[HH] Fwd: Schmartboards

[Tom Metro]

Kurt Keville wrote:
> Anybody want to go in on a 10 pak of Schmartboards?
>
> http://www.schmartboard.com/index.asp?page=products_smttodip&id=460

(Not something I need at the moment, but some comments on the product.)

This is basically a small blank PCB that allows you to plug a surface
mount chip into a solderless breadboard.

There are a bunch of similar products on the market. What is unique abut
these, other than the groves they mention, which help you align the
chip's pins to the solder pads?

I wonder how they create the groves? (Presumably the pads are at the
bottom of the groves.) They machine the board and then plate it after?

I gather the pads come with a generous amount of pre-tinned solder on
them, as the video depicts them just heating the pads and not applying
any solder.

What is the reason why solder paste and baking the whole board isn't a
more common approach to dealing with SMT parts, instead of hand
soldering individual pins?

 -Tom