NOT ANOTHER DIY EQUIPMENT RACK!
I built this rack in about 1996 because I really needed a way to organize the equipment
in my system. Purchasing my Magneplanar MG 10s had necessitated going to a bi-
amped setup. This added an electronic crossover and a second amp to the equipment I
already had. I couldn’t get away any longer with stacking components on top of each
other or placing them side-by-side on my fireplace hearth.
I also needed 7 shelves and I couldn’t find, much less afford, any commercial rack with
this set up, at least at that time. Plus I had the tools, if not the skills, with which to make
a rack, and I enjoy doing things like this.
The flexibility this rack provides was the final factor. Within reason I can rearrange the
shelves as I replace or reorganize components. (As you can see, the Perpetual
Technology pair doesn’t take up near the room the Muse 2 did. I haven’t changed the
shelf height since the interconnects won’t reach if I do.) Click here to see the whole
rack.
I should point out, just prior to writing this, that I discovered another variation on this
style of rack on Positive Feedback’s web site (www.positive-feedback.com). (There may
be a bunch of others out there on the web, too. I haven’t gone looking for them.) The
article is found in issue #16 and is called, “A Simple and Effective DIY Rack,” by Ed
Morawski. I would recommend reading it. Mr. Morawski used acrylic sheets for his
shelves and it looks a lot better than the plywood I used. His shelves are 18 X 24
inches; mine are about 16 X 24. The only doubts I have about using acrylic are, first,
that it appears to sag in the photo showing the amplifier shelf; second, would heat affect
it (?); and, finally, while relatively cheap compared to commercial racks, it is still $23.57
a shelf. It looks great, though, and it might be worth making a hybrid rack using plywood
for some shelves, maybe the top and bottom, and acrylic for others.
I also found the Archetype Audio Stand 5.0 in the 2005 musicdirect catalog (www.
musicdirect.com). It uses threaded rod, is adjustable, and is very nice looking but is
only 5 shelves (if that is an issue) and costs $399 plus shipping. In audiophile terms, it’s
not expensive. Certainly worth thinking about also is adapting a piece of furniture.
By comparison, this rack cost about $65 when I built it and probably isn’t considerably
more expensive now. This rack weighs about 70 pounds empty, an estimated 140-150
with my equipment. (I picked it up while it was empty and got on my bathroom scale
backwards so I could read the display between my feet, and then subtracted my weight.
It’s really all about the science.)
I used ¾ inch plywood because it is: relatively light, quite strong, doesn’t sag, easy to
work and paint, and readily available.
Since I was going to paint my rack, I bought plywood with one good side known as BC.
Good here is a relative term, mainly in comparison to how bad the not-good side is. You
could obviously make a more attractive rack using a better grade of plywood.
PHILOSOPHY
I used what I consider the “Linn philosophy” here in choosing this material, to wit: while
plywood is lighter and can potentially resonate more readily at some frequencies than
denser materials, it will be less prone to store energy and then let it go at some
unpredictable time and at some unpredictable rate. Energy will dissipate easily and will
not build up to high levels. Controlling any vibrations these shelves might impart to the
equipment on them should, then, be (relatively) easy using simple anti-vibration
materials like Vibra Pods (www.vibrapod.com), cones, sorbothane pucks, bicycle inner
tubes, or other items designed/not designed for that purpose. I am not asking the rack
to be anti-resonant, as that is impossible. Rather just to provide a solid, stable, level
platform for the components. What sort of vibrations at what frequencies and at what-
sort-of-energy levels are actually getting to the components during the playback of
actual music in this particular room is something that virtually no one can ascertain for
certain. (Whew.) In our listening rooms it’s pretty much a guess as to what all is going
on vibrationally unless some obvious problem occurs, such as a component actually
buzzing or rattling along with the music, mistracking of a phono cartridge at loud
listening levels, or similar problems. Most problems will never be this obvious. These
non-obvious problems get solved via experimentation with devices like those just listed.
When we hear an improvement, we assume we negated a problem. Anyway, enough of
this. Can we build it? Probably!
DISCLAIMER
I am putting this information forth in the hope that it will be useful to others. If you
cannot follow my directions, don’t have the experience or tools needed, or will hurt
yourself or others, please don’t attempt it. Use this information at your own risk.
PLANNING
Get a tape measure and measure the height, width and depth of all your components.
