Some people would rather have a classic car that they restored imperfectly than one done by a professional restorer, and some people get as much or more satisfaction doing the building, refurbishing, crafting, or creating than they do using whatever it is they fixed or created. The only time I will judge someone for going one way or another is when they claim credit for something they didn't do. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with paying someone else to do the work, in my opinion.
Besides, MOST EVERYONE here is using something in their cabinets that they didn't make. It is like the biker buildoff shows on TV.. One guy will buy a frame, motor, transmission, and all the pieces and parts, modify a tank and fender, put custom paint on it and say he built the bike from scratch. The next will build the frame with a jig, roll the fenders from sheet metal, build the motor and trans, and fabricate nearly every other piece from scratch. The one who did everything might criticize the other as being a "cake decorator" because they didn't even build their own custom frame, but when it comes down to it, none of them are mining the metals, or refining their own chunks of aluminum or steel, or machining engine parts, or making brake lines.. To some degree, every builder is just a guy who assembles things. The real difference is in the finished product, which can be great even if it was all bolt on parts purchased out of a magazine. Sure there is an appreciation you will get for good workmanship, but that shouldn't mean that someone who can't build their own motor or create their own frame from scratch should just stay out of the hobby completely. MOST motorcycle enthusiasts buy a complete bike when they first get into it. Why should any hobby be any different? And if their first bike (or 10th) is from a respected customizer or builder, then I can't see why they wouldn't show it off.
I can claim I built my cabinet from the ground up, and for the most part that is true. But I didn't create the interface, I didn't mold the buttons or fabricate the joysticks. I only created 15% of the wiring myself, the rest is pre-wired harnesses. I bought the monitor and assembled the computer from parts I bought or found. I used software other people created, and even took ideas from what other people had done already to create something that is unique for me but pretty generic in the eyes of the veteran hobbyist. Even the art I used was mostly recycled or stolen.
What sets me apart from the OP here is he spent his time at a job he knew well and used the money he earned there to buy what he wanted. I spent most of my time in a shop doing the labor. Frankly, I would have been better off financially if I had worked for all those hours and paid someone else to do the work. But I am one of those who gets the enjoyment from putting parts together and making it work.
I used to assemble all my own computers and then all the computers at work. After about the 400th, I started ordering Dell or HP, and I can't tell you how relieved I am to not have to deal with the hassle of building a computer. Sure, it costs a little more, but for what they pay me, the tradeoff is worth it. I can spend that time doing things that make the company more money. I used to think that companies that would pay a grand for a computer that costs $400 in parts was just ignorant and wasteful or lacking any talent in their IT department. And then I learned that sometimes you should stick to what you know and pay someone to do the things they do best.
BTW, a month ago I was pretty happy with my tankstick and xtension cabinet. So were my kids and family, and my brother ended up buying it from me, which is the only reason I ended up building one. I knew what I wanted after that and decided to build it myself this time around. If what I had before fit my needs, it would have been more than enough for me..
To each their own..
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Topic: Finally pulled the trigger on a mame cabinet (Read 15014 times)
