Soldering iron eroding fast!

Revok

Hi,

I've been soldering since this morning. At first, things went very smoothly but after a while it became increasingly harder to make clean joints. The tip of my iron looks like it's being eaten away, it looked like new this morning.

I'm using a basic 30W consumer soldering iron, and the exact type and brand of solder recommended in the building instructions (http://www.reichelt.de/Loetzinn/L-TZINN-250GR/3/index.html). I tinned the tip before I got started.

Please tell me that this is indeed the right type of solder, and that it doesn't contain some sort of corrosive flux that's going to eat away at my LXR board as well...

Any advice?

Thanks,

Rvk

nilspupils

It is probably a bad / cheap tip you are using. You should probably invest in an iron with a "longlife" soldering tip. It is much easier to work with also...

fcd72

This Tip is clearly not designed to solder PCBs, rather than tinning some Wires or doing Tiffany lamps or Plumbing. I Assume its a simple Copper Tip, so what happens is your tip gets molten together with the Solder to some kind of bronze alloy due to the unregulated heat.

This wont harm your PCB - its a general urban legend that Flux eats your Solder joints, my first PCBs are 30 years old now and workl like first day. 

Your link above doesnt work but i guess its to some LeadFree Solder with Flux Core, so everything will be fine, you should just get a proper Tip which is more pencil shaped and plated so the pure copper doesnt get in touch with the Tin of the solder.

Revok

Okay, I was probably asking for trouble when I bought that soldering iron at LIDL

(Even though the box specifially mentions "suitable for electronics")

Any recommendations on a decent iron that won't break the bank? Not sure if this will become a lasting hobby, so I'm not quite ready to throw my money at a Weller station yet.

The solder is of the old school leaded variety. Here's a working link: http://www.reichelt.de/Solder/LOeTZINN-250GR/3//index.html?ACTION=3&GROUPID=557&ARTICLE=10993

Thanks for

rudeog

I would HIGHLY recommend this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0790NM8601
I've had this one for a long time and it's seen me through a lot of projects, and is still on it's first tip (which looks like new). Having adjustable heat makes a big difference, because you can find the sweet spot, and it heats up in like 5 seconds.

nightworxx

The solder is perfect. Same brand is in use here. To the soldering station: i would recommed the cheapo version of this at Reichelt, costs approximately the half and not the shipping to Europe. And if you order this just order some replacement tips with 0.4mm size. They will give you the capability to desolder broken parts, which are stuck in pcb holes, too.

fcd72

I have this one and im 101% satisfied since about a year - and im picky about gear! It has 80W Peak Power, holds temperature within a ±5 °C Window even if you solder directly to a huuuuuge Ground Plane (anybody remembers the GND Pad for the LCD Contrast on older Shruhti Mainboards....?), i still use the very first Tip without any sign of wear, and look at the Price.....

With this one and Desoldering Braid with integrated flux removing a Display totally looses its fear - set it to 310°C and dont worry about burning your board, no matter if you touch it for 1 or 20 seconds.

Revok

Thanks for the recommendations!

julian

@fcd72 blasphemy! you have to set it to 303°

nightworxx

Yes, the epic temperature !!!

fcd72

for bass id prefer the equivalent to shruthi temperature, whatever this woukd be

julian

in l33t sp33ch that probably would be "604"