Unless you have unusually large pieces of equipment—over 20 inches wide or 16
inches deep, the relevant measurement here will be the height. Make a sketch. How
many shelves do you need? How will your equipment be arranged/organized? What
gets hot and what shouldn’t be above it? Will your interconnects and speaker cables
still reach?
Shelves for this rack will be either 1½ inches thick or ¾ inch thick. Allow about 1-2
inches of additional clearance above non-amplifier components that generate minimal
heat. Allow at least 2 inches additional height above amplifiers and other hot
components, more, obviously, if you have something running in Class A all the time.
Also include the height of cones or other devices that go under the components.
Take the heights of the components themselves, the additional clearances you’ve
determined, the total thickness of the shelves, then add a couple of inches or so for
clearance under the bottom shelf and you have the overall height of the rack. You will
need 4 pieces of 5/8 or ¾ inch threaded rod of this length. Before buying the rod
consider these possibilities:
Are you planning on adding any equipment soon? Do you want to store CDs or records
in your rack? Make room for these items now. Do you want to make any floating
shelves? These are shelves that will not be bolted down but ride on some sort of
vibration damping material as noted above. I am using a floating shelf, for example, for
my DAC. Each floating shelf will add about two inches to the height, depending upon
what is used to float it.
My rack has eight shelves and is 48 inches high. I have three double thickness shelves
for the top, bottom and tube amp. I have one shelf that floats. This has worked well
over time. (The floating shelf does clear the rod although it may not look like it in the
photo. The shelf rides on a bicycle inner tube. No the hole’s not centered.) Click here
for photo.
TOOLS
In my house any project is a good excuse to buy more tools. I think this rack can be
built easily and accurately with the following items, depending on exactly how the
construction is approached. I am aiming this rather lengthy discussion at the person
who, possibly living in an apartment or condo, may have limited access to tools or a
place to work. It can still be done: read on.
· You may need a 7¼-inch circular saw with a decent blade. A 40-tooth carbide
blade is only about $5-6 and will minimize tear out when cutting plywood. It is possible
to get by with a good quality saber or jigsaw as well. It is also possible to get by without
any saw at all. You can have the home center cut the wood for you.
· You will need an electric drill for drilling holes in each shelf. A variable speed
model is ideal as it can also function as a screwdriver for making the double thickness
shelves.
· A couple of ¾ (or 7/8) inch wood boring bits, sometimes called spade bits, are
needed. Buy bits with cutting spurs, as they will do a better job. Also, get a 3/16-inch
twist drill bit, or slightly larger, for making pilot holes. I like the bits sold by Irwin under
the name Speedbor2000. (www.irwin.com) Can you find the Irwin sticker on Kurt
Busch’s car? I sure can’t. Click here for spade bit photo.
· Some 1¼-inch drywall screws, coarse thread, if you intend to make double
shelves. I think you should make at least the top and bottom shelves double thickness.
· Yellow woodworker’s glue, although white Elmer’s-type glue will also work fine.
· A couple of clamps.
· Eye and ear protection and a dust mask. Safety glasses and foam earplugs are
inexpensive. What would be more ironic than damaging your hearing making an audio
rack?
· A router with a round-over bit would be nice to have. An electric sander is also
nice. You can also hand sand.
· An adjustable wrench often-called a Crescent wrench, for tightening the nuts.
One is workable, two is better, or a couple of open-end wrenches of the appropriate size.
· Paint and wood filler or spackling.
· A vacuum cleaner.
· A level may be helpful.
MATERIALS—THE WOOD
A 4 X 8 foot sheet of plywood will make 12 shelves just under 24 inches wide and 16
inches deep, if cut fairly accurately. The problem for a lot of people is handling a full
sheet of plywood. How do you get it home? Do you need this many shelves anyway?
A lot of home centers have panel saws and will chop a sheet of plywood down to more
usable sizes for you at no or little charge. I use the word chop here intentionally as it
appears that these saws are never adjusted nor do they get new blades at any time
after the store first opens. You may or may not get a clean, accurate cut.
An alternative, at some additional cost, is to buy pre-cut 2 X 4 sheets of plywood. Each
of these sheets will make 3 shelves 24 by approximately 16 inches and will only require
two cuts. You could make these cuts yourself, with your circular saw or jigsaw, or have
it done at the home center. (Even a badly adjusted saw shouldn’t be off a lot in 24
inches.) If the home center does the cutting, you no longer even need a saw. You may
also only need two or three of these 2 X 4 sheets, depending upon the size of the rack
you are making. If you do any cutting yourself, wear your eye, ear, and dust
protection! Assuming that a 24-inch wide shelf works fine, now is the time to consider
whether you need any shelves deeper than 16 inches. You will need to decide how to
handle this extra depth: hang it out the back, stick it out the front, or average it over
both.
