Quote Originally Posted by beansontoast View Post
A good way to start heating up the solder is to melt some other solder onto it, strange but true.
I always do that. I think it helps the iron nib spread it's effective area of heat conductivity, especially if the iron has some oxidation on it. I always use a damp sponge before and after using my irons as well. If you have a dirty nib, it can make the solder bubble up into a ball which doesn't help.