I got some stuff in for the cab so I thought I'd post an update...
Here are the Seimitsu LS-60's, the adapter plates work brilliantly, and Randy's Hand Candy Ball Tops complete things very nicely. At first I was going to swap out the blue shaft covers but considering my overall art design plans I actually think the Seimitsu Clear Blue shaft cover/Hand Candy Ruby Gemstone combination looks pretty flipping sweet.
I had a Lowes card from Christmas so I figured I'd buy some Acrylic to cut a new CP cover so that I could test mount the controls. Seriously.... ---fudgesicle--- Acrylic!
I am so pissed that I wasted the money, that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- cracks if you fart while drilling it (EVEN WITH A FORSTNER BIT!) Hell I can hand drill polycarbonate with a spade bit and not crack it! If you have the $ ALWAYS use Lexan over Acrylic! I will have to save some $ though because the ---daisies--- at Home Depot only have inexpensive sizes of Lexan 24 inches wide and my panel is 25 and a halfish. So for that extra inch and a half? I have to buy a damn 32 x 48 inch piece that is is freaking 70 bucks!
/endrant
Here are some pictures of the buttons and joys mounted. I can tell right away that I'm not going to be happy with the buttons in the provided holes. Definitely want a more Japanese layout, going to head to slagcoin and try to figure out a solution that would require minimal drilling. I'm thinking I may just drop button 1 down a few millimeters, but who knows?
Also two of the next three major projects are going to have to wait for warmer weather
One will be a tear down and refinish of the coin door, complete with pimped out paint job, and the other will be adding durable Formica laminate to the sides, kickplate, and speaker surround. I know that their are other cheaper solutions like roll vinyl etc. but in a house with small children durability is important. there is some water damage at the bottom of the side panels that will need to be dealt with as well but here's a tease of this girls new clothes....
First some swatches that I considered.
And of course the winning combination
One more thing I could use your help thinking about, is where the boards are going to live once this battle station becomes operational. I have two areas inside the lower cab on either side of the coin door. The useable area is about 15 in high, by 9 in wide, and about 27 in deep or so. There is also some room behind the coin door on the floor I'm thinking some type of rack mounted vertical orientations of the JAMMA goodness.
I image googled rack mount circuit boards and some neat things showed up
But I think I'm going to end up rolling my own less elegant solution... still wouldn't mind some killer ideas if you guys have any.