This short and easy instructable shows how (and why!) you tin the tip of the soldering iron.
Never soldered before? Here's where to start.

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GoodCleanCrazy

Last week I decided to make a USB powered flashlight.
While I know a lot about computers, I'm pretty much a solder newbie.

This was a problem.

Luckily, though, I work with a formerly-NASA-micro-soldering-certified technician and soldering instructor.
Yesterday, he instructed me as I soldered together my lovely little flashlight.

My newbie perspective is useful as I won't overlook any "obvious" things that more experienced solderers might.
And my knowledgable overseer (Thanks Terry!) taught me the proper methods, so you can do things the right way too.

You will need:
water
solder
A soldering iron

If you can't get a soldering iron with a digital temp readout (and I can't) get a soldering iron with a temperature dial. You'll be glad you did in the long run.

Step 1: Prepare the Iron

Clear your work area (like a desktop).

**If you're reading this instructable, you shouldn't be soldering chips (ICs) yet, but if you WERE to solder ICs, you'd be soldering on an ESD mat.

Plug in the iron and turn it on. Using water, soak the sponge that comes with the iron and squeeze it out a little. This sponge is used to clean solder off the tip of the soldering iron.

Adjust the temperature of the iron to about 750 F(75 on the dial) like so:

Step 2: Clean the Tip

After a minute or two the iron should be hot enough to steam when touched to the sponge. If not, wait a bit more, or add more water to the sponge if it's too dry.

When the iron is hot, wipe both sides of the soldering tip on the sponge. Your goal is to remove old solder from the tip.

Step 3: Tin the Tip

When you put a light layer of solder over another piece of metal, it's called "tinning".

Holding the solder in one hand and the iron in the other, briefly touch the solder to both sides of the tip.

Step 4: Why Tin?

Now that your tip is properly tinned, you can start soldering.
Try to solder immediately after tinning the tip, the sooner the better.

Periodically while you are working (after soldering one or two connections), clean and re-tin the tip.

Tinning improves conductivity and makes soldering easier, as well as quicker, which is a good thing.
Some electronic components are sensitive to heat, and the quicker you can solder them, the less likely they are to be heat damaged.

According to the instructive Terry, properly tinning the iron tip before putting it away will help preserve it.
Comparing our soldering iron (like new), and the iron of the guys down the hall (terrible) this seems to be a good practice to keep.

Happy soldering! -Royal

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