Successful Picoboot install - advice from a beginner!

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I have really enjoyed following this sub the last few months as I updated myself on all things GC. We all know there are lots of great Picoboot videos and other instructions out there so I won't repeat those here - just wanted to add a few new things that helped me as a beginner.
As I watched all the videos and studied the installation guide the one thing that was clear to me at least is this mod requires fairly competent soldering skills - maybe not a pro but certainly solid skills. I already owned a good soldering station (Hakko FX888D) from previous simple projects but very limited circuit board soldering. I started practicing on old dead circuit boards from the same era as the GC with similar ICs and solder points and while I got better, I was still ~50/50 on getting wires cleanly soldered on the leads and other small spots that I considered acceptable. While I had all the parts I needed for the mod, I decided to put the project on hold until I got my soldering skills where they needed to be.
My main advise for beginners like me - successfully complete a few other beginner/intermediate soldering project kits before attempting the Picoboot.
I started with the following:
Gikfun Electronic LED Flashing Lights Soldering Practice Board
It's a simple/cheap LED project but it involved a couple hundred solder points - really helps you understand the process. I concluded my stock tip (1.6mm) was a bit large for the GC job so picked up a new set of tips to experiment with - learning how to use the smaller .08mm tip was critical for me (takes practice, less heat surface area but more precise).
After completing the kit it worked perfectly on the first try :) I went back to the practice boards and while MUCH better, not where I wanted to be so on to another practice FM Radio Kit first. It was only after this second kit, and LOTS more practice on the junk boards I finally felt ready for the Picoboot!
The Picoboot install is only 10 solder points and after all the practice and prep it went perfectly. Clean precise soldering, no exposed leads or shorts, nice short 26 AWG stranded wires, 3D printed mount to the fan assembly. It only took about an hour and the end result was a perfect boot into Swiss on the first try - no issues and super satisfying!
Other tips for beginners I found:
Soldering Crash Course: Basic Techniques, Tips and Advice
Tools you NEED to get into electronics
Detailed build of the LED kit by Mike's LED Shop - not needed for the Picoboot but good tips for the kit
Parts and supplies I used for the Picoboot:
Raspberry Pi Pico
SD2SP2 Adapter
3D Printed mounting bracket - I actually found out my local library has a 3D printer and got this printed for $0.15 :)
TUOFENG 26 AWG Stranded Wire
Lifegoo Precision Screwdriver Set - great set and included the 4.5mm bit you need
I also ended up adding a few items to my workbench - lots of plans for future projects:
KOTTO Third Hand Soldering Tool PCB Holder
Cheap but perfect wire stripper for this job
Anyway - for any beginners considering the Picoboot, it absolutely can be done but I don't recommend it as your first soldering project. Learning how to properly solder before attempting the Picoboot mod can be a really fun and satisfying journey - hope some of the info here helps!

submitted by /u/gadget_dude
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