building racks for hardware modules
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- KVRAF
- 3928 posts since 23 Oct, 2005 from vassalboro, maine
we're getting more hardware every week - the space is getting ridiculous - right now i've only got 2 units that are mountable, but anyway, help? do i need an arc welder before i can even think about making one?
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- KVRian
- 1171 posts since 21 Feb, 2004
not mine, but looks sturdy enough, you'll need some rack rails? i guess http://www.sweetwater.com/c488--Rack_Rails
Nobody's a nobody...
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- KVRist
- 157 posts since 13 Apr, 2007 from Northern Virginia
It is easy. Measure twice and cut once. Watch out for your fingers.
I first looked at some professional racks online to see how they built them. Then I bought some rails. Last I found a nice old computer desk and hutch at a junk sale for $5 that I used for particle board. You have some choices: wheels?, rails on the back to support heavy equipment? (like a rack PC, etc), how deep? Guys at home depot are good for helping you find the right hardware (different kind of bolts, screws, etc).
Worst case, you end up with throwing away some particle board and starting over. Rack rails are strong and usually can be re-used. Remember to get rack-screws. Also look around because prices can vary. Good Luck.
I first looked at some professional racks online to see how they built them. Then I bought some rails. Last I found a nice old computer desk and hutch at a junk sale for $5 that I used for particle board. You have some choices: wheels?, rails on the back to support heavy equipment? (like a rack PC, etc), how deep? Guys at home depot are good for helping you find the right hardware (different kind of bolts, screws, etc).
Worst case, you end up with throwing away some particle board and starting over. Rack rails are strong and usually can be re-used. Remember to get rack-screws. Also look around because prices can vary. Good Luck.
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- KVRAF
- 8749 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
Yeah, building your own is often a best option. I've got 2 racks - one's a 12 unit solidly built all-metal affair - admittedly very well made and sturdy, and has handles at the front for moving it about etc, but in the end it always looks messy cos there's no way of hiding the spaghetti at the back, and it just sits on the top of the desk or wherever. The other is a smaller affair - same kind of thing, but less sturdily built.
When I was in the UK years back, at my last studio I made my own, and it was a whole lot neater and it fitted everything I needed. Because you make your own, it means it's more likely to be to your taste, it'll be the right size, and you can build them into a desk/unit to fit your own needs. As long as you get the rack rails and screw/holders it's really not difficult to make one. As mentioned - measure properly and the rest all follows. If need be, actually fit some units into the rack rails before you fix the rack into a desk or whatever - that way you know it's the right width (should be a standard 19" anyway). I built one into a complete desk/mixing/console thingy - big desktop for the mixer and screen etc, and fitted the rack lower down and covered it over with tongue and groove wood panels. It looked great and was more functional than a desktop premade rack because it was angled for good eye level use. You can do the same thing but build it up higher on a desk if that's what you want. All the wiring goes at the back and it's tidy. I must add that I use patchbays though...DIY racks can be fiddly if you are going to be constantly fiddling about at the back of units rewiring and rerouting things. Patchbays are definitely a bonus to have.
Another tip is to make sure you don't seal everything in too tightly - you need some gaps etc for ventilation. It's amazing how much heat can be generated by rack units/PSUs.
As for the materials - standard wooden beams do the job for fixing the rails. Personally I used hardwood rather than pine, as they need to be able to take alot of weight on the 2 front beams - alot of rack units can be quite short, and can't be rested on any rear beams. (My larger pre-made rack has 2 sturdy rear metal beams that are quite handy for when I used to use a rack sampler - the old S950 weighed a ton and it was good to be able to rest it on the adjustable rear beams at the back of the sampler itself.) You can make something like that yourself, but more fiddly if you're making it all out of wood. Pine has a tendency for screws to prize themselves out if enough weight are put on them - pine's quite soft in certain conditions. It's not a bad idea to strengthen the rails if you're using pine beams, by using simple steel building straps to wrap around the pine beam and rail. Most DIY stores supply straps that are cheap as chips - with ready-punched holes for you to screw them in too.
When I was in the UK years back, at my last studio I made my own, and it was a whole lot neater and it fitted everything I needed. Because you make your own, it means it's more likely to be to your taste, it'll be the right size, and you can build them into a desk/unit to fit your own needs. As long as you get the rack rails and screw/holders it's really not difficult to make one. As mentioned - measure properly and the rest all follows. If need be, actually fit some units into the rack rails before you fix the rack into a desk or whatever - that way you know it's the right width (should be a standard 19" anyway). I built one into a complete desk/mixing/console thingy - big desktop for the mixer and screen etc, and fitted the rack lower down and covered it over with tongue and groove wood panels. It looked great and was more functional than a desktop premade rack because it was angled for good eye level use. You can do the same thing but build it up higher on a desk if that's what you want. All the wiring goes at the back and it's tidy. I must add that I use patchbays though...DIY racks can be fiddly if you are going to be constantly fiddling about at the back of units rewiring and rerouting things. Patchbays are definitely a bonus to have.
Another tip is to make sure you don't seal everything in too tightly - you need some gaps etc for ventilation. It's amazing how much heat can be generated by rack units/PSUs.
As for the materials - standard wooden beams do the job for fixing the rails. Personally I used hardwood rather than pine, as they need to be able to take alot of weight on the 2 front beams - alot of rack units can be quite short, and can't be rested on any rear beams. (My larger pre-made rack has 2 sturdy rear metal beams that are quite handy for when I used to use a rack sampler - the old S950 weighed a ton and it was good to be able to rest it on the adjustable rear beams at the back of the sampler itself.) You can make something like that yourself, but more fiddly if you're making it all out of wood. Pine has a tendency for screws to prize themselves out if enough weight are put on them - pine's quite soft in certain conditions. It's not a bad idea to strengthen the rails if you're using pine beams, by using simple steel building straps to wrap around the pine beam and rail. Most DIY stores supply straps that are cheap as chips - with ready-punched holes for you to screw them in too.
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- KVRian
- 1185 posts since 2 Jan, 2004 from England
In the UK, visit ProAudioStash.co.uk.
Never had anything but good quality stuff from them, delivered quickly, packed well, priced keenly, and really heavy duty. They do modular self build racks as well as the prefabricated stuff.
Penn-Elcom is the manufacturer/supplier, and for my money it's better built than the Quiklok equivalent.
[Edited for atrocious spelling..]
Never had anything but good quality stuff from them, delivered quickly, packed well, priced keenly, and really heavy duty. They do modular self build racks as well as the prefabricated stuff.
Penn-Elcom is the manufacturer/supplier, and for my money it's better built than the Quiklok equivalent.
[Edited for atrocious spelling..]
11, 418th in line to the KVR throne