Graham: Regarding lead forming on a SOIC. Avoid, if at all possible, doing it by hand (bad results, inconsistencies and probable component lead/seal damage will result). In an earlier life (quite a number of years ago) I was the Program Manager for a U.S. Navy repair program. It seems to me that, at that time, a company named Soldering Technology International in Madison AL (205.461.9191) made/marketed some rather nice and fairly inexpensive lead bending dies which we used in our schools and repair depots. You might give them a call and see if they still market such items, or perhaps they could direct you to someone who does. Regards, Jim Moffitt, Moffitt Enterprises Consulting ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################