(I did some price checking while writing this since it has been a while since I built my
rack. As of April 2005, a 4 X 8 foot sheet of BC plywood was $28 at Lowe’s and a sheet
of cabinet grade was $43 with birch veneer. A 2 X 4 foot sheet of the cabinet grade was
$15. You do save if you can handle a full sheet but it’s not huge. Offsetting this
savings, to my mind, is that the smaller sheet handles more easily and provides you with
a lot more factory edges, making it easier to get nice, square shelves.)
MATERIALS—THE STEEL
I used 5/8 inch threaded rod for my rack and I think it is more than adequate. You may
prefer to use ¾ inch, which may be easier to find, if slightly more expensive. Whatever
you want. (Half inch is probably more than adequately strong but just looks too skinny.)
Most home centers, even some hardware stores, if you can find one any more, will stock
lengths of 3, 4, and sometimes 6 foot threaded rod as well as the nuts and washers.
Another source to check for these parts is in the yellow pages under “Bolts & Nuts” or
“Fasteners”. Most of these dealers can also cut the rod for you if the standard lengths
don’t work well. They won’t mess up the threads, or at least shouldn’t, and you should
get a nicer result than you would using a hacksaw on your own. These suppliers may
also be cheaper for the nuts and washers than the home center/hardware store. You
will need 8 of each per shelf. You may find it is more economical to buy a box of 100
nuts or washers than the 40, 64, or whatever you need, as the quantity price is a lot
lower. You can also buy what is called a “jam” nut, which is a half-height nut. These
look nice but are more expensive. Finishing the top of the rods with four acorn nuts is a
nice touch, depending upon price and availability. I did some quick checking at my local
hardware store for individual nut prices. A regular nut was $.35 and a jam nut was $.75
for 5/8-inch nuts. They also had a grade 8 nut which is overkill structurally but comes in
a nice gold color for $.75. Square nuts were $.95 but might look kind of cool as well.
Acorn nuts were about $1.25 each but you only need four. Washers cost $.35
individually. It’s definitely worth looking into buying these parts by the box. (Photo
compares a jam nut to regular nut.) Click here for jam nut comparison photo.
MAKING THE SHELVES
We will assume at this point that you have all your shelves cut to size. If you are making
double thickness shelves, you want to make them now. Match up pieces that are as
close in size as possible. This minimizes the sanding/trimming needed on the sides.
Use a generous amount of wood glue between the pieces and then, in what will be the
underside of the finished shelf, screw in some drywall screws to hold them together.
Once the glue sets, these will never come apart. Make sure you do not put the screws
anywhere near the corners where you will drill holes for the rods themselves. Clean up
any glue that squeezes out. Give the glue time to set.
You may want to drill some ventilation holes in any shelf supporting an amp or other hot
piece of equipment. I laid out a grid that would be concealed by my tube amp once it
was on the shelf. I drilled ½ -inch holes about two inches apart. I made the grid about 6
by 8 inches. This will entail some drilling.
Support the bottom side of the shelf with a backing board, i.e. some scrap wood/extra
shelf to prevent tear out where the drill comes through the shelf. You will also want to
do this when you drill the holes in the corners for the rods.
Since the shelves may vary slightly, find the one with the smallest width. It may only be
by a sixteen or eighth of an inch. Determine what will be the top and front. I would
recommend using the factory edge, i.e. the cut the factory made for you, as the front
edge. We want to put the worst side down and the worst edge at the back of the rack.
Carefully measure in from each side at the corner 1¼ inches and mark this point. This
is where you will drill the holes for the rod. Use an awl, small nail, or the point of a
drywall screw to indent this mark, and then drill through the shelf (or as deep as you
can) with a small drill bit such as the 3/16-inch. Keep the drill as perpendicular to the
shelf surface as you can. This hole will help guide the wood boring bit. You will use a ¾
inch drill bit for 5/8 rod or a 7/8-inch bit for ¾ inch rod. The slightly larger size of the bit
will provide some clearance for any holes that don’t end up exactly in the right spot
(See my floating shelf photo). Clamp the shelf down on its backing board to keep it from
moving while drilling it.
