First Engine Build - Advice Needed

You don't need to have to have a machine shop assemble your engine. Yellow Rose is trying to help you succeed. He is also right about the ridge cutter, you can easily cut off center or too deep and force yourself into having to buy larger pistons. There are a lot of things to learn, but if you are careful and very detail oriented you should be fine. You will not need dial bore gage and a lot of specialized measuring equipment unless you are doing the machining. That is why you need a good shop. You should get a tapered piston installer and use 3/8 fuel line on the rod bolts to prevent nicking the crank. Next would be a beam torque wrench big enough to torque the largest bolt in the engine. And a small one to torque the smallest bolt on the engine, usually inch pound. There is almost nothing better than firing your engine for the first time. I never get tired of it.