Towards the end of 2011, I bought a few kits that will keep me busy(from 3d printers!).  First, I want to mention the MintyBoost from MakerShed.   I’ve admired the MintyBoost for some time, but only recently was I able to justify purchasing a few of these kits.

The directions for assembly is very simplified(with ample pictures of the process) here and I had a working model(sans tin) in 30 minutes.  The only thing I did differently is the placement of the circuitry – I don’t like the idea of the usb port sticking out of the tin, so I made an opening using a dremel so I can mount the port w/o having any bits sticking out.  Much more cleaner, to me at least.

Obligatory pictures:

I took the opportunity to pick up a few of these kits – some as gifts, some as a portable 5V/500mA power source for my projects.

The MintyBoost seems very promising – and I hope that anything I produce is just as useful.