Tools: Obviously the first requirement is for a good soldering iron. Additionally a small pair of pliers, possible a pair of small round nosed pliers, a pair of small wire cutters and a few other tools may be needed. The actual size of the tools will depend upon the actual nature of the work envisaged, but for most projects these days, with components becoming smaller, the tools should not be too large.
Work area: In order to make the most of the tools a suitable work area is needed. This should be well light, possibly using an angle light to be able to focus sufficient light on the subject, and it should also be well ventilated to ensure that any fumes from the solder flux, etc can be removed. It is often a good idea to have a small fan running to remove these solder flux fumes.
Anti-static protection: It is widely recognised today that static can cause problems, especially to integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices. As a result of this it is wise to work in an antistatic area with an antistatic soldering iron. Antistatic mats are available to overcome this.
