> Is there a good way to hold discrete components/jumpers in place while
soldering, so that they won't be impossible to remove if needed?

This seems to be two questions in one.
You can use/make an assembly frame that holds PCB in guide rails and against
a pice of foam which holds components into board while inverted for
soldering.

They either are or aren't soldered in. Once soldered in they need to be
desoldered to be removed (obviously :-) ). You could mount them with
slightly longer lead lengths if removal seems liable to be necessary. A good
desolderer will allow you to remove many components cleanly.

> How can I keep the insulation on jumper wires that touch or cross over
each other from melting.

Practice.
Soldering just long enough will limit insulation creep.
Soldering not long enough will cause dry joints, so be careful.
If you must cross insulated links and have insulation creep problems you can
'air space" them so that they don't physically touch. Not at all an ideal
solution but short links are quite stiff.

Is this a PCB or a fully hand wired board such as vero board?
Sounds like vero.

> Making a few solder bridges across .1" spaced pads would make things a
little easier. Any tricks to making good solder bridges on the first
attempt?

YES! DON'T DO IT !!!!!

A solder bridge made for a connection is a disaster waiting to happen. They
can be removed at any stage by mistake during later assembly or duing later
trouble shooting. Once gone you have no idea of where they went or if what
youjust removed was there on purpose or not.

AT A MINIMUM - surface some wire across the gap. Touch wire on one side and
solder in place. Press flat across gap and solder other side. Cut wire
flush. This can still be removed by mistake but give SOME indication that
the join was intended.
Best of all is a link through a hole in each trck to be joined. Slower but
not very slow. Make a longish U link of wire. Push through both holes.
Solder ob\ne leg. Pull tight using other leg. Solder second leg. trim wire.



        RM

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