Interested users, probably, more than once held a soldering iron in their hands and were engaged in repairing equipment or soldering electrical circuits. But not everyone knows that a good craftsman should have several replacement tips suitable for various options for working with a soldering device. Consider the most common of them, without which no highly qualified radio amateur can do.
Known species
Among the whole variety of soldering tips, the following main types stand out:
- Plain copper samples, which, if desired, can be found in almost any apartment (photo below).
- Special nickel-plated tips of a removable type, most often installed in modern models of soldering irons.
- Ceramic products.
- Combined samples.
With copper products, everything is more or less clear, since their tip can be given any shape convenient for work. It comes in the form of a scapula, oblique cut or tapered. But with the remaining three options, you will need to get acquainted in more detail.
Types of nickel-plated tips
The nickel-plated tip is suitable for dismountable soldering irons, in which the heating temperature can vary.
Below are the main types of handpieces in this class:
- Needle sting.
- Spatula-like tip.
- Teardrop sting.
The first of these options is suitable only for a small range of operations, when you need to warm up a very narrow section of the board or the leg of a miniature part. Such a sting will not work for large elements, since its tip cools quickly. The second soldering fixture on the list is suitable for working with large electronic components (photo below).
When the soldering iron heats up, it practically does not cool down, so it can be used to quickly solder or unsolder the part. Solder adheres very well to the drop tip, which guarantees fast soldering of any components.
In the shape of the base itself, nickel-plated products are straight and curved. The latter are used in situations where convenient access to parts to be soldered or dismantled is required. Another version of the tip is called universal, since it can be used in all cases described.
Ceramic and versatile
Products for brazing on the basis of ceramics are very durable, but in terms of thermal conductivity they are significantly inferior to copper. The tip of the tip is not subject to strong fading and does not need constant cleaning from soldering debris adhering to it.
Such tips are optimal for long-term work with radio components (including their dismantling).
Composite or universal products combine the advantages of several materials at once and allow you to obtain a tip with unique properties. Their core, for example, can be made of strong steel, and the working part (tip) is made of copper, covered with a thin layer of nickel. In especially "advanced" models of soldering irons, a silver alloy can be used as a tip coating.