How to Tin Even the Grungiest Soldering Iron.

Let's say you've been a bad maker and let your soldering iron tip get to the point where it's hopeless trying to tin it. Now you can rejuvenate that crusty old tip using a remarkable new technique that's been around for centuries.

Some Sal Ammoniac, now I know that that sounds like the name of a Borscht Belt comedian , but it's actually Ammonium Chloride. And it's sold in blocks at places that sell stained glass supplies and occasionally Ace.

Heat up the iron, nice and hot, hotter, your getting there, no, hotter, okay Now start rubbing the tip on the the block of Sal Ammoniac, gently now, back and forth, back and forth, round and round and round again. Bored? Too bad. Actually it only takes about 20 seconds. Now the iron will start decomposing the Sal and giving off clouds of HCl and ammonia smoke, try not to breathe it, it's probably not good for you. At this point, you have made a little hole in the block, and you want to feed in a little solder, keep rubbing it around and the tip will be re-tinned. TA-DA!