Quick and Easy PCB

[cvrider]

Is there a product out there that makes it easy to place your surface mount components on a PCB? I find it difficult to solder all my components to the board. Are there solutions where I can maybe snap in components rather than trying to solder components that are smaller than the tip of my soldering iron. A lot of the parts I get for free are surface mount components that are designed for manufacturing and not home-made PCBs.

 

[Hero999]

What's wrong with a pair of fine tweezers?

I prefer most SMT parts to through hole as I don't have to drill any holes and they take up one tenth of the space.

 

[Cry_Wolf]

I have heard that using silicon to stick the smd to the board before soldering make things a lot easier

 

[Rolf]

Super Glue?

Is there a product out there that makes it easy to place your surface mount components on a PCB? I find it difficult to solder all my components to the board. Are there solutions where I can maybe snap in components rather than trying to solder components that are smaller than the tip of my soldering iron. A lot of the parts I get for free are surface mount components that are designed for manufacturing and not home-made PCBs.

I used Super Glue (the type that bonds instantly) in my first and only attempt, it worked pretty good.
Paid $1.00 in a Dollar store for a packet of three tubes.

 

[Gayan Soyza]

I have heard that using silicon to stick the smd to the board before soldering make things a lot easier

I agree, I never use hard sticking super glue, If I need to replace or upgrade them occasionally that will be very hard So I use silicon instead.

 

[ecerfoglio]

Be carefull!!

I used Super Glue (the type that bonds instantly) in my first and only attempt, it worked pretty good.
Paid $1.00 in a Dollar store for a packet of three tubes.

Be shure to work in a well ventilated area.

When the Super Glue (Cianoacrilate) heats up it releases some nasty chemicals.

Perhaps if you glue up the chip's body to the board it doesn't get hot enough, but if there is some glue over a copper trace...

 

[jpanhalt]

I've used cyanoacrylic (CA, superglue) quite a bit. The trick is to get a small dot of the stuff. For that, I put a drop of the CA on an old piece of copper PCB. Medium viscosity works well. The copper surface doesn't set the glue off, so it stays liquid. Then I use a piece of wire (1.2 to 1.5 mm dia.) to transfer a dab of the CA to where I need the component.

CA is depolymerized by relatively low heat. I have never had a problem in removal as the heat lossens it. Of course, I have only used it for 805 and 1206 resistors and caps, nothing so big that it doesn't get hot. You can buy commercial formulations for the same purpose, but the ones I have found were only sold in large quantity.

John