>We use machine-pin DIP sockets for exactly that reason - the bottom
>of the pins extends well below the plastic that holds the pins in
>place.  That makes it easy to solder the top-side pads that need soldering.

Agreed. I will use only these sockets from a reliability point of view 
anyway. They also make nice chip carriers for EPROMS and the like, as the 
solder pin is fine enough to plug into an identical socket. 

-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist