I once forgot to turn off the iron after soldering, and didn't have auto power-off. Ended up reviving the tip with very careful application of 600 grit sandpap

I once forgot to turn off the iron after soldering, and didn't have auto power-off. Ended up reviving the tip with very careful application of 600 grit sandpaper. Not as good as new, but got at least a few years of use on it.