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Soldering Iron Tip Cleaner (Black)?
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With a solder tip clean wire.
Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Soldering-Iron-Tip-Cleaner-Black/dp/B00J66FSY2/ref=zg_bs_13837401_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=92GKA9DG5A3S32ANJ6RZ
Let the solder iron tip heat up and thrust the tip into the wire untill its clean.
Never ever use a cup of water, it does absolutely nothing except shock the iron tip. The purpose of a sponge is to wipe off the oxide that forms on the tinned tip. The only reason why it's wet in the first place is to keep the sponge from burning. You don't want it to be 'wet' just barely damp enough to prevent the scorching of the sponge. Too much water just sucks the heat right out of your tip which is exactly what you don't want happening when you're about to solder.
I switched over to brass wool and haven't looked back. I occasionally wipe the tip down with a paper towel after it's cooled down to right around when the solder starts to solidify, but be careful with over cleaning you don't want to wipe ALL the solder off the tip or there's a risk of the iron layer on the tip oxidizing which will kill the tip. Generally speaking you want to to make sure there's a thin layer of solder on the iron at all times and only wipe it off as much as is needed to keep that layer from turning brown.
So I would get a brass sponge holder. They're quiet inexpensive.
At the very least, it's a somewhat expensive solder practice board!
Definitely both good things to have on the list. Also something like this to keep the tip clean and blob-free
Just do it, both are great keyboards so both are winners . I'd personally go for the kyria because of the curved thumbcluster. I would look into getting a tenting kit.
Soldering is very doable, I learned to solder by building a drone.
I would recommend getting a few extra tools besides a soldering iron;
- nice narrow soldering tip as this is easier for small electronics.
- Desoldering braid or a solder sucker
- A tip cleaner, example
- solder wire with a rosin core
- Use a socket for the controller
- Multimeter.
- knife
- a helping hand or soldering clamp
If you can set the temperature on your iron, set it to the lowest temperature that still easily melts the solder. The pcb's are really forgiving and most soldering mistakes can easily be fixed but applying too much heat will destroy the traces.
Double check al your connections using a multimeter before powering on for the first time and fix any short circuits, small solder bridges can easily be solved using a knife.
And it's a keyboard so it only needs to make an electrical connection, it doesn't have to be perfect.
For future use, get something like this to clean the tip and not a wet sponge. That way you don't have to wait for the tip to get hot again and you are less likely to get those little beads of solder flying around.
Don't listen to that dude - f*uck gatekeeping a**holes who seem to think they've never made an "obvious question".
As long as that extension chord can handle the current that your soldering station needs (and I think it can), you'll be fine.
I'd look into something like this to clean your iron's tip (ALWAYS keep it clean), some tinner can always be handy, and some flux or flux pen is nice to have.
You're bound to make mistakes, so some desoldering wick would be a must IMO.
Then you're not doing to the things listed.
They're possibly salvageable if the tip isn't too far oxidized. Tips have multiple layers of metals, and if you've oxidized it down to the copper core it's beyond hope. If it still has a steel or iron layer fully intact then there's hope.
You need several items, which should all be part of your soldering kit.
Brass to clean it, never a wet sponge. Doesn't need to be a particular brand, there are lots of them. The water can give a shock, it cools the tip dramatically and also oxidizes the tip, which adds a thin chemical barrier so it won't tin. Jab the tip in and rub it around a bit, then immediately apply a dab of solder or touch it to some tip tinner.
Tip tinner (another popular brand), which you can apply regularly to the tip by rubbing the hot iron against the paste and letting some melt on. Applying a blob of solder can help, but this stuff also de-oxidizes. Tip tinner is basically a mix of flux and metal that eats through oxidation and applies some tin.
Rosin flux, either paste or liquid, which can be applied (a tiny amount!) at soldering sites when soldering to remove oxidation from the contact pads or wires. There is a small amount of flux inside your solder already, but it burns off almost immediately and sometimes you need a drop more on stubborn connections. This reduces the oxidation and the heat required. Be sure to clean off excess or it will eat through components/boards over time.
A gentle rub over a brass sponge and applying some tip tinner/cleaner can sometimes salvage a tip, assuming the surface is still properly layered. You might also apply some flux to the tip to remove some oxidation, but clean it immediately after.
either this product or just use the sponge that comes with it. The sponge isn't very good for the soldering iron tip. I'd recommend the tip cleaner.
This is a great suggestion. Here is a link to one on Amazon.
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