On Tue, Aug 12, 1997 at 10:22:10AM +1000, Peter Homann wrote:

> I've had this crazy idea bouncing around in my head that it may be
> possible to solder SMD devices using one of the small lighter fluid
> gas soldering irons that have a hot air attachment.

I've successfully soldered fine pitch (0.5mm) QFP-100 devices on a bare
board (no solder mask) using a heat gun (paint stripper/heat shrink type).
You do have to clean up afterwards with solder wick because it's impossible
to avoid bridges, but providing you get the solder paste on properly (run
a stripe along each set of pads) it works pretty well. Inspect carefully
with a magnifiying glass, and make sure you don't get paste trapped
under the component (it doesn't melt, and shorts out vias).

Oh, and let the board cool before picking it up - otherwise you have to
do it again after the chip falls off :-(

--
Clyde Smith-Stubbs  |HI-TECH Software,      |Email: clyde@htsoft.com
Ph:  +61 7 3354 2411|P.O. Box 103, Alderley,|WWW:  http://www.htsoft.com/
Fax: +61 7 3354 2422|QLD, 4051, AUSTRALIA.  |PGP: finger clyde@htsoft.com
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