Homebrew PCBs

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 00:43:26 -0000, mava3941 <mava3941@...> wrote:

> How does everyone hold down the SMT parts prior to hand soldering?
>
> What type of adhesive is used to hold the SMT parts?
>
> Where can I get(I am in the USA) it?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Martin


the glue is only needed for industrial appliation when one side is 
soldered upside down.

you can use the described solder tacking.
a member here (sorry, the name ...) has invented a ingenious tool 
consisting of a wood
plate and a steel wire spring. the pcb is placed on the plate and the 
spring is bent in an arch.
one side is fixed to the board, the other presses the part down.

I would really recommend solder paste and oven / hot air soldering.
the big advantage is the parts "self align" as they "swim" on the solder.
(solder has a high surface tension).
it is much faster and the result is better in my opinion (hand soldering 
can shock parts and damage them).
I use a heatgun, not an oven, to get best results.
you can build a simple vacuum pickup tool for placement. the paste is 
dispensed
 from a syringe.

ST