Is this normal for a soldering iron?

[bhuether]

I got a new soldering iron (20-40W adjustable, pencil style) from radio shack and after two days of use the tip looks horrendous. The shiny metal surface has been corroded down to what appears copper. I was pretty careful about tinning and cleaning. Just wondering if this is actually normal. I am considering getting a better iron but just want to do a sanity check...


thanks,

brian

[Shredragrammaton]

the same happens to me man , beyond that infact, to the point where i have to file the tip to get it to heat properly. Go cheap soldering irons!

[EvoGiant]

i have that same iron and after it discolored, ive had no problems. as long as it gets hot, then its fine. just the heating alone is gonna make it look bad.
if its heating fine, then dont worry about how it looks.

[Foulacy]

yea that happens to tips. you basically got to get a new one.

[waylay00]

Check your other topic for my reply.

[ryanb]

They will all discolor to some extent. But the Radio Shack irons are made out of particularly crappy materials and oxidize so badly as to be practically useless. You have to file the tip, which removes the plating and makes it oxidize faster than ever. My advice is to throw that thing away immediately and go buy a decent Weller iron for only a few bucks more.

[EvoGiant]

i dunno about you guys, but i have had the same 20/40 iron from radio shack for the past 6 years with no problems. Ive never had to file any tips or anything.
guess i got lucky. ha ha.

[LuredMaul]

you have to clean the tip with a moisted gold brillo pad before and after each soldering job,keep it clean and never file a tip. it should last a year unless you use it everyday.

[ryanb]

A good tip will last a lifetime if taken care of. I have never seen a good tip from Radio Shack, but I swore them off many years ago. Any discoloration is, of course, behind the working part of the tip. The tip should stay tinned, and wipe clean and shiny on just a damp sponge. A bad tip will form a hard oxide over the whole thing that can barely be removed with a file, much less normal methods. That kind of tip causes nothing but grief.