With homemade dual-side boards, I try to avoid using a component solder point as a via, because it would require the component to be soldered on both sides of the board. With resistors and diodes that's okay, with ICs it's iffy, and with electrolytic capacitors, pin headers and IC sockets it's impossible (no access to the top ring, because the part covers it). I try to make the boards single-side, and use jumpers on the top side. However, I still design the boards as a two-sided boards, taking care to do only straight lines on the top layer (and as few of them as I can).Nigel K Tolley wrote:As for the vias, could you not just make the hole a bit wider and use the leg of the component and solder to do it? How many are there typically? Could you not use a small wire?
That said, I much prefer to use prototyping boards and Kynar wire for one-offs. Tri-pad is my favorite; I can also work with boards with unconnected pads, but I hate the ones with long strips. For more than about three boards, I use Itead.