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I'm starting to build circuit boards and running into a problem that many components are SMD and I can’t buy them in SIP or DIP format. I’ve seen online that you can actually solder SMD by reflowing. Now my question is, can I buy hobby tools capable of this kind of work? I don’t want to buy a reflow oven and a microscope for hundreds or thousands of dollars and so on. I will probably build under 10 boards a year. They will generally be two layer boards with components on one side and pretty small (4”x 4”) for the most part.

What things do I need? I realize that I need some kind of solder paste. Is there a specific kind I need? It looks like a syringe is good to have. It looks like I need a solder wick to lift excess solder. I’m not sure if I need a bottle of rosin since it’s generally in the paste and solder wire.

Thanks!

I'm starting to build circuit boards and running into a problem that many components are SMD and I can’t buy them in SIP or DIP format. I’ve seen online that you can actually solder SMD by reflowing. Now my question is, can I buy hobby tools capable of this kind of work? I don’t want to buy a reflow oven and a microscope for hundreds or thousands of dollars and so on. I will probably build under 10 boards a year. They will generally be two layer boards with components on one side and pretty small (4”x 4”) for the most part. What things do I need? I realize that I need some kind of solder paste. Is there a specific kind I need? It looks like a syringe is good to have. It looks like I need a solder wick to lift excess solder. I’m not sure if I need a bottle of rosin since it’s generally in the paste and solder wire. Thanks!

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[–] 1 pt

They generally do a good job, I had a former employer purchase some as well and they're still in use.