Assembling electronic circuits is a great way of learning electronics, and depending upon the project undertaken, a number of tools and components may be needed accordingly. However there are some basic tools and electronic components which are needed in almost all electronic projects and are a 'must have.'

Soldering Stand

The first thing to consider is the type of circuit board being used. The circuit board is what the circuit is assembled upon and connected. There are three main types of circuit boards - the breadboard, the stripboard, and the printed circuit board.

Soldering Stand

The breadboard is used for making temporary circuits and does not require soldering whereas the other two types are both permanent and require the parts to be soldered on to them.

When working on printed circuit boards or stripboards, the first tool that is required is a soldering iron. Along with the soldering iron, a solder stand, reel of solder, and solder removal wick would also be required.

In addition to the above, side cutters are required for trimming the component leads, and wire strippers for trimming the wires. A small pair of snipe nose pliers is needed for bending leads or holding small parts in place while soldering.

A flat blade screwdriver, heat sink, and electrical drill will also be very useful when working on electronic projects.

In addition to the tools, a number of electronic components are also required depending upon the project. A good collection to start with will contain capacitors, resistors, variable resistors, diodes, transistors, wires, switches, and a power source.

Having these basics will get you started experimenting with electronic circuits.