The process of preparing a copper tip

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Nickel is highly durable and does not wear out. Long service life is the advantage of nickel coating. The disadvantage is weak adhesion. Such a tip does not hold the solder well. Soldering can only be done by feeding the solder directly to the work area. The working area is heated with a tip, then a small amount of solder or soldering paste is applied. The adhesion occurs from heating.

Silver has good adhesion, but poor heat conductivity. In addition, the material is expensive. Over time, silver wears out and exposes the copper base. This happens because the silver coating dissolves in the solder.

The spraying features complicate the work and maintenance. Therefore, radio amateurs, especially the older generation, prefer copper soldering irons. But the copper tip has a drawback - hot copper investor data oxidizes. Interaction with air occurs only on a thin layer, but this is enough for zero adhesion. Heat is also transferred worse. The way out of this situation is to always cover the tip with a thin layer of solder.

Tin cannot be applied before soldering, because copper starts to burn out under its layer. Slag appears at the place of burning, due to which there is no adhesion. The master starts to be distracted from work.



Abrasives wear away the coating. Nickel or ceramics are coated in a thin layer on the tip - that's why you can't wear them away. The expensive tip will turn into a copper rod.

The coating process is not difficult. The molten solder adheres well to hot copper, but with one condition - it must be clean. This can only be achieved at low temperatures. Oxidation accelerates with increasing temperature and adhesion disappears. Cold solder cannot be stuck to the tip, because it does not melt. It is a vicious circle.

Slag, rosin and plastic residues, scale and other debris can be removed on a cold tool. The rod is pulled out before this operation so as not to damage the heater. The tip inside the heater also oxidizes, which worsens heat transfer. Electricity overcomes excess resistance due to scale and is wasted.