so i got a soldering iron and it came with 2 coils, a thinner coil and a slightly bigger thicker one... nowhere in the instructions does it say which is which.. but it says one is rosin core and the other is acid core.. is there any way to tell which is which?
2007-10-08 07:46:04 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
The thicker one is probably rosin core but not certain. Melt a bit of each onto a disposable surface. The rosin will get hard and be semi transparent. The acid will boil away and leave a powdery residue. You will also smell a sour vinegary smell when you melt the acid core.
Bert
2007-10-08 07:55:11 · answer #1 · answered by Bert C 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You have to use tip tinner. The tip of the soldering iron will oxidize if you don't use it properly and what you are seeing is the only spot on the tip that still isn't oxidized. Tip tinner comes in small bottle cap sized containers and is really an acid/paste flux mixture you grind the tip into for a few seconds. To prevent this from happening in the future, after you re-tin the tip, put a blob of solder on the tip of the iron, then turn it off. when the iron cools you are protecting the tip with a ball of solidified solder. But be careful when you turn it back on or you'll fling that solder all over the place when it heats to it's melting point.
2016-05-19 00:43:33 · answer #2 · answered by janeth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The acid core is also wet, you'll see the acid. I use the acid core on all electrical soldering, it just works better for me I guess.
2007-10-09 00:13:33 · answer #3 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