Lead free solder is ruining my soldering iron tip

by Lyn
(UK)

Q: The lead free solder I am using seems to be blackening my soldering iron tip, and doesn't seem to flow as good as traditional solder but I want to make jewelery pieces what am I doing wrong?

Our A: There are several tips when working with lead free solder.

Lead free solder is less giving than lead solder so you need to work with it carefully.

Your solder iron might not be at the correct temperature, or the tip is not clean.

You need to work with lead free solder faster than lead solder to help prevent the blackening.

The right type of flux is also key when using lead free solder.

We have found that the best temperature should be around 700-800F.

Make sure you tip is kept clean- might be good to wipe off with a damp sponge after each seam is soldered.

Also, the right tip is very important when working with lead free solder. If the tip is too small - you will be working with the solder longer.

If the tip is too large - you may burn off the flux - making it harder to make good contact with the copper foil/flux - to the solder.

We recommend finding a tip that is good for lead free solder. This tip will have a longer life.

It also good to have a solder iron that you can adjust the temperature based on the type of solder you are using.

Also it is good to have a variety of tips for the solder iron - depending on the size of your design. Our guess would be since you are working on jewelry - you would need a small tip - less solder.

Our recommendation to you would be to have a good soldering iron - this will make working with lead free solder much easier - mostly because of the higher melting point.

Learn more about finding quality solder irons for your craft needs.

Make sure your flux and tip cleaner is suitable for lead free solder.

Not all fluxes are able to withstand the high soldering temperature which would also cause the blackening.

Hopefully some of these tips with help. Our best suggestion would be to practice to get your technique down to where you like the results.

Here are some additional tips on lead free solder you may find useful.

Be sure to leave your own tips and answers below...