Liquid flux is your best friend.

Lead solder will be easier to work with but silver will be stronger. I've gone all silver at this point, for electronics or brass work.

I've used a resistance solderer on 1/48 PE clamps, but my plain 'ol Hakko works for everything.

One thing that people don't get is high heat applied fast is better than low and slow. I used to go as low as possible with fine solid core high lead solder on SMD LEDs and probably had a 50% success rate at best. If it did survive, the joint was weak. Then I started cranking the temps to 899 and just touching it with a lot of flux and it works like a charm.

Set the piece the way you want it (on a block of scrap wood), wet it with flux, get the iron on it and when it's bubbling away, tap it with solder. You should be able to float the solder from beneath and it'll creep into the void.