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[Easybuy2000]

It is normal for a solder iron to change color when first turned on. It allows the metal to expand when it's heated and this is normal.

If your iron is still working I would clean on a wet sponge and tin it will solder tinner.

A iron changing slight in color is normal.

[Easybuy2000]

You can also clean the tip in a brass tip cleaner then clean again with a wet sponge. Don't forget to always have the tip on the iron covered in a light coat of solder tinner.

Never solder without the iron being tinned. Also clean on wet sponge and re-tin every time you use your iron.

Just basic soldering techniques.

[christineyoung]

Wet sponge can kill tips, the coldness of water applying to tip can coool it off very fast and when tip heated and cooled very quickly can damage.

Best is to use a metal curley kate from kitchen, you know those metal SOS pads.

[christineyoung]

No manufacturer or electronics person would ever use wet sponge!!!!!

This is main reason cheap radio shack soldering irons only last a few months, the temperature change goes up inside unit.  Its quick and cheap cleaning solution.

If you have a good soldering station $100 plus, they are temperature controller and using wet sponge will not damage, since you only driving percise heat to tip, it will detect coldness and send more heat to end as they have bilt in thermostate.  Now many home users have good solderstation.

The sponge included in high grade stations is meant for after heat is removed from iron, afterwards cleaning, while the tip is actually cooling off.

Brass Tip cleaners and curly kate ensures longevity.

Also, good tips have no coatings they are solid.

[tanbam]

I gotta agree with Easybuy2000 on this one.  I'm an electronics person and have been in the electronics manufacturing field for many years now.  My basic soldering started while I was an electronics technician in the U.S. Navy and I've been refining my technique since then.

I work in a design lab for a major semi-conductor manufacturer and spend a lot of time soldering and do many jobs that other people say cannot be done by hand.  Soldering the X-Chip on my 1.6 box was one of the least challenging projects I've done for a while now.

I use a couple of the cheapest Weller solder stations.  The tips on them are going on three years now, but there is a bit of rotation going on becuause I frequently swap out tips for different sizes.  It has never even occured to me to abuse the tips by rubbing them on steel wool.  Actually, I don't even go as far as Easy goes for tip maintainance.  I turn the iron on, wait for it to heat up, and swipe it across the wet sponge.  I look at it then, and if it needs it, I'll tin it some more.  Usually it doesn't.

If it gets kind of funky, I dip the tip into some tip cleaner.  After it's done, it gets the wet sponge again.  It frequently gets the sponge.  It is a habit for me now; grab iron and wipe on sponge.  I go through a lot of sponges, but I've never lost a tip or heating element.

Before I turn the iron off, it gets a generous coating of solder.  After I've rubbed it on the sponge, of course.

[cravavr3]

I personally would never use wet sponge unless temperature controlled iron, like both you state yoiu have solder stations, so wet sponge will cause no ill effect.

Buy to radio shack $10 irons and use one with brass wool, other with wet sponge.   Honestly tell me after 5 usages which one is almost ready for new tip!!!!!!!

[Easybuy2000]

Cravavr3 has a point I did not mention before. Wet sponges are OK to be used in soldering staions with "temperature controled heat"

If you have a cheap 15 watt soldering iron I would not use a wet sponge and only use a brass solder tip cleaner.

Reason is like Cravavr3 mentioned is that a cheap soldering iron cannot conpensate for the heat as quickly as a solding station can.

I personaly use both (that's just my personal technique) I like the brass tip cleaner because it removes eveything of the tip then I tin with a tip tinner and quickly remove any access with my wet sponge. This teniques gives me a very clean tip with just the right amount of tip tinner to keep the tip "wet".

Unsing this technique I have never had any issues or cold joints or bad joints. I aslo use flux (in liguid form not the paste) it sucks up the solder, cleans the contacts and bonds the joints very well.

Thease are just MY personal technique and they work for me. Do whatever works for you. If you don't want to use a wet sponge that's ok however a wet sponge used with a soldering station will not damage your tips nor your soldering station.