It has become difficult for me to place small silver solder bits along with flux to silver solder the parts of a Page Lewis action.  I am considering using a paste instead. The paste for hard solder combines the silver and the flux and flows at 1200 degrees. Parts thickness up to 1/2". Is this a good idea?

I have done a lot of silver soldering but am willing to make it easier if I can! Being able to apply solder and flux pre mixed would help. Thanks, Chuck.

Flux and clamp the pieces together.
Do Not clamp them so tight that there is no room for the solder to flow into the joint(s).
As already stated, it needs some room,,a few .000 to flow into the joint.
Heat and touch the wire to the joint around the edges when the temp is up there and the wire will melt and flow into the assembly.
If at that point you want to give the clamp(s) a little tweak to tighten them up some, that is fine.
The solder is already in betw the pieces. A small amt of tightening will close up the solder lines around the parts.

I've never used the commercially avail paste form. But I have a couple of times made some of it from filings off of a bunched up cluster of somewhat heavy dia silver solder wire I have.
Catch the filings on a piece of paper and simply mix them in with a gob of flux.
Paint this onto the surfaces and then do as above till the solder melts and flows. The clamp tweaking can then be done as well.

As always, don't overheat and burn out the flux.

Complex parts are made by soldering simple parts together. I clamp them together and then drill a couple 1/16" holes through them. 1/16 " welding rod is placed in the holes for soldering alignment. Should work. You can see the tiny holes in breech block parts.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

The system for the mainspring. It is really small. It reminds me of a tiny drive shaft with a universal joint at one end and a slip joint at the other. A careful build!

It would be better to have a Page Lewis to copy! There are some tricky things I cannot see in a drawing (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

This is the receiver pinned and soldered together. The silver solder paste seems to work nicely. I think it would be really nice to do the soldering in an oven!

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)