do i need rackrail

[notbradsohner]

if i am building my own racks, do I really need rackrail. I do not really see the puropuse. Why cant i just screw it into the wood?

[DDev]

You can screw into wood and it works just fine (hardwood like oak works best).

Darryl.....

[mshilarious]

Originally Posted by notbradsohner

if i am building my own racks, do I really need rackrail. I do not really see the puropuse. Why cant i just screw it into the wood?

Wood has a finite number of times you can insert & remove screws, so I'd recommend rack rails unless you're sure your equipment is somewhat permanently installed.

[knightfly]

http://www.ezlok.com/index2.htm

Metal threads, install (into your oak rails) so you have about 1/8" gaps between units, then get some 1/8" plexi and cut into strips to keep the rears of each rack mounted module from touching each other - gives a bit of air flow for cooling, keeps individual modules chassis' from touching electrically, and allows true star grounding for minimum hum and noise... Steve

Here's one that's 10-24 (rack rails are 10-32 thread) so you'd need to buy 10-24 screws, but they're STEEL so would hold up better for repeated use -

http://www.vandykes.com/product/02369297/

You can get these at nearly any web or mail order wood working supply also - possibly even locally, depending on your locale...

[longsoughtfor]

Go with the wood. I used metal rails on the first one I built and have found wood to be easier, cheaper and better overall. I don't move equipment all that much so it is a no brainer for me.

cheers
Kevin.

[frederic]

zzounds.com, sweetwater.com, samash.com, musiciansfriend.com plus a zillion other places sell Middle Atlantic Products (MAP) rack rails which are fairly inexpensive, and very thing, so the edges of your equipment are about 1/16" away from the wood edge. I built my producer's desk/synth rack this way, and it came out fairly nice.

I agree that steel rack rails are extremely durable if you intend to move gear around (I'm always buying, and selling on ebay so this survivability was important to me).

If you need a lot of rail length, or multiple rails and like the DIY method of doing even this... an old computer or relay rack works very well. Put a metal cutting blade into your table saw and start hacking away. Typically, a 8' relay rack (aluminum) sells for about $40-50 used, and for that price you get two 8' rails, which allows you to mount 42U single space units.

Cut 'em in half, fourths, 10ths, whatever floats your boat. Then, to be really stingy, cut them lengthwise and get four rails instead of two! Most computer/relay racks have threaded screws on the front, AND the back of the rails. This is because the rails are actually made of extruded "C" channel, rather than a simple angle iron.

My last home studio in connecticut was this way.... I took two aluminum relay racks and cut them lengthwise down the sides, giving me four racks, 42U a piece. Sad thing is, I still had a pile of gear on a piano bench. See, I used to have a "vintage gear" fetish, so I had to have one of everything 10+ years old. Of course I still have that fetish, I just spent a lot of time sampling those units before selling about half of them on e-bay.