DIY Rack

Parts Express online sells inexpensive solid brass adjustable spikes made by Dayton Audio. I use them on my DYI rack with great success.

Eat lots of chicken for a big rack.

yes, I enjoy chicken. Jg thanks, I'll invetigate that one.

Peter

Hi Peter
Check out the pics on my system page. I made that rack myself from parts I found at Lowe's. I used glued boards instead of hardwood for its better vibration control, stained them black, and mounted them with plumbing parts. Believe it or not, I have galvanized nipples on my rack!

I get just as many positive comments from guests about my rack as I do my stereo. It wasn't as cheap as I thought it would be (about $250 for all materials) although it is large since I have it under my TV as well. It has some level adjustment since you can vary the extent to which you screw the flanges and nipples together.

Arthur

I like Aball's rack. I'm looking into one but intend to glue the MDF boards for double thickness.

Take a look at this thread. It is dedicated to DIY racks and stands. You should be able to get some good info here:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=24055

I just finished my stand this week. Haven't got everything set up yet but am pleased with the way it came out. Legs are solid Purpleheart and the rest is solid Qtr Swn Sapele (to match my Hales Rev 3 speakers). Have adjustable spikes for leveling and is extremely sturdy. Was a blast to make and not too expensive.

http://www.pbase.com/brandonrowe/audio_system

Brandon

Beautiful looking and (seemingly) simple to make. Great job Brandon!

What kind of joinery did you use to attach the rails to the legs?

Chris

Thanks Chris. It was fairly simple to make. I attached the rails to the legs by the lazy man's mortise and tenon. :-) Used the drill press and connected with 1" hardwood dowels. Very strong joint without the headache of cutting the M&T. Plus, my stock of 8/4 Sapele was limited at the time. However I did purchase some more 8/4 Qtr Swn Sapele yesterday for my next project. Going to make speaker platforms from the Sapele and then make some isolation blocks (to go between the speakers and the platform) out of some Ebony stock I have.

I'm really having fun with this 2-channel setup. It's my first so that makes it even more enjoyable.

Later,

Brandon

Hey there Brandon!

I like the looks of that rack! Very nice!

You made it yourself? I wish I had the skills to do that. It would be a blast. You have a wood shop at home? Wow!

I am in the process of designing one or more racks and I would like to use your basic design if I may. My rack(s) will be slightly different. They will not be separate units as your rack is but I am wanting the shelves to be adjustable. They will have casters so they can be moved around when necessary.

Question...Can this style of rack be sturdy/rigid if it has adjustable shelves?

Dave

Thanks Dave. I have a very understanding wife that lets me "park" my tools in the garage instead of her car! :-)

An adjustible shelf design would be quite useful as your system changes. As you eluded, the problem will be in making it sturdy enough to support the weight of your components and solid enough that it won't produce vibrations. To make it that sturdy and solid out of wood could be a challenge. I'm certain it could be done though it may not be easy. for adjustability I've seen folks use threaded rods and attach wooden or MDF platforms in between. Adjusting is as simple as moving a bolt.

How many shelves are you looking to have and what materials did you invision using?

Feel free to use any design I've used and I'd be happy to give any advise/assistance though I am by no means an expert.

Brandon

Great looking rack Brandon. But it looks like you did a better job on the young'un.

Yo Brandon!

Thanks for the reply and the advice. I appreciate it very much.

I am leaning towards a triple wide rack that will hold 9 components including a turntable. A 50-inch flat panel TV will be sitting on top. Using the threaded rod would be the easiest but that in itself looks a bit 'unfinished' to me. I can always cover the threaded rod with some tubing.

Yup, a concern with something that big is that it may not be too rigid. I do want the rack to be on casters so that it can be moved around and I do not want it to be flexing very much at all. I am not worried about vibration very much because my equipment is not high-dollar.

I was also thinking of having 2 separate racks. They would be easier to move around when necessary but they would end up taking more wall space. I only have 12 feet to work with.

I am seriously looking at Cocobolo wood. Beautiful grain patterns and a nice color to the wood itself. That wood has a serious drool factor! I have no idea if it can be purchased in thick dimensions that would be required for the legs/uprights. Koa is also at the top of my list. I have seen pictures of a few racks that are using 2-inch thick wood for the shelves. I really did not want to go that thick for the actual shelves.

Dave

Hi Brandon!

Hey, what are the dimensions of the uprights?

What thickness of wood are you using for the shelves?

I have been talking with a local woodworker about making a couple racks for me with a design similar to yours. I was thinking the uprights would be 2 x 2 and the shelf thickness would be 1 1/2. He said that 3/4 inch thick shelves would be plenty. He was also saying that the uprights do not have to be 2 x 2. At this point I cannot remember what dimension he was using for the uprights for the price quotes. Anyway...

Dave

Dave,

I can get the exact diminsions later if you need them but the legs are approx 2x2. the shelf supports are approx 1.5x2 and the shelf itself is approx 7/8". The shelves sit on and are attached to a 1x1 piece of sapele (that is attached to the supports between the legs). Both are attached using screws to minimize vibration. All are solid wood, the only glue-ups used were on the shelves where I had to join two boards to get the width needed. Hope this helps.

Brandon