Thanks a million Nick. I suspected there must be something in ComponentModel.Design but the information I found about it was far too complex for me to figure out what had to be done. The Properties method I was thinking of didn't work after all because the Designer instantiates non-visible components before the form, so it still had to be done in code.

Your solution is exactly what is needed. Your reputation deserves ++ but that stupid spread-it-around rule prevents it. Again thanks, BB