I made the mistake of ordering a board and not ordering the solder paste stencil.
So what to do - well, not a complex board, I tinned the pads and applied some flux as it is a bit sticky...
Then I applied the components. Now this is where I wish I had applied less solder to make it flatter as they did not stay put very well.
Getting flux on the tweezers was also an issue, so lots of cleaning.
Then I cooked in the oven the same as if I had solder paste.
To my utter amazement, it worked perfectly. I did put in a sonic cleaner, which did not help much in cleaning it up...
However, a nylon brush and some IPA, and bingo..
But the damn board works!
So there you have it - an option when you have no stencil!
