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You now need to buy some solder. I would suggest a reel of multicore solder (60% tin/40% lead). Just like wire, solder is available in different gauges and I would say 1.2mm is a good size for most jobs.
With the above items and a few basic tools you are now ready to do some soldering.
To solder two pieces of wire together, first strip about 0.5 inch of insulation from each piece of wire and make sure that the copper strands are clean. Plug in your soldering iron and allow it to warm up. To check if your iron is hot enough touch the tip with a length of solder, if it is hot enough the solder will flow over the tip. Next wipe any excess solder from the tip on a wet piece of sponge. Firmly clamp one piece of wire by its insulation so that it will not fall over. (A good idea for doing this is to clamp the piece of wire in a wooden peg, leaving the stripped end free, and then clamp the peg in a bench vice). Now apply the soldering iron and the solder to the bare wire at the same point. Very quickly the solder should flow across the copper wire and leave a smooth shiny finish. Remove the iron. Now repeat the process for the second piece of wire. Finally, to join the two pieces of wire together you need to arrange the wires so that the two solder ends are next to each other (see diagram below). This is best achieved by leaving one length of wire in the peg/vice and holding the other wire next to it with one hand whilst leaving the other hand free for the soldering iron. Apply some more solder to the iron, hold one piece of wire next to the other so they touch, and apply the soldering iron tip to the joint. The solder should flow through the two pieces of wire and form a nice shiny joint. Hold the wire still until the solder has cooled. Beware, the wire you are holding will get a little hot! If you struggle with this method there are clamping devices available (or you could devise something yourself) which leaves both your hands free and prevents your finger tips from getting warm!
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