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What to buy first - controls/electronics or wood

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tmasman:
Monitor first!
You'll need that to design your cabinet around...

Another tip...
Do NOT put anything smaller than a 19" screen in your cab (if you have to due to $$$, design the cab to accept a larger screen when you have the $$$.)

After you get the framework of the cabinet in place & going strong, then start to figure out & order your parts for the CP... If you do this up front, you'll seriously delay the building of the cabinet because you'll want to play too much! I'm another fool who finished the CP too soon & 2 years later I still haven't taken it back apart to put on the CPO.

Test you parts, but don't test them in the CP until it's finished for that very reason.

Otherwise, have fun! It's a blast playing on a working machine!

NoOne=NBA=:
I would BUY the monitor and speakers before I did anything else.
You need to make sure those will fit, and they vary widely in shape/size/etc...

If you plan for larger joysticks, trackballs, buttons, etc... and end up buying smaller, you'll be OK.
If you plan for a bigger monitor, and then buy smaller, your cab is going to look funny.
If you plan for a two speaker setup, and then go with a subwoofer system, you may not have room for your computer and coin door.

javeryh:
I'd buy the wood first - how else would you start?  Plus, with an ongoing project sitting in the basement or workshop or where ever I think you would be more motivated to work on it...

JustMichael:
I would buy a pencil and some paper first so that you can plan out everything.  Second, buy or aquire a large enough piece of cardboard so that you can build a control panel mockup.

spacies:

I agree with the others.
Unless you have very precise measurements I would buy the monitor and speakers first.
A scratch built cabinet is generally based around the size of the screen you are going to use.

Next, buy the wood, then the rest of the gear.

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