More Rack Pictures

[frederic]

Excuse the poor photography, its done with the lamest digital camera on the planet.

Anyway, I ran out of rack space once I turned my console table around (some racks were in the way) so I'm building new ones with more vertical space to compress things.

Its neat using deck screws and cut up relay/computer racks

These are very similar to the older pictures I posted months ago, except there are lights in the room unlike before.

[frederic]

Here is the bottom half of the first rack. Above that will be 6U rails to give me additional space.

Being a "monkey" I have a hard time getting measurements right for whatever reason, so to space things right, I use a level across the top and two blank panels - and cheat by mounting them on the rails first, then mounting the rails to the 2x4's, then mounting the 2x4's on the sill and headers. To ensure good spacing, I mount the blank panels hard left and tighten the screws, then on the right mount them hard left also. This way there is a little space on both sides of the screwholes when I put the gear in.

and yes, its square. Go figure.

[frederic]

Here are a completed pair of racks. 18U on the bottom on the silvery rails and 6U on top with the black rails.

Like I said above its all square and plumb, even though I didn't measure anything really.

Instead of buying offical rack rails from MAP, Raxxas or any other company, I bought a few 19" wide by 84" high aluminum relay/computer racks on e-bay (or elsewhere), and chop them up.

Since there are threaded holes on the back of the rails as well as the front (U-Channel), I rip them lengthwise on my table saw using a carbide bit and viola... one 48U rack gives me two u-channels, cut lengthwise into two 48U L rack rails, which I then chop down further to the heights I need. I then drill the 18U and 6U sections every 5" down the mounting side (faced against the 2x4 studs) with 1/8" holes staggered, then zip in 1.5" deck screws. I'm sure this is not the right way to do it (bolts I'm sure would be better) but this is quick and dirty and works very well so far. The gear in the left rack is VERY heavy, and the rails are still attached solid. Yay to quality deck screws.

Once I build three more such racks, I have to unload all the equipment (yet again) and zip some outlet boxes on the backs of the 2x4's so that I power the gear and attach all these outlets to the same switch. Once its all wired, I'll have one switch for the computer stuff, monitoring system (which I use for the computer as well - makes gaming REAL nice), one switch for the console table and recorders (so I can mix recordings without powering up all the midi gear if I don't need to use it), and one switch for the racks I have pictured above (plus three more).

If any of you have an annoying slanted ceiling, don't hesitate to frame it out and put your rack mount gear in it... beats hitting your head on the ceiling and of course, your rack gear doesn't take up valuable space where you can actually stand.

I should take pictures of the vocal booth too - the framing is done over a stairwell, with the floor being "flip up" so one can walk up the stairs even though the vocal booth covers it.

I think I'm maximizing every inch out of this loft LOL

[Michael Jones]

Yeah, ok, pretty cool!
What's that little existing access door in the panneling back there? Hope you're not blocking off something you may need to get to later, like electrical or plumbing access??
Whats the sub flooring? is it concrete or wood?
Is any of that equipment resting directly on the floor?

Sorry, thats all the questions I could think up right now. Looks like it comming along bud!

[frederic]

What's that little existing access door in the panneling back there? Hope you're not blocking off something you may need to get to later, like electrical or plumbing access??

In the studio, there are two such doors. One larger, one smaller. These go to the attic space thats immediately behind this short wall. I debated not closing them up but then I realized I have nothing in there but newly installed A/C ducts so when I go central air I have the ductwork done. I have easy access from the bathroom next door. In fact, the door to this space is 4'x4' which is much nicer to climb through

I've also mounted a large autotransformer in the attic, mounting it on a small cement slab (2"). All around the transformer are 2' square asbestos tiles I recycled from the furnace room when I redid it. Since I can't toss asbestos into the trash, I figured I might as well re-use it. This is in case the transformer decides to go phoooof. It shouldn't because I'm not drawing anywhere near its limit.

Whats the sub flooring? is it concrete or wood?
Is any of that equipment resting directly on the floor?

I guess its hard to see, but the racks sit upon a 2x4 sill, so none of the equipment is sitting directly on the floor. I did this more for structural integrety than anything else.

Its an interesting loft - tongue and groove cedar panels on all walls and ceilings, stained with a yecky brownish pine color. The floors joists are 2x16's oak. And they really are 2x16, not the more modern slightly shorted variety. The subfloor on top of that are two 1" thick layers of plywood, and on top of that (what you see in the pictures) are really disgusting yellowed office tiles glued on.

Originally I was going to raise the floor by building a 2x4 grid to put wires and such, but with this new layout I only need to electrical and audio to the vocal booth, and everything else can sit (seperated) against the back wall you see in the picture in hangers (haven't mounted the hangers yet), so the A/C is seperated from the audio. Anyway, this allows me to not raise the floor. I have a 7' ceiling, so every bit of height works for me.

What I'm going to do now is scrape up all the office tiles (and cut them right in front of the racks) then lay down 1/4" of rubber then 3/4" of engineered dark mahogony tongue and groove floorboards. Improve the lighting, slap foam everywhere, and it will be tolerable.

Sorry, thats all the questions I could think up right now. Looks like it comming along bud!

Its coming along. I just need to stop changing my mind and finding "improvements" along the way. See my day job interferes with this, so there is often large amounts of time between major steps, which gives my brain time to re-engineer.

I should just take a week off work and just hammer it out.