Cheap soldering irons?

[jeffesaurusrex]

The tip was pretty nasty if I recall and the prongs were a little bigger than the SNES battery holder prongs.

I'm no expert solderer, but I can usually get a satisfactory job done. All of my SNES battery replacements still work. But that gauge cluster had me beat. It was the only time I had used that iron too so it could have been a number of things.

I might try the Harbor Freight iron or one of the Radio Shack ones. I'm pretty much settled on a pencil iron though, I know it should be all I need.

[Hatta]

Soldering stations come with a sponge for a reason. You can use any sponge. Just moisten it and wipe off the solder after each pin. That'll keep your tip in good condition, which improves heat transfer, so you solder quicker, more neatly, and with less chance of damage.

[Ziggy]

I'm not a big fan of the sponge. It shocks the tip, which is a pain in the ass. If it takes me more than a second to clean the tip, it looses heat and I have to wait for it to heat back up to normal temperature.

They make "sponges" for cleaning tips that aren't wet, I've been meaning to pick one up. Anyways, you're suppose to put a little bit of solder back on the tip after cleaning it so the metal doesn't oxidize. Usually you'll want to tin the tip anyway, it makes it easier to solder that way.

[CRTGAMER]

I'm wondering if those automotive gauge prongs also were oxidized.
Small hand wire brush would have helped, shiny surface for solder to stick.

[Hatta]

I'm not a big fan of the sponge. It shocks the tip, which is a pain in the ass. If it takes me more than a second to clean the tip, it looses heat and I have to wait for it to heat back up to normal temperature.

That's why I like my iron with a thermostat. I can see the temp drop when I touch the iron to the sponge, but it kicks the wattage up so it's back to temperature in no time.

[Hobie-wan]

I'm wondering if those automotive gauge prongs also were oxidized.

I'm sure they were too. *looks at the back of the instrument cluster on my coffee table* Might have been a bit much for the flux to cut through too.