Solder Tip

[thzero]

The "duh" moment was more or less the "pre-heat". I'm using a Hako 969 myself, and highly recommend it (my only complaint is lack of a digital readout at the price point, especially in this day and age of cheap electronics). But even so I really found that if I let each side heat to point of melting, then heated them together, the solder flowed really well.