DIY Rack:

Creamyapples1

Creamyapples1

www.murphycabs.com
I still need to stain it, ideally I would have done it before racking the gear but I'm just doing the outside and I'll get to it eventually.

Supplies:
2 - 6ft x 14in x 3/4 poplar boards
2 - 6ft x 2in x 1in pieces to use as "rails"
2 - 4in x 19in x 3/4 pieces screw in the middle of the top and bottom.
bag of wood screws.
Wood glue

Tools:
Drill with various bits and attachments.
screw driver
tape measure
Jig saw in case adjustment cuts need to be made on the fly
wood clamps




I optioned the 4x19 pieces rather than a full sized top and bottom to minimize weight and maximize airflow. Not that it matters too much but the gear mounted to the rails acts as support. Tops and bottoms aren't a necessity for me.

I glued the 6ft 2x1s 1/2 an inch from the front edge, clamped them in and ran a few wood screws up the length. I used a pair of wire cutters to cut the excess screw bits off on the inside.

Mounting was a breeze. Wiring....not so much.


IMG_0237.jpg
 
This looks classy; just stain it to match that desk, throw on a coat of poly, and you'll be all set. I can understand why you'd wait, though, if it's getting as cold there as it is here. So the gear's just screwed to the wood, right?

Oh, and the lava lamp's a nice touch.
 
How are things in Columbus? I'm a few hours south of you along the river and we had about 5 inches of snow this morning, nasty nasty cold and nasty!

I'm really liking the way this turned out. It's been a toss up. Move it outside to stain in the cold or do it in house and have to smell it for a few days. The thought of either makes me sad in the heart, so I'm waiting. No hurries here.


Yeah, the gear just screws right into the 2x1s glued/screwed along the front/inside edge. I used a measuring tape to measure from the top to make sure the edges on everything were even as I installed it. Once the rack is together just lie it down on the floor facing up, add your gear. Easiest thing I've done in a long time.
 
Creamyapples1 said:
How are things in Columbus? I'm a few hours south of you along the river and we had about 5 inches of snow this morning, nasty nasty cold and nasty!
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_Cold_. I put up some Christmas decorations this morning and had to keep going back in to un-numb my hands. Nothing too bad precipitation-wise, though. I think you're getting more of the storm than we are. We're just getting a little bit of snow this afternoon, so nothing really on the ground yet. Tomorrow will tell, though.

And yeah, I'd just wait until warmer weather to stain. If it's below freezing outside, the stuff's probably not going to dry right anyway, and you can't really ventilate properly without letting an awful lot of cold in. I don't see where you actually have to touch the cabinet so much, so you shouldn't have too much trouble uglying up the wood before then.
 
Agreed, I don't have to touch the gear much either. Just turn a few things on here and there and adjust a volume knob once in a while if I change sources.

I've throught of a couple points I'd like to make if anyone is wanting to venture out on their own and build one of these for themselves.

The depth of my rack is only about 14inches. For as tall as it is, this really isn't sufficient BUT my bottom piece is a 4u PC case that's 20 inches deep so it makes a good anchor. With a 120w Power amp sitting on top of it. It's not going anywhere, ever. I just wanted to point this out. I've also got a few of the TNC ACMP Series pres towards the bottom. These things are pretty massive. I'd advise keeping the heaviest gear towards the bottom and not mounting a Power Conditioner so high, unless you've got customplaced outlets. I can't move the rack very far with the top Power Cond. plugged in, is almost at tether sitting as it.

Like I said: Just a few thoughts that have come to me since I've actually put it all to use.
 
Great rack cabinet Creamy! Did you consider putting casters on it for easy moving/cleaning? And if you did consider it, why did you not use them? Should one not do that?

Since cleaning is one of my jobs, one of the first things I notice about any piece of furniture...how easy is it to move and care for?;)

And yah, all heavy gear should start at the bottom of a tower cabinet for sure...one could get bwain damaged bending over to dust if it the Cab is top heavy and they bump into it a bit too hard!


And if it were me, I'd go with the color the stain brought out in the wood grain on the speaker cab.(unless it is actually the stain shade of the desk and I just can't tell from the pick) Great contrast with flooring and the lighter wood of the speaker cab too. The desk seems to red. Sounds too nit picky doesn't it?:D
 
suprstar said:
I'd be afraid the screws would strip out and my gear would come crashing down! I'd feel 100x better with 2 or 3 sets of these:

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/?sku=549508
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when the 3inch woodscrews pop out of that wooden rail (they stick out about an inch on the backside) I'll have bigger worries than my gear being on the floor.

P.S. my build cost was less than two of those. (including the can of stain)
 
true-eurt said:
Great rack cabinet Creamy! Did you consider putting casters on it for easy moving/cleaning? And if you did consider it, why did you not use them? Should one not do that?

Since cleaning is one of my jobs, one of the first things I notice about any piece of furniture...how easy is it to move and care for?;)

And yah, all heavy gear should start at the bottom of a tower cabinet for sure...one could get bwain damaged bending over to dust if it the Cab is top heavy and they bump into it a bit too hard!


And if it were me, I'd go with the color the stain brought out in the wood grain on the speaker cab.(unless it is actually the stain shade of the desk and I just can't tell from the pick) Great contrast with flooring and the lighter wood of the speaker cab too. The desk seems to red. Sounds too nit picky doesn't it?:D
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Hi True#@$@#

Ya know.....I did actually think about casters...my thing was: because I used bracing on the bottom because you'll never see down there with gear in it. There wasn't enough material to solidly mount casters. What I did do was went to Big Lots and bought a furry welcome mat and cut it to the exact times of the bottom and sat the rack on that upsidedown (furryside down) piece. So it slides to and fro with ease.

Not too nitpicky at all, I'm in a rental right now so customizing colors and all of that jazz isn't real high on the priority list. Once I get into something more permanent I plan on actually making sure stuff matches, etc.

Merry Christmas True!
 
stevieb said:
Why does everybody HAVE to have a lava-lamp?
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I just happened to luck into this, my sister bought that Lava Lamp for me for Christmas when I was in the 7th grade. I always wondered the motive but apparently she knew that one day I'd be an aspiring home recording enthusiast!
 
:D
Dude-
Love the rack- I'm going to Lowe's tomorrow to buy the materials, but I think I may make a couple of small mods: I'm going to cut the rack to 1/2 size, so that I've actually got 2 smaller racks, & I'm going to mod both for casters for ease of use/mobility. Also, I'm thinking about integrating some cubbies for lava lamps of different colors to give it that cool 70's vibe!!!;) That ought to make for a couple of sweet racks. I think your initial design is awesome, thanks a ton for sharing!
P.:D
 
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