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Post by teejay on Mar 22, 2022 7:00:52 GMT -6
I'd like to add a Sidecar or Rack to hold my outboard. Part of that is I don't want to spend $2K for a new desk, and part of it is having access to the rear and movement in the studio since I don't have enough gear to justify use of a patchbay. I've been researching a few pre-built options, and am looking at the following types of configurations: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M20Roller--rab-audio-m20-rolling-12u-over-8u-studio-rack-blackwww.sweetwater.com/store/detail/OSR24--middle-atlantic-products-osr24-16u-sloped-studio-rack-with-casters-oak-finishI'm fairly handy, and these seem pretty straightforward (although my tools are limited: i.e.: Skillsaw, no table saw). I see some overall dimensions, but extrapolating out to the finished product may or may not work well. That being the case, I'm wondering if anyone has any plans for something like this you would be willing to share. I'm thinking I can leverage one piece 1/2" x 4' x 8' oak laminated plywood for the major side components, and smaller separate pieces for the top/bottom and a 1x4 or 1x6 for support pieces. That will be a ton cheaper than the $400-$500+ for these MDF pre-cut units. I already have casters, and while I have some spare rail I'd probably just buy new pieces from Penn-Elcom. Speaking of rails, what is the proper type of rail to use for this? I see they have several versions. Thanks for any assistance. Todd |
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Post by svart on Mar 22, 2022 7:41:35 GMT -6
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Post by teejay on Mar 22, 2022 9:24:09 GMT -6
Thank you, Chris. Those look great! Appreciate the links and info. I just need to find plans or "guesstimate" the angle from bottom to top.
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Post by Ward on Mar 22, 2022 11:20:01 GMT -6
Thank you, Chris. Those look great! Appreciate the links and info. I just need to find plans or "guesstimate" the angle from bottom to top. Send me what your needs, placement, capacity, angles etc are and mock up a design for you. I built everything here. |
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Post by srb on Mar 22, 2022 11:29:13 GMT -6
I'm using an M20 roller rack for some (mostly) tube gear I've acquired over the last year. It's serviceable. It could use a sturdier set of casters, though. Still, no issues thus far.
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Post by drbill on Mar 22, 2022 12:13:27 GMT -6
Todd - I'd highly suggest audiorax.com if they have something that suits you. Your rack will be like a finely crafted piece of furniture - not prefab junk or a crooked piece of junk if I built it. LOL If you're like me, I don't have the time or inclination to build. If you're rather spend time building, then go for it. There are nice dimensions that may help you on the audiorax site as well. Good luck.  |
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Post by teejay on Mar 22, 2022 14:30:44 GMT -6
Thanks everyone. Extremely helpful. I'm working up a few Visio diagrams on options I'm considering, and will post them up here. Kind of need to decide on a final design, whether that be more straight up or lower and angled.
Thanks for the audiorax.com info, drbill. I'll take a look at that. Interesting that they supply all of the dimensions...that helps a lot if I'm doing my own thing.
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Post by drbill on Mar 22, 2022 23:55:28 GMT -6
Thanks everyone. Extremely helpful. I'm working up a few Visio diagrams on options I'm considering, and will post them up here. Kind of need to decide on a final design, whether that be more straight up or lower and angled. Thanks for the audiorax.com info, drbill. I'll take a look at that. Interesting that they supply all of the dimensions...that helps a lot if I'm doing my own thing. Once upon a time, I tried to save some money by using their dimensions on a rack. Had a pro woodworker do it. Many problems later, I'll only use audiorax to build my racks. They are beautiful, extremely functional, always to spec dimension wise, and they are worth the price. |
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Post by svart on Mar 23, 2022 6:57:58 GMT -6
I could measure my rack and draw a simple diagram if you're interested.
