tip cleaning - Advice needed please...

[ThreeSheds]

Hi,

Having struggled trying to solder fuel pump wires with my trusty (30 years old!) 25 watt mains iron, I finally cracked and bought a Portasol. Brilliant tool! Love it to bits. Did the job in 2 minutes... :D

Unfortunately the next time I used it I forgot it was on and left it running full pelt until the gas ran out. This appears to have turned my lovely tinned tip into a dark grey thing that won't wet at all!

I have a tin of flux that I normally use in conjunction with cored solder but I just can't get the tip clean.

Any advice would be welcome!

Cheers

Roger

[66gaza]

Hi,

Having struggled trying to solder fuel pump wires with my trusty (30 years old!) 25 watt mains iron, I finally cracked and bought a Portasol. Brilliant tool! Love it to bits. Did the job in 2 minutes... :D

Unfortunately the next time I used it I forgot it was on and left it running full pelt until the gas ran out. This appears to have turned my lovely tinned tip into a dark grey thing that won't wet at all!

I have a tin of flux that I normally use in conjunction with cored solder but I just can't get the tip clean.

Any advice would be welcome!

Cheers

Roger

Give it a bit of a file 9preferably just the tip where you are soldering) then re tin it with a bit of solder. I use soldering irons at work & this is what I do.

Gaza

[FridgeFreezer]

What he said ^^^ but be very gentle, some fine emery paper may be a first resort. Once you start attacking tips with things they go downhill more rapidly.

I have a "tip cleaner tinner" from maplins, cost about £5, it's a tiny little thing (about the diameter of a 50p) with what seems to be a mixture of solder, flux, and a mild abrasive - you wipe the iron on it as you would the sponge and it cleans and tins very nicely.