How to Tin a Soldering Iron

Soldering irons are useful for small projects, such as circuit boards, electric wire connections and faulty solder joints. Soldering guns need a fresh coat of tin or solder on them for best results.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soldering iron
• Solder
• Wet sponge
• Commercial tip cleaner

1. Inspect the soldering iron tip for abrasions or damage. Replace a broken tip. Typically, the soldering iron tip will slide from the soldering iron after releasing a small setscrew near the tip.

2. Plug in the soldering iron and let it reach a high temperature. Wipe away any existing solder or contaminants with a wet sponge.

3. Use a commercial tip cleaning paste to remove oxidized material from the tip. Dip the end of the soldering iron tip into the paste while the tip is at operating temperature and wipe the tip clean on a wet sponge.

4. Purchase a roll of solder. You can purchase solder at any home improvement store such as Lowe's, Home Depot or most hardware stores.

5. Place the solder on the very end of the cleaned soldering iron tip. Keep the solder in place until it begins to melt. Move the solder all over the tip in an even coat.

6. Wipe away access solder on the wet sponge until the tip is shiny and covered with heated solder.

Tips & Warnings

• Wipe the tip across the sponge's edge to bring the melted solder to a point.
• Place the soldering iron in a holder when not in use to prevent damage to the tip.
• Wear eye protection for the project.