(Note: locating the hole 1¼ inches in from each side will leave an opening between the
rods of approximately 20 inches at the front and back using 5/8 inch threaded rod. This
opening will vary somewhat depending upon the thickness of the rod you use and the
actual width of the shelves you decide upon but should exceed 19 inches. I made my
shelves 23 inches wide and with 5/8th rod got openings of 19 7/8-inches,
approximately. A 24-inch shelf should have an opening of about 20 ¾ inches with 5/8
rod. Work this out for yourself once you know the shelf width, rod size, and opening
size you need. You can move the rod holes into the shelf farther, say 1½ inches from
each side, but I wouldn’t move them out any closer to the sides as the washers may end
up hanging over the edge of the shelf itself.) Click here for photo.
rilling these holes will generate a lot of dust and shavings. There may also be kick back
if you don’t keep the spade bit perpendicular. Be careful. Take your time. Wear your
eye, ear, and dust protection. Clean up as you go along.
You will use the first shelf you drilled as a template for drilling all the other shelves. This
is why you found the narrowest one. Doing this will also improve the accuracy of drilling
the remaining rod holes so that they line up when you assemble the rack.
Place the template shelf on the next shelf to be drilled having determined the top and
front of that shelf. You should also have your backing board(s) in place. Align the front
edges of the template shelf and the shelf to be cut. If there is any minor difference in
width, center the template shelf to compensate for this. Clamp everything together.
Carefully use the hole in the template shelf to guide the drill bit. Drill all four holes;
repeat for all of the remaining shelves. I have suggested having a couple of drill bits
available as you may find the bit dulls as you drill this many holes. Use a sharp bit and
don’t force it! You do not need to lean on the drill to make it cut. Just keep enough
pressure to maintain cutting. Vacuum frequently so you can see what you are doing.
You don’t want shavings or chips between the shelves as you drill. Don’t use your
dining room table as a bench.
FINISHING
Once the shelves are drilled you may want to consider rounding/beveling their edges if
you have access to a router. This looks nice. You can also ease the edges while
sanding if no router is available. You may find voids in the plywood and there may be
some tear out. Use the spackling or wood filler to fix these areas before sanding.
Once sanded, vacuum the shelves and use a tack cloth to get off the last of the sanding
dust. Prime and paint your shelves. A 4-inch wide foam roller that is absolutely great
for this kind of painting—quick, no brushstrokes, and a really even finish. Gloss black
polyurethane paint would really look sharp if you have a place to paint that is well
ventilated.
I spray painted the washers black to match the shelves and I think it looks nice. You
might consider painting the nuts as well. I am not sure painting the rod is worth it as you
may chip a lot of the paint off during assembly. If you go with a finish like flat or glossy
black, you can always spray the rods once the rack is assembled. I’m not Martha
Stewart; these are just some thoughts.
ASSEMBLY
Assembly is the tedious part. Start by running two nuts into roughly the middle of each
rod. I am starting in the middle; you don’t have to do it this way. If you start by installing
the top or bottom shelf, though, you will have to run the nuts for the next shelf all the
way up or down to that shelf. I think starting in the middle is much easier. You can kind
of spin the nuts on with the flat of your hand once you get the hang of it. Space the
nuts out roughly the distance between the shelves that will go in that part of the rack.
Install a washer from each end. You should have Washer-Nut-Open Space-Nut-
Washer. Slide on a shelf from each end bearing in mind which direction is the top,
which way is the front, and what type of shelf you want in that position, single or double
thickness. Refer to your sketch. Drop a washer on from each end, then run two more
nuts on from each end. You have roughly located two shelves.
Aside. I gave some serious thought to finding a way to run the nuts on using some
mechanized method. The problem is that you will spend more time coming up with the
method to save you time than it takes to just sit there and keep slapping the nuts onto
the rods. Console yourself with how much you are being paid every hour by making this
rack instead of buying it.
You will see the pattern as you go. If you have any floating shelves, make sure you
don’t forget them. Watch what you are doing. If it seems tedious spinning the nuts on,
just wait until you have to spin some of them off and then back on because you messed
up.
After you have two or three shelves roughly in place, firm one shelf up by finger
tightening the nuts holding it. Stand the rack up on a level surface, it may be kind of
floppy, and using a measuring tape along each leg, get one shelf the distance from the
bottom of the rack called for in your sketch. Make sure all four legs are sitting evenly on
the floor. Check this with a level if you have a truly level surface. Otherwise, measuring
works fine. When you are happy, tighten the nuts enough to start to give the rack some
rigidity. (You may need to loosen them back up if subsequent shelves don’t go on
easily.) You can now measure from this shelf to position any other shelves you have
started. With two or three shelves loosely tightened (an oxymoron?), keep installing the
other shelves until they are all on. Check their locations and, if you are happy, tighten
them down securely. Fine-tune the location of each shelf. You are done except for any
minor paint touch-up caused by the assembly process. Admire what you have
accomplished.
