So what does it mean when your soldering iron goes blue?

[Herr Masel]

I already bought a new one, after a few minutes it had a hint of blue in it too, then I cleaned it and it seemed to go away. It's not dirt, it is metallic blue, like some kind of oxidyzation. Clues?

Edit: I'm stupid.

[formerMember1]

mine gets like that if it heats up too much, make sure you keep it tinned well!  If the Iron is on too much of a high temp, i notice it is harder to tin it. PLus you need it tinned to solder well, more about this at GEOFX.COM

There is lots of info about this online, 

It seems like everything could be found at GEOFX, (even my problems)   <<<<not directed towards Herr Masel

[spudulike]

If you mean the tip going blue then thats normal at first switch on. Soldering iron tips are coated and its the coating that blooms on first use.

[Herr Masel]

Yea, I know I need to tin the tip, but from what you say it sounds like I should completely cover it, which I didn't know. With my old iron I didn't even always tin it, with this one I will never let it's blue blooming virginity's virtue to ever touch a component lead untinned, never!

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

Don't worry about it, after that it'll become brownish and then black.

My 9 year old weller soldering pencil is now BLACK (I only change the tips when needed)... it has seen a lot of use/abuse (leaving it connected overnight!)

Fp

[johngreene]

It's depressed?

--john

[JimRayden]

It's depressed?

--john

That was my first thought also.

Now is the PERFECT time to build pedals that produce soft sounding overdrives, as it will be the SUPER GENUINE blues tone. Actually, any project you will build right now will produce SRV tones, depending on how blue your iron is. Sadly, as the blue on the iron is fading, so is the mojo. 

Another one for the mojo thread.

-----------
Jimbo

[niftydog]

Yea, I know I need to tin the tip, but from what you say it sounds like I should completely cover it, which I didn't know.

The majority of the tip can turn pink with purple poker dots, provided the very tip (the pointiest 5mm or so) remains clean, shiny and tinned. After all, that's the only part you use to solder stuff right!?

[Herr Masel]

Yea, I know I need to tin the tip, but from what you say it sounds like I should completely cover it, which I didn't know.

The majority of the tip can turn pink with purple poker dots, provided the very tip (the pointiest 5mm or so) remains clean, shiny and tinned. After all, that's the only part you use to solder stuff right!?

Nnnnot necessarily... wrong answer....?

[niftydog]

Nnnnot necessarily... wrong answer....?

I try to avoid bluntly calling people wrong on this forum, especially when I'm not so sure about why I think they're wrong. Care to expand on your thoughts? I'm not out to make a fool of you, I just like open discussion.

[formerMember1]

I use the same iron as tonepad's.  (weller) i use the pointy tip(conical) for boards, and use the small screwdriver tip for jacks and switch, i notice i get better joints and easier and faster on the joint too.  I tin the whole tip, except where it is inside the iron obvioulsy,  I noticed that if your tip is clean, and you go to tin it, you can't stop it from getting tinned, it just flows evenly and thin, I hate it when the tip turns brown and black, it is a pain to clean, etc...

I always had it turning blue, then green, red, purple, brown, black, until tonepad advised me to turn the heat down, Now it stays silvery.   

[Paul Marossy]

Umm, what's a "poker dot"?! Did you mean polka dots? 

EDIT: Oh yeah, mine has gotten discolored as well. I guess that's normal from what I understand.

[niftydog]

Umm, what's a "poker dot"?! Did you mean polka dots?

You know, I wrote that first but for some reason it seemed wrong! Might have just been thrown by the image of Weird Al that flashed into my minds eye...

[Paul Marossy]

You know, I wrote that first but for some reason it seemed wrong! Might have just been thrown by the image of Weird Al that flashed into my minds eye...

He he.  What ever happened to Weird Al anyhow?

[formerMember1]

What ever happened to Weird Al anyhow?

not to OT but
, last i heard, he left his home to go down to the gas station for something, and when he left his both parents were home, well they decided to light the fire place (it was winter), well, unfortunatly his father didn't open the vent or something and they all died from carbon monoxide poisoning.  I saw this on the news last winter,...

So i guess he took it real bad, and is not in the spotlight for a while....

[johngreene]

That was a while ago. He's recording a new CD at the moment. Bermuda Schwartz lives next door to the drummer in my band and Al was over a month or so ago to record some drum tracks at his house.

--john

[formerMember1]

How long ago?  I could have sworn it was this past winter.  but then again that could have been 3 winters ago. 

Happy to know all is going good. 

[Garrett]

I believe it to be a good investment to buy a variable temp soldering iron.  I found a weller 45 watt i think. The red one.  As the the guys said before too hot can ruin your tip.  Control is the key.  You dont want a cheap weak one either. 

                                                                 

[johngreene]

How long ago?  I could have sworn it was this past winter.  but then again that could have been 3 winters ago. 

Happy to know all is going good. 

Actually it was April 2004.

[bwanasonic]

So what does it mean when your soldering iron goes blue?

Nothing serious. You just need to find it a girlfriend…

Kerry M