Lapping risks

[Crashgate3]

How easy is it to break a chip when lapping it? The actual process itself looks fairly straightforward, as long as you take your time and make sure you buy enough grades of paper and a suitable flat surface.

However, part of me really doesn't like the sound of rubbing something course against several hundred pounds of delecate electronics. What's the danger of something like static or even just well-meaning heavy-handedness breaking something?

 

[Crashgate3]

Yeah, the pins are on the board and the actual 'socket' is on the botoom of the chip (although obviously the mounting clamp is still on the board).