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Here's How I Make My Equipment Racks

In response to a previous thread, here's how I make my
equipment racks:
List of equipment: 3/4" thick MDF cut to desired shelf
size
(4) 3/4" diameter 6' threaded steel rods
3/4" nuts and washers (8 per shelf)
Drill a 3/4" hole in the corner of each shelf in exactly the
same place. I do this by scribing a line with a square 1 1/2" inch in and using a nail set to punch a hole where the lines intersect. A drill press works great to drill the holes so they are all straight and true. Now that you have
a hole drilled in each corner of each shelf, simply screw
the whole thing together, adjusting each shelf to fit your
gear. Use a square to make sure your first shelf is straight, and measure each one likewise. If you do this
correctly, your rack will sit straight and level. If you
need to level it further, buy (4) 3/4 rod connectors, which
are about 3" high, and screw these into the bottom of the
rod and use them to level it. I paint the steel rod using
Krylon Industrial enamel (flat black looks best), and paint
the shelves to match your decor. This makes a very solid,
heavy audio rack. Total cost is about $40 for the steel
rod, $15 for the nuts and washers (about $1.00 a pound)
$20 for the MDF, and $5.00 worth of paint for a total under
$100. I've made several racks this way and have used the
same method to make CD racks.
Dave
Ag insider logo xs@2xdave43
piezo
304 posts
 
I'm one of those cheap flexi guys though i'd probably have used Ken's ideas as they look better and they would be definitely easier to work than a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" mdf. To help isolate the rods from the tables i used washers made from Dyno-Mat to go between the matal washers. I also placed sheets of Dynomat on the bottom of the MDF shelves. The rack versitility has been highly benificial as i have set it up 2 shelves wide, and three wide with varied height as home conditions dictate. Is it as good as the high dollar stuff? Don't know but it gives me a good excuse to try making DIY air suspension/mass loading isolation ala bright star. For isolation spikes try threaded field points for arrows (the cone shaped target ones not the razors hunting points.
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
I went to IKEA!

First and foremost, it is an incredible place to meet women!

You just look so innocent buying shelves and tables...

Back to the racks, the Lack end tables are $9.95 each and come in several colors. I chose the dark blue and found some loose shelves (white laminated mdf and some real wood, too!) in the 'As is' section. Also bought a very thick cutting board. Without installing any spikes the sound already improved on my Cambridge D300SE CDP (it's being fed to a Soundstream DAC-1). It's resting on one of the new wood boards with (3) Mappleshade Triple Point Cones under it and with the thick cutting board beneath supported by (4) Sound Quest Isol-Pads. Got a thick book on top of the player damped by a mouse pad. Awesome, indeed. Thanks, Ken.
Superb.
randy7241
2 posts
 
One thing I'm not clear on about the Ikea lyte design. What's to keep each shelf from accidentally slipping off the shelf below?

Unless I misunderstood the design, the legs of each shelf merely rest on the top of the shelf below. And while sharpened points in those legs might slightly embed themselves in that lower shelf, what's to prevent the errant elbow from knocking this rack apart?

Please understand that I'm not trying to be critical - the design sounds nice with a high WAF - but I don't want to take the chance of my equipment ending up on the floor. So, please tell me where I've misunderstood so I can go make one of these racks.

Thanks!
caterham1700
271 posts
 
I understand the concern but the device is actually much more stable and secure than you'd imagine.The spike will be inset from the edges a good 1-3/8" or so and the topsheet of the tables is quite soft.When you place even a moderate load,the spikes dig in pretty firmly and you have to push pretty hard to get any movement and would be dragging the spike tip across the veneer.In a typical Mana phased array, the clearances are closer to 1/2" and the spikes rest on a hard and fairly smooth formica.Unless you do a lot of "entertaining", practice for WWF tag team wrestling matches or train Labrador retrievers in your listening room,I say that the stacked IKEA is pretty secure.Certainly moreso than using rollerblocks or tall unsecured footers,etc under your components.

Best,
Ken
caterham1700
271 posts
 
more addendums-
If you're still worried about slippage/accidents, you can stick self adhesive felt pads(the kind used beneath knick-knacks and furniture) to the tabletops beneath the spikes for a little added security.I suppose you could even glue washers to the table corners with the spikes sitting in the resulting recesses.

Ken
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