Cheap Fix for a Damaged Desoldering Iron Tip

Hello my fellow sojourners, I've found a way to get a busted tip to work again, in the end it wasn't a perfect fix, but it does the job, and if you're like me, without money of your own, it'll help.

You'll need a sharpening grinder, or perhaps a very flat, fine file would work and a small nail or diamond tip drill bit.

Step 1: Analyze the Damage of Your Tip

Carefully check how much damage there is. In my case it was a chip going up the side. This is important, as I have found that the tunnel of the tip gets wider, and as such, less effective if you sharpen too far.

Step 2: Grind Down the Tip

Grind the tip down in a very level manner, if you do not, you may have a hard time desoldering as you have to make a sort of suction cup over the lead to get the solder out of the hole.

Side note: be careful and stay close to or on the plate of the grinder; I nicked the top of my tip being too high on the wheel.

Step 3: Deburr Your Tip

Now my tip came out a bit wide, this may be because I did NOT deburr my tip and a chunk came out from the inside while attempting to desolder something for the first time after the fix. I recommend using a nail or a small diamond tip drill bit (not attached to a drill). Your results should be better than mine, as my tip was a sort of test dummy.

Step 4: Finished!

Well that's it! Mine works now, not quite as well as before, but how can I complain?

God bless you, and be sure to keep doing good for others :)