I really want to buy a Arduino Proto Shield from some where, however all the ones I have found do not come soldered together but as a kit instead. Does anybody know of any where online that sells the Proto Shield fully assembled and soldered which can be used straight out the packet??
It does not have to have the breadboard with it as I can easily attach one myself with self adhesive stuff, but It would be good if it did come with one! Thanks 
Are you not wanting to solder it together because of the time needed, or because you don't know how? The former reason is understandable (BTW, you might check seeedstudio; also, some sellers out of China on Ebay sell protoshields already assembled), but if it is the latter, a protoshield makes a pretty good project to learn on...
Well its a bit of both really, but mainly the second reason. Its not that I don't know how to solder it but more to do with not having the equipment and I also only have led free solder which I have read is not the best to use :-/
However you are correct in that it is a good learning process, but it is also expencive if I go worng as I am a student and don't have the most money in the world ;D My main worry when soldering is that I will damage the components with heat by leaving the soldering iron on it for to long :-/
a good iron is a nice thing to have but a radio shack or what ever cheapie will work for most of it.
Maybe we can get a group buy together to help one another. I would not mind having one of these either and I can use the practice with my own soldering ability.
A proto device would help with alot of my mistakes.
Yea I like it since it is small and compact, and no soldering is required thanks to the breadboard ;D
Depending on where you are is there any chance that another member is close and could offer the advice and tools you need to guide you and help make one out of the kits?
I know if you were in west Texas we could work out a deal for a BBQ and some 7-up or sprite and I would help you make one.
Look in the meet forum and see if there are any groups that get together and see if maybe they will help with tools and a little help?
http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?board=workshops
workshop forum, see if anyone can help you out with your project?
Cool, sounds like a good idea, also no I do not live in Texas unfortunately! I live in The UK, Cornwall :-/
Well its a bit of both really, but mainly the second reason. Its not that I don't know how to solder it but more to do with not having the equipment and I also only have led free solder which I have read is not the best to use
Lead-free solder generally requires a higher temperature (which is easily reached by nearly all normal soldering irons), and I have heard that you aren't supposed to mix it with parts that have had their leads tinned with leaded solder (I don't know how true that is, though).
However you are correct in that it is a good learning process, but it is also expencive if I go worng as I am a student and don't have the most money in the world
Perfectly understandable - if this is the case, then, you should instead practice on other things, before you even think about getting the protoboard - eventually you are going to need to solder, so you might as well get it out of the way first.
If you can find an old PCB (like an old radio or something - just make sure it -isn't- an antique or collectors item before you tackle it), you can practice on it; first learn how to tin your iron and care for it, then learn how to tin wires, then how to solder two wires together. Then learn to solder and desolder wires from your practice PCB. Then, learn how to remove parts from the PCB - and finally, how to put them back on with good solder joints.
If you practice for a few hours over the course of a week, you should be able to pick it up. Here is a good guide; there are also others on the internet (and probably some videos):
http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/solder.htm
(BTW - the above site is a great site for electronics novices and experts alike - keep it bookmarked!)
My main worry when soldering is that I will damage the components with heat by leaving the soldering iron on it for to long
A valid concern, but there are ways to prevent it. First, don't leave your iron on a pin too long. If something isn't working, move on to the next pin and come back. Second, use an alligator clip on parts like transistors, LEDs, resistors, etc - to wick away the heat (clip it on the legs on the "top" side of the board opposite the solder side). For DIP ICs, you generally don't want to solder them (in case they need to be replaced), so solder a socket in instead, then put the part in the socket. You have to be quick on sockets, headers, and other parts with plastic components (don't want to melt the plastic).
If you practice first, you'll get the hang of how to do it quick without burning or melting things; just remember, if it feels like you've put too much heat on it, remove the iron, blow on it a bit (both sides), then move to another component or lead (if you can, otherwise wait), then return and try again.
One other point to add to the excellent advice given above (particularly cr0sh's suggestion to find an old PCB to practise on) is that perhaps you don't need a prototyping shield at all. By the sounds of it what you're intending to do is use a breadboard, in which case you don't need to physically attach it to your Arduino: just put it alongside it on the bench and use jumper wires. You would need to use jumper wires anyway, so the only benefit you'll get by having the breadboard stuck on the shield is being able to move your project around more easily without things falling off.
But as others have said, it's definitely worth taking the time to learn how to solder. It's really not as scary as you may think, and it will open up a world of possibilities to you.
Freetronics: www.freetronics.com
Practical Arduino: www.practicalarduino.com
I live in The UK, Cornwall
Yippee, more people in the UK, can you add yourself to the map:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=106367500863692290311.00048bf511125d88d5fc7
Mowcius
Brilliant, thanks very much everybody for the help and information, and a special thanks to cr0sh for the soldering help, and I think I will invest in some crocodile clips or some helping hands