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Post by teejay on Mar 23, 2022 10:29:21 GMT -6
Thanks everyone. Extremely helpful. I'm working up a few Visio diagrams on options I'm considering, and will post them up here. Kind of need to decide on a final design, whether that be more straight up or lower and angled. Thanks for the audiorax.com info, drbill. I'll take a look at that. Interesting that they supply all of the dimensions...that helps a lot if I'm doing my own thing. Once upon a time, I tried to save some money by using their dimensions on a rack. Had a pro woodworker do it. Many problems later, I'll only use audiorax to build my racks. They are beautiful, extremely functional, always to spec dimension wise, and they are worth the price. Good advice, and much appreciated. I'm not too worried about this being furniture grade. It's just me and my basement. It's more about the functionality. Your room and setup is phenomenal, so I can see how such craftsmanship is warranted. Part of this is saving some real dollars so I can invest into some other gear, part of it is the fun and reward of doing it myself, and part of it is not having to wait 8 weeks to get it. I actually enjoy doing these types of things. Kind of cathartic. Of course, if I screw it up...  If it comes out there will be pics. If not, well... |
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Post by teejay on Mar 23, 2022 10:30:50 GMT -6
I could measure my rack and draw a simple diagram if you're interested. I've got some Visio's I'll share. You can tell me if it looks feasible. |
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Post by drbill on Mar 23, 2022 11:08:06 GMT -6
Once upon a time, I tried to save some money by using their dimensions on a rack. Had a pro woodworker do it. Many problems later, I'll only use audiorax to build my racks. They are beautiful, extremely functional, always to spec dimension wise, and they are worth the price. Good advice, and much appreciated. I'm not too worried about this being furniture grade. It's just me and my basement. It's more about the functionality. Your room and setup is phenomenal, so I can see how such craftsmanship is warranted. Part of this is saving some real dollars so I can invest into some other gear, part of it is the fun and reward of doing it myself, and part of it is not having to wait 8 weeks to get it. I actually enjoy doing these types of things. Kind of cathartic. Of course, if I screw it up... If it comes out there will be pics. If not, well... Haha!! AWESOME! Go for it! Have fun! |
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Post by teejay on Mar 23, 2022 13:21:01 GMT -6
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Post by Ward on Mar 23, 2022 17:18:36 GMT -6
I love it when a good plan comes together!
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Post by teejay on Mar 24, 2022 8:00:17 GMT -6
Making another "Executive Decision". Since the material size can accommodate a 16U x 2 (32), I'm building that. The only change in price to do this is the rack rails, which is nominal. I don't anticipate filling it up anytime soon, but it's not that much bigger and I'd like to avoid any future post-decision regret. No reason to waste material.
Have all of the material now. Been trying to do my due diligence regarding construction methods and strategy before I jump in. This has also been a great excuse for buying some new tools!
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Post by Ned Ward on Mar 24, 2022 19:06:30 GMT -6
Very nice! Home Depot rents tools, but they'll also cut lumber/plywood there - or you can buy it in smaller sections.
I've built a 3 bay 3RU rack for my monitors and computer monitor using 1x12 pine. Measure twice, cut once. Make your rack bays 19 1/4" wide to allow some movement - you can't do 19" exactly... DO NOT use Drywall screws - they're the wrong fastener for the job. Plenty of strong wood screws that will hold.
For your sketch, I'd make a large carcass and add a middle support for strength and for the inner rack rails.
Tools to get if you don't have them:
Level
Speed square - really helps for ensuring pieces are at a right angle when attaching
Clamps; Rockler has push-on 3/4" plywood corner clamps that are better than holding it with one hand and trying to screw it on with the other...
I'm working on a amp storage with room for a cabinet below, head above and storage for my daughter's music books. the corner clamps were really helpful on a big box like this, as were Kreg pocket jig/screws, but that's for another day...
Love the Penn-Elcom brush panels for seamless cable management.
Also consider casters on the bottom - 3" urethane. Nice to be able to roll it to get behind it, or if you change your mind on wiring...
As for rack rails, if you're not picky, you could even put a 1x2 inside and screw the racks directly into that...
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Mar 24, 2022 22:56:33 GMT -6
In other worlds, I've been a professional cabinet maker. I made all of my stuff.
