[galewind]

1,) I often need to use my teeth to take pins out of places where they cant be pushed out with shafts. (doesn't seem to be easy to get a good grip on the pieces with pliers)

My students keep some of the wireties from the motor/sensor cables -- string one under the pin and pull up.

2,) Because such great force is required for putting in and taking out pins, your fingers start to hurt quite a bit.

If it's a pin in a motor, or in the robot brain, yes. pushing through a 1x or 2x piece is real easy with an axle or a thumbnail. The tougher thing is getting the black structural connectors out.