Recommendations for soldering magnifier or microscope

Yup, that's the type. No need to go mad on the magnification, though. A little goes a long way. 5X doesn't sound much but you'd be surprised the difference it makes. I find these scopes ideal for dealing with SMDs on PCBs.

Same here, but I've heard an urban legend about a schoolboy who used a soldering iron that got too hot and he got a blow-back of molten solder that welded his glasses to his head. A cautionary tale indeed.

Perhaps. But I've had temperature controlled irons for many a year. And I'd hope anyone doing SM work would have too.

Years ago we had a sort of work experience student from some eastern broadcaster at Pye TVT where I once worked. The was a rather large soldering Iron there used it to solder large lugs on Earth bonds for TV 'mitters. Stupid sod picked it up by the business end one day you could hear his hand sizzling before he let go!. Made a mess of it poor sod!..