Well I'm just about to call it quits. Unfortunately I miscalculated how I'd need to install things and am now permanently stuck. The base of my netbook just manages to squeeze in through the bottom, having only 15mm clearance on either side. I had to patch my own USB cable together to make a connector that would fit, and I succeeded. However, there isn't enough clearance to actually insert the USB cable or the power cord while the netbook is inside, and inserting them while the netbook is outside makes it impossible to fit through the bottom. This would work perfectly if the control panel wasn't mounted already, because I'd be able to slide it through the front, but the whole cabinet is already assembled and impossible to take apart. Of course, even if I did that, it would permanently fix the netbook inside, which isn't really something I'd want to do either.
It was a good attempt, and those with the courage to dismantle a netbook the way I did will meet with success if they plan ahead, but unless I come up with an extremely creative solution, I'm afraid I'll have to call it quits. By the time I scrounge up enough money to get micro PC parts that will fit, I'd probably be able to afford a full size cabinet project.