Not a bad price for prefab from your links but I get the idea of DIY and would totally go for it. You have to ignore the hourly labor though, IMHO. Not trying to discourage you at all, just something to think about. If you have time to burn, go for it.
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Post by teejay on Mar 25, 2022 8:29:26 GMT -6
In other worlds, I've been a professional cabinet maker. I made all of my stuff. Not a bad price for prefab from your links but I get the idea of DIY and would totally go for it. You have to ignore the hourly labor though, IMHO. Not trying to discourage you at all, just something to think about. If you have time to burn, go for it. A cabinet maker I am not. A bit of a hack I likely am. My mom's father was a professional carpenter, and my dad's father was a sheet metal worker who made his own tools and also did some farming on the side, so I've a bit of this in my blood. I'm sitting around on a computer and Zoom calls all day long for my day job, so being able to cut into some wood and use my hands is a welcome respite. And you are correct, I cannot count any hourly labor equivalent. Projects like this take me five times longer than they should because of my propensity to plan multiple times, then measure 20 times and cut once (sometimes still in error). Right now I'm at about $250 in materials vs. the $655 + shipping cost from Audiorax. No, mine won't have the fit and finish, but I think it will still turn out nicely. Biggest issue for me is balancing design functionality vs. leveraging the amount of material. I don't want it too big as my studio is small, but I'm having heartburn thinking about material waste since each 2 x 4 panel is about $40. Also want the key gear high enough that I'm not down on my knees adjusting everything. The 16U rack is 35" tall. I'm considering extending it to 42", with the front angle cut going vertical from 35" to 42" (see below) and putting a shelf in each side for my stereo equipment. This is the kind of consideration that slows me down. Appreciate all of the feedback. Could be a long weekend! ___16"__ ______________ | | 7" | | _____ | \ | | \ | | \ | | \ 35" 42" | \ | | \ | | \ | | \ _ | ______ |___20"_____| __|___6"______ |
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Post by Ned Ward on Mar 25, 2022 8:45:40 GMT -6
Sounds like a plan. With the angle, you will need to have either no gear on the bottom rack rails, or the shallowest depth gear you have as the depth on the bottom row will be < 4" before it hits the bottom of the rack. You may want to add more space at the bottom to have more usable rack space, depending on how deep your gear is. Handy site for angles, sizes, etc. and I got to bust out the pythagorean formula! www.calculator.net/right-triangle-calculator.html?av=4&alphav=&alphaunit=d&bv=33.25&betav=&betaunit=d&cv=&hv=&areav=&perimeterv=&x=78&y=17 Note I'm assuming 1RU of straight below the angle cut, so for every 2 RU you add to the bottom, you'll get 3.5" of additional depth on that bottom rail. |
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Post by teejay on Mar 25, 2022 9:17:00 GMT -6
Thank you, Ned. There will be a 6" kickplate on the bottom and the rails will start from that point, so there will be gap at the bottom for the lowest racked gear. I've added that to the "drawing".
