Anyone have good plans for a DIY audio rack?

JoshK · « **Reply #160 on:** 16 Nov 2012, 04:38 am »

sounds like you have a good plan! do it!

Dark Regent · « **Reply #161 on:** 4 Feb 2013, 02:20 am »

Thought I'd share my results building one of these 80/20 racks.

jvinhj240 · « **Reply #162 on:** 8 Jan 2018, 07:02 pm »

Quote from: toobluvr on 4 Mar 2009, 10:02 pm

Very cool looking racks, woodsyi!!

The extruded aluminum posts look very much like the 80/20 stuff I used.
Great material to work with. Very strong and always square, straight and true.

It took me a while to find all the used butcher block tables, but I did the whole project for about $300.

Hello does your rack sturdy , mine when I touch the rack move around not sturdy at all. I screw every butcher but it is not sturdy, what do you recommend?

Jazzman53 · « **Reply #163 on:** 8 Jan 2018, 10:59 pm »

I have a DeltaCad 3-view orthographic drawing for this red oak Arts & Crafts style component cabinet. The joinery is all mortise & tenon (some are thru-tenons). There is a good size drawer and the center shelf is height adjustable and slatted for cooling. The back is open and the sides have mortised-in slats with a keyhole pattern center slat. It requires some skill and patience to build but it's a nice, rock solid piece of audio furniture.

TJ-Sully · « **Reply #164 on:** 8 Jan 2018, 11:20 pm »

Don_S · « **Reply #165 on:** 8 Jan 2018, 11:38 pm »

Half-dado on the shelves and rear brace. Ends of shelves are even with the outside of the legs. Top is full width. Glued, screwed, and tattooed (pegged). This rack is heavy and SOLID. Sounds better than the expensive commercial rack it replaced. Wish I could say I built it but I hired a local woodworker. Maple is mean to work with. Legs are solid maple, full 1.75" x 3.75". Rear brace is smaller.

Butcher block came from Lumber Liquidators but I have since found another source for a variety of BB. I have not used them but they are relatively local and I might need another rack for a second system. Shipping is a killer on heavy BB.

http://www.perfectplank.com/

LesterSleepsIn · « **Reply #166 on:** 9 Jan 2018, 03:34 am »

Quote from: Jazzman53 on 8 Jan 2018, 10:59 pm

I have a DeltaCad 3-view orthographic drawing for this red oak Arts & Crafts style component cabinet. The joinery is all mortise & tenon (some are thru-tenons). There is a good size drawer and the center shelf is height adjustable and slatted for cooling. The back is open and the sides have mortised-in slats with a keyhole pattern center slat. It requires some skill and patience to build but it's a nice, rock solid piece of audio furniture.

Nice looking rack. Will you share the Cad drawing?
Best,
Lester

Jazzman53 · « **Reply #167 on:** 9 Jan 2018, 01:23 pm »

Quote from: LesterSleepsIn on 9 Jan 2018, 03:34 am

Nice looking rack. Will you share the Cad drawing?
Best,
Lester

Sure. PM me your email address.

Johnny2Bad · « **Reply #168 on:** 9 Jan 2018, 06:01 pm »

I've used a "Cheapo" IKEA LACK coffee table style rack for about 15 years now. Works fine for me, seems to sound alright. I haven't compared it to other isolation platforms but compared to other racks it dos a very nice job, gets out of the way of the music. No problems with things like turntable isolation.

Instead of installing spikes in the top shelf unit(s) I use the cut-down IKEA LACK legs and blu-tac. Very sturdy, and I don't detect vibrations coming up from the floor. I have the means to measure such things now (I have a clone of the Stereophile "plastic tape accelerometer" I constructed last year) so maybe I'll explore the whole rack thing further, but admittedly it's on the back burner as I have a lot of unfinished projects on the table right now.

toobluvr · « **Reply #169 on:** 10 Jan 2018, 02:30 pm »

Quote from: jvinhj240 on 8 Jan 2018, 07:02 pm

Hello does your rack sturdy , mine when I touch the rack move around not sturdy at all. I screw every butcher but it is not sturdy, what do you recommend?

