Most times you can prop it up and solder away. Sometimes it does call for you to get into precarious positions in order to access the wire but I think pretty much everything can be soldered with the playfield leaning against the back box or pull slightly forward and out.

I had/have this fear when i first got my bad girls and baywatch. The bad girls was a wreck and had corrosion damage and wouldn't boot at all. Once it was working I made some other small repairs. With each repair I make, that fear goes away some. When I first got Baywatch , the very first thing I did was tore it apart, all the ramps, habitrails, guardtower pretty much stripped the playfield except for the ball guides and some things that didn't need to be removed. I cleaned it and it took me an entire weekend but I got it back together and got it all cleaned up and waxed. I learned a lot about what makes it work, just by pulling it apart. Yes I made some minor mistakes putting it back together but I figured out what I did wrong and corrected it. If I can do this with a Baywatch which isn't the easiest to take apart and put back together than anyone can do it. I am coming from no electronics or soldering experience but with the help of the people on here and other places, I am learning a lot about these machines and how to fix them. I got pretty good at soldering and even look forward to soldering now believe it or not. Bottom line is, yes I have the same fear as you but with a few repairs under your belt, the fear should start to go away as you will have more confidence in yourself that you can fix whatever problems may arise.