Getting into surface mount

I have been doing a lot of surface mount repairs lately and thought it would be good if my readers could share some of their stories about how they do it and what works best for them. I know I have my ways and they work for me but I am sure we can all learn form others.

For instance, when I replace an SMD device I use these steps. First I remove the device using hot air set at about 400 degrees C and I adjust the air volume to a point where it won’t blow off adjacent small parts. Second I clean the pads with flux and solder wick and add a small amount of no lead low temp solder to all the pads. Then I put a very small amount of fingernail polish at the center of the where the part is going if there is room. I let it sit for a couple of minutes so it sticks and finally I use hot air to melt the solder and finish the job. A close inspection is necessary at this point to make sure there are no solder bridges and that all pins are really soldered. Sometimes it takes a very small tip on a soldering iron to get stubborn pins attached. This procedure is for multi pin chips more than for transistors or resistors and caps. Those I usually just remove with hot air and replace with a fine tip soldering gun.

What are your ideas or practices.