There is a very slight side-to-side sway to it. But I need to push it very hard, and it's certainly not a problem. The combined weight of all the BB and gear make it very heavy and sturdy. My buddy has an expensive rack from a known audio mfr (Zoethecus) and it has much greater sway and instability to it.

I've had 5 turntables and 8 different arms on it, and they all track perfectly. No distortion, no skipping. Even when I jump up and down on my suspended wood floors right in front of it.

I suppose a diagonal cross brace on the rear would eliminate sway.

As would cross braces under the shelves a la Steve Blinn Designs and Adona (and others):

https://www.steveblinndesigns.com/

http://www.adonacorporation.com/products.html

I prefer the more open look of mine, so I chose not to use them.

bacobits1 · « **Reply #170 on:** 10 Jan 2018, 03:55 pm »

Quote

Even when I jump up and down on my suspended wood floors right in front of it.

Can I see that?

ellisr63 · « **Reply #171 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 03:50 pm »

I am getting ready to build one of these too. I will be using the t channel I used from my projection screen...it has 2 grooves on 2 sides, and 1 on the other 2 sides. I will be making 3 racks that will share one side with the next rack, so I will only need 7 uprights for a 3 point upright setup. I will be using Mesquite most likely that is 1 1/2" thick. I hope to have it done in the next couple of weeks (still need to get the wood, and corner support pieces).

I am also contemplating having a open area in the center of each shelf for cooling.

sunnydaze · « **Reply #172 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 05:14 pm »

Curious as to why just seven 80-20 uprights would suffice for three side-by-side attached racks.

Don't you need a total of 8 = 4 across the front and 4 across the back?

ellisr63 · « **Reply #173 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 05:49 pm »

I am doing a 3 point setup...one support on the front sides, and another centered on the back. This will be for the left rack and right only...the center rack will use one support from each side, and have o e for the rear too.

So 4 across the front, and 3 across the rear...basically a triangle for the supports.

Does this make sense?

sunnydaze · « **Reply #174 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 05:55 pm »

Quote from: ellisr63 on 7 Feb 2018, 05:49 pm

I am doing a 3 point setup...one support on the front sides, and another centered on the back. This will be for the left rack and right only...the center rack will use one support from each side, and have o e for the rear too.

Does this make sense?

Gotcha......I think....

across the front you will use a total of 4 uprights, one on the corner of each shelf. The 2 center uprights will be shared by the middle shelf, and the two outside shelves.

across the back you will have one upright in the center of each shelf, for a total of 3.

correct?

ellisr63 · « **Reply #175 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 06:00 pm »

Yup. I had a rack made years ago that was welded that was like this and i liked it. I will be looking at having angle brackets that are 2 slot wide, and at least 4 screws per end of the bracket. I might use a different bracket for each shelf so i can spike the shelves to the brackets. Trying to keep the costs down, and i know the brackets are going to cost the most.

sunnydaze · « **Reply #176 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 06:03 pm »

Sounds nice.....

Just keep in mind that with center uprights in the rear, sometimes they interfere with your cables and connections. Especially if the cable is stiff. I once had a rack with center uprights and it drove me crazy in this regard. Ended up selling it.

ellisr63 · « **Reply #177 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 06:08 pm »

Gotcha..

EdRo · « **Reply #178 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 07:11 pm »

How about one like this?

ellisr63 · « **Reply #179 on:** 7 Feb 2018, 08:46 pm »

Looks great! My only concern would be that the bottom is strong enough at the angle to support the weight. Would it be possible to support it from the bottom of the large bottom plate with a welded rod protruding out that the uprights could slide over, or is there a cross bar that is bolting it to the bottom plate?