Dacostab, you need to get one of those little devices that soaks up the fumes(like the smokeless ashtrays). My old company(where we soldered all the time) had a bunch of them. It is not the lead that causes problems, but the flux. It is organic, and burns off. Yes, heat the work piece, use a good pencil and tip(tinned), and always use a heat sink for parts that can be damaged. Be especially careful of this with polystyrene capacitors. Silver solder is cheap, compared to the benefits it yields. I don't believe the new Silver Lace is available from HomeGrown Audio in kit form, as it is more complex(uses 8 conductors, vs. 3). Silver solder is supplied with the kits.
How about a soldering thread?
There's one thread with some good tips on soldering i.c.'s, but like many, I'd like to tackle the Homegrown cable kits. I suppose the instructions are good but I know from teaching hand cutting dovetails that there are things I do, things you don't hear about, that make the job easier and the joints more precise. Things like spending ten minutes turning a crosscut into a ripsaw, making chisels "scary sharp" and finding the inside and outside of boards.Let's hear from some veteran kit builders, please.