Should I buy or build a cabinet? (first time project)

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sofakng:
I've heard of MAME for a long time now and just recently I decided to check it out. WOW. It's amazing.

So after researching a bit more I saw that a lot of people were putting computers (with MAME) into arcade cabinets and loading it up with games. What an amazing idea!

I'm not great with woodworking but my father however throughly enjoys it and would be able to help if I built a cabinet from scratch. My other option is to buy used arcade machine and replace parts, etc. I have done lots of (basic) soldering and very basic electronics (splicing wires, building SNES-to-LPT cable converters, etc), so I'm comfortable with wiring and I'm willing to learn the rest.

Basically I want my cabinet to look like a standard arcade cabinet with all the arcade joysticks/buttons. It would also be nice to have a working coin box with lights (sorry if I'm using the wrong terms), but that is the least important by far.

So, what is my best option?

My main concern is money, but if I do this I want to do it the right way so I don't end up with a complete junk. I also already have all the computer parts (excluding the monitor) needed.

Thanks,
John Klimek (I'm from Scranton, PA, in case anybody is wondering)

Hoagie_one:
my first is in a centipede cabinet, I am in teh process of refurbishing it, repainting etc. New CP though. It's easy to just use an existing cab for me, but if you have a wood worker, designing your own is the best, because it's perfect to your specs.

F|end:
Go to the cabinets section on this site a read it carefully!

I guess after reading it, you'll get a better idea of what you want! :)

It also depends in what you got! :D

Clear?

DeathMonk:
If money is the issue, I would say try and find a cheap arcade cabinet and mame it. The up side to buidling from scratch is that you get to make the cabinet exactly the way you want it (and a little more satisfaction, if you ask me!).

AlanS17:
I personally feel that no matter how well you build a cabinet on your own it still would never feel like a real arcade machine. I rebuilt a Bad Dudes machine and I'm very happy with it. Some say that building your own is cheaper, but it's easier to get deals on full machines with a monitor included than it would be to find a lone monitor out in the arcade wild. I would venture to say that the monitor can be the single most expensive part of the whole thing (unless you have a really nice PC). So if you can find a cheap machine with a working monitor it will probably end up costing less. Plus you know they're built sturdy to begin with. It's all a matter of personal preference.

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