Newbie solder question

[cooldonkey]

That's a very good way to wear out your tip VERY quickly. I hope nobody else is doing this.
I do a lot of soldering and only need to take these drastic measures maybe once or twice a year, not several times a day! That's just crazy.

Really, that's totally unnecessary if you're using and caring for your soldering iron correctly...keep it clean by wiping off excess solder each use (every solder joint), and keep it tinned.

I'm not working as a luthier doing pickup changes everyday. I don't do a lot of fine electronics soldering, so I don't need a expensive soldering iron. Not to mention I've been doing it on one that I've had for like 15 years. So your hypothesis, though with some understandable concerns, doesn't hold water. You could be right to a degree when it comes to some brands. But soldering irons are cheap dude. Ridiculously cheap. I value my time more than screwing around with something that isn't working well. Just my opinion.

 

[GuitarDoc]

I'm not working as a luthier doing pickup changes everyday. I don't do a lot of fine electronics soldering, so I don't need a expensive soldering iron. Not to mention I've been doing it on one that I've had for like 15 years. So your hypothesis, though with some understandable concerns, doesn't hold water. You could be right to a degree when it comes to some brands. But soldering irons are cheap dude. Ridiculously cheap. I value my time more than screwing around with something that isn't working well. Just my opinion.

You didn't read my post #12?

If you "value (your) time more than screwing around with something that isn't working well", then do as I suggested...dress your tip once and just keep it clean and shiny by wiping it after each use. Wiping it is MUCH quicker than "sand the whole tip down till I see nothing but copper. I do this every 3rd time or so I use it for the day".

But, hey, it's your iron, your time, and your money. Do what you like (but it's still a good idea to learn how to properly use your tools). Just don't recommend such drastic and inappropriate measures to anyone else.

 

[solspirit]

I wipe my tip after every use and I've never had to sand them.

 

[solspirit]

Hahahahahahah

 

[GuitarDoc]

I wipe my tip after every use and I've never had to sand them.

+1 .

 

[Hank-]

Lead Free Solder Wire, needs hot irons to melt. I am lucky to have found old spools of 60/40 solder in storage, not that its not available where i live, this thing is so easy to work with a 25W-35W iron.

I had tough luck trying to melt Lead Free blobs off from a wah pot in a dunlop pedal until I realised what I'm working with :8:

 

[GuitarDoc]

I never use lead-free solder, it's ridiculous hard to work with. I understand its use in large manufacturing where a lot of lead vapor is released, but it makes no sense for us little guys to use it. If I die from lead poisoning it's going to be from eating fish not soldering.