Why does my soldering iron "spit" when I use it?

[skiraly017]

Sometimes when I'm soldering, the iron seems to "spit in all directions leaving clear drops on the PCB. Is it because the tip is no longer good? Too much solder on the tip? Thanks for the help.

[twabelljr]

Just googled "spits when soldering".

            If your solder spits and pops while soldering, you have too much flux
Someone here should be able too verify this or dismiss it.

[petemoore]

  Maybe the iron's real hot, it's the flux core material IIUC that 'spits'.
 I used to clean the tip, add solder and apply, because it was so hot I could keep solder flowing..even on the [cooler than tip] wire the iron tip was touching, cooling the max heat applied, and reducing spitting, somewhat.
 I Heard about cleaning baking soda, water and a toothbrush, they sell flux remover....however comments are welcome on flux cleanup tips. Seems like toothpaste might work.

[petemoore]

  I think 'one thing' in the flux gets to boiling before whats else around there, causeing the release of energy that propels spittles around the work area.

[Connoisseur of Distortion]

are you carrying solder on the iron? i have only ever seen 'spitting' when people put globs of solder on the iron and then dabble it onto the parts...

be sure your technique is well practiced. your joints will thank you!

[8mileshigh]

I do a lot of stained glass and I can verify the flux does indeed spit when too much is applied or just when the iron is too hot.  I use a 15 watt for circuits and never get any spit.

Chris

[R.G.]

Yep, hot iron and flux.

[sovtek50]

Also, lead-free solder is more likely to "spit", because it needs higher temperatures.