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
For bottom “feet” you can use a nut or two; or a bolt with a coupling as the Positive
Feedback article did, which also aids leveling; or you can find rubber tips made for
furniture or crutches (a good idea if you have hardwood floors); or you can use
nothing. The rack is probably better-anchored and more stable on carpet just using the
unfinished ends of the rods themselves.
I found some black foam pipe insulation and have used it to cover the steel rods. (It’s
the black stuff in the photo.) This insulation is made for ½ inch copper pipe. I’m not
sure if I totally like it or not but I’m sure it makes it sound a lot better.
I use some Velcro ties in back to dress the AC wires along the legs in an effort to isolate
them from the interconnects and keep things tidier. It would be nice if component
manufacturers agreed to put output and input jacks on, say, the left side of the unit and
the AC inputs on the right but I don’t see that happening.
Even though this isn’t the best looking rack on the planet, you do gain some sonic
benefits. For example, interconnects can be shorter, improving the sound, saving
money, and making it less of a mess in back. You may also achieve some degree of
isolation from room vibration. The primary benefit, though, is convenience.
Let me know if this has been helpful.
Kent Johnson
04/2005
I built this rack in about 1996 because I really needed a way to organize the equipment
in my system. Purchasing my Magneplanar MG 10s had necessitated going to a bi-
amped setup. This added an electronic crossover and a second amp to the equipment I
already had. I couldn’t get away any longer with stacking components on top of each
other or placing them side-by-side on my fireplace hearth.
I also needed 7 shelves and I couldn’t find, much less afford, any commercial rack with
this set up, at least at that time. Plus I had the tools, if not the skills, with which to make
a rack, and I enjoy doing things like this.
The flexibility this rack provides was the final factor. Within reason I can rearrange the
shelves as I replace or reorganize components. (As you can see, the Perpetual
Technology pair doesn’t take up near the room the Muse 2 did. I haven’t changed the
shelf height since the interconnects won’t reach if I do.) Click here to see the whole
rack.
I should point out, just prior to writing this, that I discovered another variation on this
style of rack on Positive Feedback’s web site (www.positive-feedback.com). (There may
be a bunch of others out there on the web, too. I haven’t gone looking for them.) The
article is found in issue #16 and is called, “A Simple and Effective DIY Rack,” by Ed
Morawski. I would recommend reading it. Mr. Morawski used acrylic sheets for his
shelves and it looks a lot better than the plywood I used. His shelves are 18 X 24
inches; mine are about 16 X 24. The only doubts I have about using acrylic are, first,
that it appears to sag in the photo showing the amplifier shelf; second, would heat affect
it (?); and, finally, while relatively cheap compared to commercial racks, it is still $23.57
a shelf. It looks great, though, and it might be worth making a hybrid rack using plywood
for some shelves, maybe the top and bottom, and acrylic for others.
I also found the Archetype Audio Stand 5.0 in the 2005 musicdirect catalog (www.
musicdirect.com). It uses threaded rod, is adjustable, and is very nice looking but is
only 5 shelves (if that is an issue) and costs $399 plus shipping. In audiophile terms, it’s
not expensive. Certainly worth thinking about also is adapting a piece of furniture.
By comparison, this rack cost about $65 when I built it and probably isn’t considerably
more expensive now. This rack weighs about 70 pounds empty, an estimated 140-150
with my equipment. (I picked it up while it was empty and got on my bathroom scale
backwards so I could read the display between my feet, and then subtracted my weight.
It’s really all about the science.)
I used ¾ inch plywood because it is: relatively light, quite strong, doesn’t sag, easy to
work and paint, and readily available.
Since I was going to paint my rack, I bought plywood with one good side known as BC.
Good here is a relative term, mainly in comparison to how bad the not-good side is. You
could obviously make a more attractive rack using a better grade of plywood.
