First cab project, need help

[TheyCallMeBruce]

I want to build a MAME cabinet, I have no experience, and I have some questions.  If posting this here is bad form or whatever, I'm sorry.  I'll tell you first what I want to do, and then I have some questions.

1) I want it to be a four player cab.  I'd like players 1 and 2 to have 6 action buttons each, and players 3 and 4 to have 4 each.  I will also obviously also need four start buttons and some sort of coin buttons. 

2) I want to have a trackball.  This doesn't seem like it should be much of an issue.

3) I really want to be able to play shooting games.  What kind of monitor/guns should I use?  I need to be able to play two-player shooters, like T2, especially.

4) I'm thinking about installing pedals near the base both for driving games and the shooters that require a pedal.  I know I can probably control the driving games with the trackball or a spinner, but I might keep a USB wheel around just in case.

So here are my questions:

A) Where should I get the controller parts?  I want the joysticks to be four different colors and to have matching buttons.  Should I spend to get colored buttons or can black buttons be painted?

B) What should I use to build the cab?  I've seen some people use MDF, some use plywood, etc.  I want it to be sturdy, obviously.

C) Has anyone else built a cab with light guns?  I know that I need a specific type of monitor if I want light guns, and I can't use an LCD.

Thanks in advance for any help.  I'm obviously a noob, and I have no real experience in carpentry or electronics or anything helpful, so this is going to be a real challenge, but I really appreciate the help!

[wweumina]

I want to build a MAME cabinet, I have no experience, and I have some questions.  If posting this here is bad form or whatever, I'm sorry.  I'll tell you first what I want to do, and then I have some questions.

1) I want it to be a four player cab.  I'd like players 1 and 2 to have 6 action buttons each, and players 3 and 4 to have 4 each.  I will also obviously also need four start buttons and some sort of coin buttons. 

2) I want to have a trackball.  This doesn't seem like it should be much of an issue.

3) I really want to be able to play shooting games.  What kind of monitor/guns should I use?  I need to be able to play two-player shooters, like T2, especially.

4) I'm thinking about installing pedals near the base both for driving games and the shooters that require a pedal.  I know I can probably control the driving games with the trackball or a spinner, but I might keep a USB wheel around just in case.

So here are my questions:

A) Where should I get the controller parts?  I want the joysticks to be four different colors and to have matching buttons.  Should I spend to get colored buttons or can black buttons be painted?

B) What should I use to build the cab?  I've seen some people use MDF, some use plywood, etc.  I want it to be sturdy, obviously.

C) Has anyone else built a cab with light guns?  I know that I need a specific type of monitor if I want light guns, and I can't use an LCD.

Thanks in advance for any help.  I'm obviously a noob, and I have no real experience in carpentry or electronics or anything helpful, so this is going to be a real challenge, but I really appreciate the help!

A) Check out arcadeshop.de, ultimarc.com and groovygamegear.com for a variety of buttons, joysticks etc.  There have been a couple of threads recently on matching colors etc

B) MDF is the common/easy option

C) You need to use a CRT for many light gun solutions.  The Aimtrack from Ultimarc released recently can work on an lcd.