You don't just need hand tools, but also materials, space to work and the wherewithal to do some woodwork. I agree, it's better to do something right the first time, but I don't think it's wise to let constraints like this get in the way of starting & finishing an exciting project for fun.
At the end of the day, even with cardboard, you'll still have a working videogame setup, as well as some new, transferable skills (even if woodworking isn't one of them).
I guess what I'm saying is, it doesn't have to be about the thing lasting longer than a month, it's about the process, what you learned along the way, getting something completed and the feelings of accomplishment that go with them.
If you're already putting €250 and a fair bit of effort into the project, another €50 of wood isn't exactly going to go amiss. I've also worked with wood and hand tools indoors, it just requires a good vacuuming to clean up. That's one of the nice things about hand tools, they're less prone to throwing a lot of dust up into the air.
Personally, I'd be pretty honked off to be €250 into a project that breaks down into un-usability in such a short period of time.
It's particularly hard to justify the spend when premade sticks and front panels are cheap and highly available - see the numerous "Pandora's Box" cabinets, which come ready for plug-and-play use(including dodgy software), but still have room for modding and upgrades.
At the end of the day, even with cardboard, you'll still have a working videogame setup, as well as some new, transferable skills (even if woodworking isn't one of them).
I guess what I'm saying is, it doesn't have to be about the thing lasting longer than a month, it's about the process, what you learned along the way, getting something completed and the feelings of accomplishment that go with them.