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Mar 25, 2022 9:48:02 GMT -6
Thanks for sharing all of that, teejay! Very cool background. Sounds like you've got it handled and a great weekend ahead. My side rack is 33" but two columns wide, so might be more than you need. I know exactly what you mean on the $40 panels though - shit's gotten real at the lumber yard the last 24 months. I'll post a decent picture of it for reference. I had one previously that was taller, single column and eventually went with the lower one. Less intrusive, better aesthetics and makes a great place to put a keyboard or other stuff periodically. Sounds like you might be going natural wood finish or stained? For treating the edges of the panels, definitely would recommend the iron-on edge banding. Doesn't cost a ton (of course, it might today!) and works really well if you take some time to apply it. Rackrails, I went with Gator and another brand Sweetwater sells. I ended up with two 18-space racks. The Penn ones are mostly for IT applications I think? A gotcha on the rails was that the Gator brand holes were crappy and required a #10 tap to redo the holes to avoid screw issues. I might have just gotten a bad set or something but it was a pain. |
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Post by teejay on Mar 25, 2022 11:06:18 GMT -6
Thanks for the info, Bat Lanyard . I've seen some of your posts in the past on your studio construction, and you definitely have skills. Beautiful work. I've got a sit/stand desk in my office and have been using it to get a feel for heights. 42" is feeling pretty tall, so leaning towards sticking with the basic 16U x 2 rack that is 35" tall, 41" wide (I am building a two-column). And yes, I will be finishing with stain and poly. Also, Svart suggested the iron-on edge banding so I picked that up as well. Bought a few trim pieces as another option for the edges, and playing with the idea of staining them black for some contrast. Rails...hmmmm. I guess I'll find out. Made an assumption they are standard, so if the Penn one's don't work out I'll need to either order their screws or pick up a tap. And the other consideration is whether I'll let the top hang over a bit or cut it to an exact fit. |
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Mar 25, 2022 14:03:04 GMT -6
Thanks for the info, Bat Lanyard . I've seen some of your posts in the past on your studio construction, and you definitely have skills. Beautiful work. I've got a sit/stand desk in my office and have been using it to get a feel for heights. 42" is feeling pretty tall, so leaning towards sticking with the basic 16U x 2 rack that is 35" tall, 41" wide (I am building a two-column). And yes, I will be finishing with stain and poly. Also, Svart suggested the iron-on edge banding so I picked that up as well. Bought a few trim pieces as another option for the edges, and playing with the idea of staining them black for some contrast. Rails...hmmmm. I guess I'll find out. Made an assumption they are standard, so if the Penn one's don't work out I'll need to either order their screws or pick up a tap. And the other consideration is whether I'll let the top hang over a bit or cut it to an exact fit. Very kind, man, thanks! Sounds like a great plan. First iteration of my setup everything was taller. On the second I went lower all around just trying to get things out of the way of the sound. Best of luck on the project! |
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Post by teejay on Mar 31, 2022 14:01:04 GMT -6
Update: Built it last weekend. It's not perfect, but that's what I get for not having/using a table saw. Still, I'm happy overall. Learned a few things as I went, which made for some re-work and/or adjustments "on-the-fly". Don't like the color of the first stain, so going to do a second round with a slightly darker version of the same tone. The biggest issue is it's been cold (30's) and rainy for the past week, so even with a heater going it's difficult to work in the garage, hampers proper ventilation, and is taking much longer for the stain to dry. Will be the same challenge for the poly. Not to mention the overcast skies are killing any daylight by the time I'm done with my day job. Wife just asked me this morning to vacuum and clean the garage this weekend. There is literally a layer of sawdust on everything (and I mean everything), and she's been kind enough not to say a word about it. Had to tell her "Hon, I'm not even going to be close to being done this weekend.". All hardware and components from PennElcom are here, and my older screws fit the rails...whew! Still waiting for the wood screws for mounting the rails. Once I have it done I'll post pics. I'd rather have everyone see the finished product. Also thought of, found, and procured one small add-on that while not necessarily visible, I think you guys will appreciate. Give me another week or so and I should have pics and a final cost analysis. Right now I'm predicting I'll be around $500 cheaper than the Audiorax I modeled it after. |
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,892 
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Post by ericn on Apr 1, 2022 20:14:08 GMT -6
Thank you, Ned. There will be a 6" kickplate on the bottom and the rails will start from that point, so there will be gap at the bottom for the lowest racked gear. I've added that to the "drawing". Here is a slight change I would consider, instead of the simple kick plate try a 2 or 3 space drawer and some space above it if the angle of the main rack allows clearance. You will find a drawer in that space is a godsend. Any time you angle the gear you have to consider your not going to have as much side coverage near the top. The other thing and this is what keeps me in the realm of straight racks, rear rails. Yeah you can build them into angled racks but besides helping support heavy gear ( you have no idea how many pieces have gotten custom rear attachments here) cable management just becomes so much easier. Consider building a separate frame from the actual side panels, easy removable sides can make all kinds of housekeeping so easy. |
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If it comes out there will be pics. If not, well...
