Multi-Williams from scratch?

[DaveStall]

Has anyone here built a multi-Williams machine starting from nothing but perhaps an empty cabinet?  I find that the only games I want to play these days are the classic Williams titles (especially Defender, Stargate, Joust and Robotron).  I already own a dedicated Robotron machine that I don't really want to convert over, and cost/space restrictions would probably prevent me from owning all of these games.  I have been thinking about trying to build a multi machine, but I would appreciate any feedback as to the amount of work involved as well as apporximate costs.

Thanks,

Dave

[RayB]

You do know this entire site is dedicated to building your own arcade cabinet right??!?   

[DaveStall]

Yes, indeed I do realize that.

I do not want to build a MAME cabinet however.

[Daniel270]

I don't believe there's anything wrong with building a "dedicated" cabinet from scratch....  nothing says it has to be a MAME project in the least.  I (and I believe a great number of others) are all for preserving the original game, which is the true purpose of MAME itself.  If you have the original hardware to install in the new cabinet, then, by all means, go for it! 

[nostrebor]

The biggest hindrance is $$. Getting a working board set + Clays kit can push $300-$400 if you just run out to EBAY and start bidding. If you are creative, you could probably get it done for $250 (if you can snipe a cheap boardset.) The best method is the 8 in 1 Jamma board... I thing Paige's multi is set up this way. IIRC the board is about $350. The down side from your perspective is that this board is emulation, just like MAME.

I have a converted Bubbles, with nice art that will be converted to a multi, and I have given this some thought. I am going to use MAME with a J-Pac, until I can swing a jamma board. Then I can carry the J-Pac over to another project, and no real $$ is lost.

YMMV

[paigeoliver]

I have the Jamma one (which is better than the one one real hardware actually), in a Defender cabinet and it is awesome. I spent about $400 total on it (bought the JAMMA WM board, repro bezel, new panel, and original marquee used for $300, spent $50 ish on the Jamma harness and power supply, and the cab was free and I am valuing the monitor at $50, since I can't remember where it came from).

[DaveStall]

Thanks for the replies.  The JAMMA kit is something that I hadn't really put much thought into honestly, but I will certainly consider that as an option.  The only reason I hadn't wanted to go with a emulated solution is because I have seen how MAME emulates Robotron, and it simply isn't the same.  Although I wouldn't be playing Robotron on this machine, I do want the "real thing" when it comes to the other games.  With the JAMMA kit, how does one go about loading the ROM images to the board?  I think with the Clay Cowgill kit you need to burn the ROM images yourself (or in my case pay someone to burn the images that I would supply as I don't own an EEPROM burner).

Thanks,

Dave

[paigeoliver]

The Jamma kit is a plug and play board, you don't have to load anything, it is already preloaded.

[tbombaci]

I made mine from scratch. Total cost was about $750-$800

-tom