Hmm...I found a cost-effective solution for hot-air soldering, actually...if anybody's interested...
DIY Hot Air Soldering Iron I haven't made mine yet, since I'm still learning to solder well before tackling anything this large...but if they use hot-air stuff for surface-mount, then it might be a good cost-savings, and it kind of helps keep this whole thing DIY, even with the surface mount stuff.