Hassle-free Placement of SMD Components

Gadgets can be very useful to assist the task of placing components in printed circuit boards. Some people clamp the PCB in a small vice, either the vacuum-fixing variety (with a sucker) or the type that clamps to the edge of the workbench, or else they use one of those 'third hand' devices with several crocodile clips. But none of these is much help when you are dealing with surface mount (SMD) components. A tip.