My sorda finished cab.

[Distortion]

The information is now on a website.  I have a digital camera now, so you all can see pics of my cab.  Most of the info is on the website, more will be added soon enough.

oops, forgot the URL

http://bullythedj.tripod.com

[Dave_K.]

Nice job so far.  I'm assuming the button on the front of the panel is for bumping in pinball games?  But what about bumping left/right?  May have to add 2 more.  
Control Panel layout is almost exactly like mine.  I actually have one more "thumb" button a little lower and to the left to your leftmost one. I use those 2 plus the bottom 2 (from the row of 6) for most games, and then the row of 6 for some righters.

[Distortion]

actually, that button on the front is my shazaam button.  I don't really play pinball games much.  The left and right pinball type buttons are actually used for coin buttons.  When the cab is painted black, in theory, the coin buttons will be more hidden than they are now.

[AceTKK]

When you go to college you MUST figure out how to take the cab with you.  You will be the most popular guy on campus, I guarantee :-)  Plus, if you want to join a frat, your posession of a full-size arcade game is better than your father being a member as far as your chances of getting in.  

-Ace-

[Distortion]

When you go to college you MUST figure out how to take the cab with you.  You will be the most popular guy on campus, I guarantee :-)  Plus, if you want to join a frat, your posession of a full-size arcade game is better than your father being a member as far as your chances of getting in.  

-Ace-

Actually, I've already made friends with some guys at a frat house, so I don't think I'd have too much trouble getting in.  I stayed there for my scholarship weekend.  They've got an Arch Rivals machine in their game room that they've spoken of MAMEing, but have never done.  I'm thinking of taking the coin door from my NBA Jam machine and putting it in my MAME cab.  It's missing the mechanisms, but I'm sure I could come by some.  Does anyone know where I could get those 5 cent mechs they use at nickel city?  Those would be sweet to have!  If I'm in the dorms, though, I don't know where I'd put it.  The dorms are fairly small.  I'd have to OK it with my room mate first.  It could double as our TV stand, though, since it's got that 27" toshiba.

I'm also thinking of adding a 4-way joystick or maybe one of those DOT spinners.  I've got to also take into consideration, however, the fact that I'm gonna need spending money during college and I don't want to work and do school at the same time.

Oh, and for those curious, I'm going to Illinois Institute of Technology.  So this bad boy would fly over pretty well with all the nerds (like myself) going to school there.

[CthulhuLuke]

If you can somehow get your hands on a router, route out about 1/4" to 1/2" from that wood underneath the joysticks, it'll allow the joystick shafts to come up higher, and will feel 100 times better when you play.  Right now they look pretty low, and if you plan to go with lexan/plexiglass on there, its gonna be a pain when the joysticks are so low, you can barely pull off a fireball.
  I'm going off to college next year as well, big tip of advice, if you want any girls, DONT bring a cabinet ^_^  I wouldn't trust my mame machine in a frat house though, think of what drunk people do when they're excited, move around a lot, don't have a puke bucket....  one gross cabinet.  I'm gonna be in the dorms next year, and I was thinking about building a 2 player control panel, but I don't even know if I'll do that.  Dorm rooms aren't THAT big ya know, definitely not big enough to fit a mame cabinet into.  If you had a cluster, you could maybe squeeze on into the lobby, but then you gotta worry bout someone jacking it.  Believe me, college kids can do that kinda stuff.
     -Luke