The two soldering stations happened because after I purchased the Tenma, I read some bad things about not being able to find replacement irons. So I ordered a weller. Also I do have components and solder. Went to a local radio shack that was going out of business. components were 70% off so i bought every single component they had. Someone else had beat me to the the breadboards and wire though. The three scopes was like this. I purchased the tektronix one and they sent two but only charged me for one. Then I saw the 2190D was 100MHz and bought it. The two multimeters was on purpose. One thing i need to know is do I need a function generator? Bench is my kitchen table. we never eat at the table we eat on the couch in front of the TV, so the table never gets used for anything else. Now that I bought all this crap, where is a good place to learn about this stuff.... I know how to solder and stuff but if you asked me to design a circuit that flashed an LED, Id be completely lost after the batteries and the LED.
Parts: Get them from distributors such as
Digikey,
Mouser,
Newark (Farnell's US site), and
Allied for example. You can get better pricing and quality parts than RadioShack or eBay as a general rule.
Kits can be useful to get started, such as an Elenco 1% resistor kit, but don't get carried away (they offer others).
There's a couple of Asian sources that are inexpensive, and parts quality is sufficient enough, but they do have issues (slow shipping would be one; a search will reveal these).
Test & Measurement Gear: You'll want a few bench power supplies (they also make dual and triple output, which will get you what you need without having as many separate units). Used is your friend here (can get better value for money than the new crap offered at hobbyist friendly prices if you're careful to get a good, working unit).
Regarding oscilloscopes, DMM's, ..., you'd be best to stop acquiring until you've a much better idea of what you're doing. Potential huge waste of money otherwise. For example, anything over a single oscilloscope to start, yet no power supplies is foolish.
Actual Bench: I'd still recommend getting off of the dining table, as you can get burn marks, chemical stains, scrapes, dents/dings, ... , in otherwise nice furniture. A good 2 layer rubber ESD mat and wrist strap would be in order as well (
example). It can take the heat from soldering, chemicals commonly associated with electronics, ...; but since it's not all that cheap, covering your entire dining table isn't realistic IMHO, which still leaves the table top vulnerable to damage.
Learning Resources:Practical Electronics for Inventors (inexpensive book)
Talking Electronics (online & free if you skip the kits and build yourself)
Plenty of others have been mentioned in previous threads if you search.