Hey Billkwando,
I just read your FAQ on building an arcade controller. I'm in the process of building a controller myself. I just wanted to share some ideas with you...
Instead of using wood to build your stick housing, I suggest using a plastic enclosure box. You can get these plastic boxes in various shapes, sizes, and colors. These boxes are usually used for housing various custom built electronic devices and can be purchased from most electrical supply companies (such as
www.digikey.com and
www.alliedelec.com).
I'm using a glossy, black plastic box and it gives a much more modern look. You can even get slanted versions like your "model 2". The best part is you don't have to worry about sanding or painting. The boxes only cost between $8-$25.
I'm also building a little "home mvs system". I have a spare one-slot neo board and I just got done building my own rgb-ntsc converter board. You can build your own high quality rgb-ntsc converter for only about $15, if you buy all the circuit components yourself. There are many rgb-ntsc converter chips available for only about $6. Mabey I'll put a tutorial up after I'm done.