> than the other irons I've used. If I clean it off and tin it, it'll
oxidize
> in a matter of seconds.

You can greatly extend the life of both plated and non-plated tips and also
sometimes recover ones such as you have got by using a "bit restoration
compound". AFAIK this is a strong flux plus solder mixture. AFAIR "sal
ammoniac" is commonly used. This is a stiff to hard crumbly mix that smokes
and behaves badly when hot tip is pressed into it but which produces a much
improved tip surface after a few tens of seconds of use. Ersin sell a
version in a small tin that lasts for a very long time (probably years in
home use).

I have heard mention of people re-iron plating tips. This sounds a bit
desperate but should be quite easy to do. Once a tip gets a hole through the
plating it seems to behave rather badly - possibly a galvanic cell in
action. The rejuvenating compound helps prevent this and may? functionally
restore it. (ie it is unlikely that it magically restores the iron coat but
it seems to make them work).



        Russell McMahon

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