How about a soldering thread?

I recommend a good weller pencil. Get something that feels comfortable in your hands. Also, unless you have some old stuff laying around, solder these days does not contain lead. You will be able to tell a bad or cold solder joint by visual inspection. A good joint is generally smooth and shiny. A cold solder joint has a rough appearance. The bad solder joints can be remedied by simply resoldering the joint. I also recommend you procure a sponge and stand for your iron. A solder sucker and solder braid for removing solder would be handy also. Your hairdryer will probably not be hot enough for heatshrink tubing but you can use a lighter in a pinch being careful not to hold the flame too close to the heatshrink tubing.

Good Job!

Kitch, a fellow woodworker! Audio is my second hobby and I have built a few kits in my time. There is no real magic in soldering. As in woodworking you have to have the right tool for the job. I have seen first time kit builders try to solder components on a circuit card with a 100 watt soldering gun and I just shake my head as they lift up the traces on the circuit card. I would classify the work you intend on doing as fairly delicate so I would recommend no more that a 20 to 30 watt soldering pencil. Use good quality solder, and in your case silver solder wouldn't hurt your interconnects. Make sure you keep the tip clean and well tinned at all times and apply only enough heat to do the job. Once the joint is soldered do not move it as this will create a cold solder joint. Not much more to it, just take your time and you will be fine. By the way, more power to you for cutting dovetails by hand but I much prefer the Leigh Dovetail Jig I got for Christmas and my router. Good luck.