solder and irons

[ppatchmods]

i've been having the darnedest time with vero builds lately and it got my thinking. i have a heat controlled iron with a steel wool cleaner instead of a sponge. the way my iron sits on the stand it touches the black plastic part sometimes. i try to keep it tinned and cleaned but the tip is getting kinda old. if the plastic somehow got mixed in with the solder, could that cause my solders to lose connectivity? also, what about cheap vero board? does that factor in?

[edvard]

Yeah plastic on the iron is never good, any crud between your iron and your work is going to act as an insulator, even simple oxidation will hinder your soldering.
I read somewhere that straight flux will help clean off the tip, but don't quote me on that.
If your iron is too crudded up, it may just be time for a new tip; they're not that pricey.

[slacker]

Vero board can oxidize a bit which makes it harder to solder to. If it looks dull then just give it a quick rub with some fine sandpaper or a file to buff it up, that works for me.