>If one is not wanting to use the framework supplied with VFP6 shouldn't one delete all the custom properties and methods except release, and then take the code out of init/destroy/error/etc for purposes of liteweightedness before using the _base.vcx as one's first level of user interface subclassing?

You could just create your own set of base classes (tvoss.vcx) then you wouldn't have to worry if you wipped out all the code from the VFP6 base classes. I find this cleaner for myself. You can then borrow ideas from the supplied classes.