[sdiy] surface mount sans PCB?

[Delia and Gavin]

Here's what I do for surface mount DIY.
I get a Radio Shack universal PC board.  The one with the two bus lines
snaking through the whole thing and the IC spacing.  There are sets of pads
with three holes each. I cut these pads in half length-wise with an X-acto
knife so that they are half as wide.  At this size they are perfect SOIC
spacing.  Then I remove the bus traces on either side of the pads I've
divided in half and run bus wire from the half-pads to the full pads on the
next set over on each side so the leads go out in a spider fashion from the
home made SOIC "socket" to the pads on either side.  Then components can be
mounted on these pads and the SOIC chip can be surface mounted to the half
pads.  
This has worked really well for me, maybe it will for you.
Good Luck
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>From: "MED" <teenagewasteland at prodigy.net>
>To: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
>Subject: [sdiy] surface mount sans PCB?
>Date: Tue, Mar 4, 2003, 7:51 PM
>

>Hey all,
>I've been thinking. I'd like to start a surface mount part accumulation so
>as to use them (the parts) in some random stuff. (synth-related!) Now, I
>know that for through-holes there's solderless breadboard,
>veroboard/vectorboard, etc for developing designs without committing them to
>a PCB (and the expense thereof). So my question is, does a similar concept
>exist for surface mount parts? It would be optimal if I could connect a
>mixture of SMD and thru-holes, so as to be able to do panel wires and such.
>'Cause i've noticed that amongst 'ease of obtaining' and 'less risk of
>discontinuing' there is often a 'lower price' benefit. Now, i'm moderately
>young/good with my hands so if soldering these buggers is needed i'll be
>able to pull it off (*carefully*, i know) but i like the ease and simplicity
>of being able to tear something down and slightly change it.
>SMD is a new beast to me and i'm thinking i should get the skills down
>because that seems to be the 'wave of the future' (meaning: nothing but
>discretes in through-hole form unless you start up your own damned fab).
>One guy described though-hole as being 'like valves' -- he prolly meant
>'obsolete' but i took it as 'slightly different, and one of several
>possibilities to weigh when choosing a design'. With that in mind, any
>chance of SMD tube holders? :)
>
>-MED "the heaters reflow the solder with every powercycle! just don't move
>it or turn it upside down..."
>
>