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2) Just how temperamental are transistors? Enough to require always require sockets or could someone being careful to heat sparingly solder them directly to the board.

Transistors are more hardy than IC's. Most of them can stand up to high heat for a little while.

I tend to socket my transistors, but it's more so I can experiment with different transistors later if I want to. I always socket my IC's.

This is unrelated to the question I asked but I'd also like to add a soldering tip for any newbies that I just discovered.

If you're like me, you forgot to order the single row sockets for transistors or maybe Smallbear's were just a little too pricey for you. I found these 6 pin IC sockets at my local electronics storefor $.19 each. Take your wire cutters and clip it right down the middle. Snip snip and you have a perfect 3 pin transistor socket that is even easier to solder than the single ones since the other legs hold it in place.

I often do the same thing, but I buy large IC sockets and clip them down, usually the +40-pin sockets for PIC-chips but I get the biggest I can find. However, $.19 is a really good deal and I think is actually cheaper than buying the large 40-pin sockets.

Just remember, you need to buy the machined pin type sockets, not the leaf type. Unfortunately, the leaf-type tend to be much cheaper.

looks like a good quality etch (except for the small blemish in the bottom right edge). perhaps it took longer because you're using thicker copper clad board?