On 5/1/22 13:25, Neil Cherry wrote:
BRASS WOOOL, EEEEEK!
Nonono, not the super-fine stuff that destroys datacenters. The stuff he's talking about is very coarse and generally doesn't turn into electronics-destroying dust.
I hate the brass wool for our soldering irons. Much more partial to use of a sponge. I've seen too many folks wipe the snot of their soldering iron down to the copper inside (3 to get to the inside of a tootsie pop).
Sorry I don't like abrasives on my soldering iron tips. I also don't like using the tip to melt anything other than solder. I use the barrel for heat shrink.
For the desoldering iron the wool might be okay.
And yes, always need to clean a desoldering iron (disassemble). Solder suckers also need to be cleaned out.
Ah ok, I thought you were reacting to the "wool" part of it. I share your opinions here; I've always been a sponge man. I worry about the brass stuff damaging the plating on my tips. However, the brass stuff is trusted by many people whose opinions I value, so I've occasionally considered giving it a try. I use a hot air soldering station for heat shrink tubing. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA