Where did you get your giant rack?

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:57 am

While this is far from a big rack like you're looking for, this is the rack I built a couple weeks ago.

As you can see I'm really just starting to have a use for a rack, as my outboard gear is slowly going. I was going to just buy a cheap rack stand like this one - http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TableRackStd , but I realized I could build one that was more solid, looked nicer, and had all the DIY pleasure I love for cheaper. There's a lumber yard near my house where I got the wood from a 1/4 sheet of a plywood, costing me $15, as opposed to $25 for the cheap not-so-stable metal one. It's birch ply glued/nailed together and sanded like crazy, with a number of coats of polyurethane. I love it and looks better and better with each piece I add.

It's missing the rack rails, which isn't an issue right now since things aren't going too high, but I'll add them on when needed. I looked around at rack rails, and while I haven't found many incredible deals, $28.80 isn't too bad for 21 space so you could get a few of those here ( http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--RAXRKRL ).

dsw · Post by **dsw** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:21 am

Here' a couple of links to custom shops:

http://www.custom-consoles.com/pro-audio-racks.php

http://www.kkaudio.com/

I've seen the KK Audio stuff up close and its great.

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:30 am

I bought one of the Argosy Spire 9142 racks for my new space. 2 bays, 14U each. But, while it's nice and heavy duty, it's not hardwood. It's the same laminated crap that all of the other companies use.

In hindsight, I could have probably had one build by a capable carpenter/cabinet-maker for close to the same price. I'll probably take that route next time.

Nate Dort · Post by **Nate Dort** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:50 am

jgimbel wrote:While this is far from a big rack like you're looking for, this is the rack I built a couple weeks ago.

It's missing the rack rails, which isn't an issue right now since things aren't going too high, but I'll add them on when needed. I looked around at rack rails, and while I haven't found many incredible deals, $28.80 isn't too bad for 21 space so you could get a few of those here ( http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--RAXRKRL ).

Just curious, how are you going to attach the rails inside the rack? It looks like you made the wood exactly 19" wide from edge to edge.

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:06 pm

nate wrote: Just curious, how are you going to attach the rails inside the rack? It looks like you made the wood exactly 19" wide from edge to edge.

I guess I should have taken the picture from straight ahead because the angle is deceiving. The front edge of what's in there is touching the wood right now, but at the other side they're pushed out a bit, they don't reach all the way. It's built to fit 19"-wide equipment like any normal rack.

Poppatwang · Post by **Poppatwang** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:02 pm

30 years ago at the Vo-Tech high school auction. 6 foot metal rack from their radio station.

ofajen · Post by **ofajen** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:25 pm

I have three 6U racks I made many years ago. Just 3/4" plywood on the top, bottom and sides, with 1" lumber strips fastened inside on each side as rails to screw the units into. I'll probably buy some more Sherwin-Williams "Java" (the color of SM 911) to paint them. That's the color I used to paint the little console I built this summer for my 3M M-23 and it looks pretty sharp.

Cheers,

Otto

Brian Brock · Post by **Brian Brock** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:42 pm

i got the awesomest most deadly rack ever out of my friend's co-op house's attic. This thing would kill you as soon as look at you.

My friend snagged it from the dumpsters behind the University of Wisconsin Madison's Engineering department. They also got tons of cool old electronic gear from there, which they trashed and just kept the faceplates, which, since I don't really use a lot of rack gear any more, are now adorning the giant rack in my living room.

Spark · Post by **Spark** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:09 pm

roygbiv wrote:Anyway, they might also be called the "Rast"

I assembled one of these a few years back. Instead of putting in rack rails, I just used a small strip of wood on either side. Some people will scoff at the non usage of rack rail, but on the plus side it was even cheaper. heh...

lapsteel · Post by **lapsteel** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:06 pm

Yeah, I built mine.

littlesongs · Post by **littlesongs** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:37 am

My humble studio lives in the rack that once housed the laser light show control center in the original OMSI Planetarium.

I also have the NASA surplus rack that held all the audio processing and transmitting gear when KBOO was launched in 1967.

One was delivered for free and the other offered as a reward for helping clean up a transmitter site.

Volunteering some time and getting to know people can be very helpful. Being a nerdy yokel has benefits too.

dsw · Post by **dsw** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:09 pm

Instead of putting in rack rails, I just used a small strip of wood on either side.

That's a great way to do it. Less ground issues and you can place the gear anywhere you want instead of being constrained to the rack rail holes.

My humble studio lives in the rack that once housed the laser light show control center in the original OMSI Planetarium.

I miss the original OMSI. I loved the big plastic walk through heart, the giant pendulum clock, and the Gemini capsule donated by the kid who won the Kellogs contest I didn't win and was devastated. Imagine having your own Gemini capsule in your back yard!! I woudn't have been so dumb as to donate it to a dumb museum by golly. I'd have been the envy of every kid on my block!! yes sir.

Back on topic: Home made racks rule. I still use the first one I had a friend help me build in 1985 (yikes!) because he was a cabinet maker and understood wood.

antilog · Post by **antilog** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:25 pm

I went to a pro audio chain store to grab a couple of 6-space racks to house recent purchases. The sales pro automatically started getting down a $200 6 space rack, and I mentioned the $130 ones I saw on their website. Since they didn't stock them, the only option was that $200 rack.

I quickly got over my laziness, bought 2 pairs of 8U rack rails ($30), some pre-cut lumber at the hardware store ($25), some screws and washers (~$5) and some elbow grease, I now have a nice 16U rack. So much nicer in my situation that having 2 big 6U's stacked up.

I actually look forward to building more. Much more satisfying than trying to use the crappy option the store had. It's interesting how such things motivate people and fuel DIY activity...

-3db · Post by **-3db** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:09 pm

I was able to snag a 40 space Emc2 Clarion Rack with all the blanks and all the AC cords, cage nuts, screws. everything. It was literally on it's way to a dumpster when I intervened and said put it in the back of my truck instead. So it went. They threw away 40 of these. In the freeken dumpster.

But it's really,really big. weighs 275 pounds. But I can put a ton of stuff in it. I had to drill out the rivets take it in piece by piece and rivet it back together. But it's really nice. It's on wheels so I can roll it if I want.

So now I'm loading it up with outboard gear.

I'll put up a picture of it if I can figure out how to actually do that..

losthighway · Post by **losthighway** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:10 pm

I ended up getting one of those faux-maple veneer jobbies from Sweetwater made by Raxxess. I just bought the biggest one with free shipping (20U). It was the same as putting together a bookshelf.

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Where did you get your giant rack?

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