Waterless Solder Cleaner

thingiverse

A holder that you can stuff metal wool into in order to clean your soldering iron of excess solder and flux is a simple tool. I tried using steel wool, the kind used for removing burnt-on food from pots and pans, which works perfectly fine. It's cheaper than buying specialized brass wool designed specifically for this task. A third of a household steel wool pad is enough for one cleaning job. I'm not sure if this method will damage my soldering iron, so use it at your own risk. No matter what you put into that holder, it's better than the traditional sponge in two ways: * No water involved → Less chance of oxidizing your soldering iron tip. * No water involved → You won't have to run to the nearest faucet when deciding to solder something. I made mine out of PLA plastic. If you don't touch the holder directly with your soldering iron, it's fine. Using ABS might provide better heat resistance, but if you're missing a hole, you probably need more parts anyway;). Enjoy!