My old Weller station saw that exact fate last year, left it on for a full weekend. The tip looked like a burnt marshmallow. I've gotten weirdly good at the whole "tin the tip" song and dance now, like a weird soldering prayer I mumble before I plug it in. Still managed to fry a perfectly good Hakko last month by being in a rush, though. The shame of killing a new iron is a special kind of pain.