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Top of Support & Service  >  MAINTENANCE/TROUBLESHOOTING/APPLICATION EXAMPLES  >  Solder does not wet on the surface of the new tip

Solder does not wet on the surface of the new tip

If solder does not wet on the tip, it may be because of the oxidation of the tip.

Even a new tip will oxidize if leaving the iron powered on for over 30 minutes.  Because of the oxidation, solder does not wet on the tip.

  • A new tip

  • Leaving the tip at the temperature of 470 ℃ for over 30 minutes・・・

  • does not wet on the tip and becomes spherical due to the surface tension.
    Oxidation occurred and blackened the tip surface.
    Because of the oxidation, the solder does not wet even on the surface of the new tip.
How to prevent tip oxidation

Before turning off the power of the iron or leaving it powered on temporarily, feed the solder to the tip end.  Once the molten solder covers the tip surface, the solder prevents the tip from oxidation by blocking the air, even leaving the iron powered on for a while.

Solder would wet on the tip surface again after tip cleaning.

Tip cleaning with a cleaning wire and flux-cored solder

  1. Remove the oxides with a cleaning wire.
  2. Set the tip temperature at 250℃, and repeat the process of feeding solder to the tip and wiping it off several times.
Solder may not wet on the tip surface in the beginning, but it would start wetting after repeating the process.
If solder still does not wet on the tip, try the tip cleaning with the chemical paste, FS-100 or the tip polisher, FT-700.
  1. Once solder wets on the tip well, feed solder to cover the tip to prevent the tip oxidation at the end.
The product used

 Cleaning wire 599B

Tip cleaning with the chemical paste, FS-100

Set the tip temperature at around 350℃.

  1. Dip the tip in the chemical paste, FS-100.
  2. Remove the chemical paste, FS-100, with a cleaning sponge or a cleaning wire. 
  1.  Feed solder to the tip and make sure solder wets on the tip well.
  2. Repeat the process of1to3until solder wets on the tip.
    The tip polisher, FT-700, makes it more effective.
  3. Once solder wets on the tip well, feed solder to cover the tip to prevent the tip oxidation at the end.
The product used

 Chemial paste FS-100　

Tip cleaning with the tip polisher, FT-700

Set the tip temperature at around 350℃.

  1. Remove carbides and oxides with the tip polisher, FT-700.
  2. Dip the tip in the chemical paste, FS-100.
  3. Repeat the process of1to2 until removing oxides completely.
  4. Remove the chemical paste, FS-100, left on the tip.
  5. Once solder wets on the tip well, feed solder to cover the tip to prevent the tip oxidation at the end.
The product used

 Tip polisher FT-700

If solder does not wet on the tip surface again even after the cleaning methods above, replace the tip with the new one.