Thanks for the reply mitch.

Another thing i am curious about is how exactly did you solder the base of the lamp sockets ?

Did you need to sand the metal base to allow the solder to grab/stick ?

Btw you have a beautiful RD there !

yes i cleaned up the metal base with a wire wheel in my dremel so the solder would stick. Same for the end pin where i soldered the wire back onto. These, along with cleaning out the inside of the socket will make the socket completely reliable... no more dim lamps!

And thanks again everyone for your positive comments