Question 1

Does this serve the same purpose as thermaltronics tmt-tc-2 lead free tip tinner or similar products?

Accepted Answer

It does serve the same purpose.  The difference is that this listing is just the Sal Amoniac, you supply your own solder...  The advantage is you use the same solder to tin the tip that you solder with.  The tmt-tc-2 uses a mixture of sal amoniac and pure tin.  Tjhis means the tmt-tc-2 does not need solder to be added.  But the problem with that is it deposits pure tin on your tip.  Pure tin is not good for electronics, as tin wiskers tend to grow more readily from higher concentrations of tin, so the tmt-tc-2 can contribute to later failure if you don't follow it's use with a couple of solder applications and wipes, to replace the pure tin with solder.  Your mileage may vary, but my recommendation is to pay close attention to your solder chemistry for critical applications, and don't use pure tin to tin with...   So while this serves the same purpose, and some people like the tmt-tc-2 better, I suggest that for critical work this is a superior tip cleaner.  Just be sure and try not to sand your soldering tips as is a common practice for heavily oxidised tips.  A soldering tip is made from copper, plated with iron.  The plating is thin, and easily sanded off.  Once you expose the underlying copper, the tip will tin easier, but the copper will start dissolving into your solder, providing a source of copper contamination.  This will alter the chemistry of the solder joint, and the alloy created may have mechanical properties that lead to later failure.I used to sand my tips to clean and sharpen them, and improve tinning performance, but every tip I sanded failed very quickly as the copper eroded away in ways iron doesn't.

Question 2

Why is this item better than a wet sponge?

Accepted Answer

Wet sponge does not recoat the solder tip, you need the ammoniac bar to recoat the tip, google it. A wet sponge is nice for wiping off the solder. When the tip becomes dark, not shiny, you need to put a dab of the solder on your bit and twist it on op of the ammoniac bar to recoat your solder tip. A sponge is fine for just wiping off the gunk when working. I learned this in a stained glass class.

Question 3

Will this damage the iron clading that is on the tip?

Accepted Answer

It has not damaged my tip and it is about 3 years old. Used iron on average 10-15 hours a week. Hope this helps.

Large 1/2 lb Sal Ammoniac Tinning Block

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