When it comes to actual equipment, there are numerous varieties and price ranges of film splicers. The basic model splices the film on a table. More advanced models use foot pedals, heat and many other bells and whistles that only an expert editor would know how to use. As a beginner, use a splicer that simply cuts the film and then glues the ends together.
The item most commonly used to connect the two ends of spliced film is a film bonding agent called cement. This cement must be kept fresh at all times or else the film will not connect correctly or strongly. A weak bond can lead to ripping during projection or smudges on the film, both of which are the marks of an amateur. Cement should not be thick and gloppy, but smooth. Throw out any glue if you question its freshness.
When splicing the film, it's important that the scenes not look choppy. The slicer has two primary jobs: to cut out small pieces, and to excise entire scenes. When examining the film, take out any unnatural pauses between the actors, sentences, and other awkward areas to make the dialogue seem smoother and more natural. Contact the director if you want to cut actual dialogue, and have him review it before cutting.
Do not cut several times in the same scene, as that can look unnatural. If a scene needs too many cuts, delete the whole scene or reshoot it.
While purists will always use film, the low-budget filmmaker should keep his sights on the digital medium. Digital not only is cheaper to shoot, but all editing is done on a computer. If you don't like the results of your splices, you can change them without ruining any film. This can reduce the editing process and make it significantly less expensive.