PHILOSOPHY
I used what I consider the “Linn philosophy” here in choosing this material, to wit: while
plywood is lighter and can potentially resonate more readily at some frequencies than
denser materials, it will be less prone to store energy and then let it go at some
unpredictable time and at some unpredictable rate. Energy will dissipate easily and will
not build up to high levels. Controlling any vibrations these shelves might impart to the
equipment on them should, then, be (relatively) easy using simple anti-vibration
materials like Vibra Pods (www.vibrapod.com), cones, sorbothane pucks, bicycle inner
tubes, or other items designed/not designed for that purpose. I am not asking the rack
to be anti-resonant, as that is impossible. Rather just to provide a solid, stable, level
platform for the components. What sort of vibrations at what frequencies and at what-
sort-of-energy levels are actually getting to the components during the playback of
actual music in this particular room is something that virtually no one can ascertain for
certain. (Whew.) In our listening rooms it’s pretty much a guess as to what all is going
on vibrationally unless some obvious problem occurs, such as a component actually
buzzing or rattling along with the music, mistracking of a phono cartridge at loud
listening levels, or similar problems. Most problems will never be this obvious. These
non-obvious problems get solved via experimentation with devices like those just listed.
When we hear an improvement, we assume we negated a problem. Anyway, enough of
this. Can we build it? Probably!
DISCLAIMER
I am putting this information forth in the hope that it will be useful to others. If you
cannot follow my directions, don’t have the experience or tools needed, or will hurt
yourself or others, please don’t attempt it. Use this information at your own risk.
PLANNING
Get a tape measure and measure the height, width and depth of all your components.
Unless you have unusually large pieces of equipment—over 20 inches wide or 16
inches deep, the relevant measurement here will be the height. Make a sketch. How
many shelves do you need? How will your equipment be arranged/organized? What
gets hot and what shouldn’t be above it? Will your interconnects and speaker cables
still reach?
Shelves for this rack will be either 1½ inches thick or ¾ inch thick. Allow about 1-2
inches of additional clearance above non-amplifier components that generate minimal
heat. Allow at least 2 inches additional height above amplifiers and other hot
components, more, obviously, if you have something running in Class A all the time.
Also include the height of cones or other devices that go under the components.
Take the heights of the components themselves, the additional clearances you’ve
determined, the total thickness of the shelves, then add a couple of inches or so for
clearance under the bottom shelf and you have the overall height of the rack. You will
need 4 pieces of 5/8 or ¾ inch threaded rod of this length. Before buying the rod
consider these possibilities:
Are you planning on adding any equipment soon? Do you want to store CDs or records
in your rack? Make room for these items now. Do you want to make any floating
shelves? These are shelves that will not be bolted down but ride on some sort of
vibration damping material as noted above. I am using a floating shelf, for example, for
my DAC. Each floating shelf will add about two inches to the height, depending upon
what is used to float it.
My rack has eight shelves and is 48 inches high. I have three double thickness shelves
for the top, bottom and tube amp. I have one shelf that floats. This has worked well
over time. (The floating shelf does clear the rod although it may not look like it in the
photo. The shelf rides on a bicycle inner tube. No the hole’s not centered.) Click here
for photo.
TOOLS
In my house any project is a good excuse to buy more tools. I think this rack can be
built easily and accurately with the following items, depending on exactly how the
construction is approached. I am aiming this rather lengthy discussion at the person
who, possibly living in an apartment or condo, may have limited access to tools or a
place to work. It can still be done: read on.
· You may need a 7¼-inch circular saw with a decent blade. A 40-tooth carbide
blade is only about $5-6 and will minimize tear out when cutting plywood. It is possible
to get by with a good quality saber or jigsaw as well. It is also possible to get by without
any saw at all. You can have the home center cut the wood for you.
· You will need an electric drill for drilling holes in each shelf. A variable speed
model is ideal as it can also function as a screwdriver for making the double thickness
shelves.
· A couple of ¾ (or 7/8) inch wood boring bits, sometimes called spade bits, are
needed. Buy bits with cutting spurs, as they will do a better job. Also, get a 3/16-inch
twist drill bit, or slightly larger, for making pilot holes. I like the bits sold by Irwin under
the name Speedbor2000. (www.irwin.com) Can you find the Irwin sticker on Kurt
Busch’s car? I sure can’t. Click here for spade bit photo.
· Some 1¼-inch drywall screws, coarse thread, if you intend to make double
shelves. I think you should make at least the top and bottom shelves double thickness.
· Yellow woodworker’s glue, although white Elmer’s-type glue will also work fine.
· A couple of clamps.
· Eye and ear protection and a dust mask. Safety glasses and foam earplugs are
inexpensive. What would be more ironic than damaging your hearing making an audio
rack?
· A router with a round-over bit would be nice to have. An electric sander is also
nice. You can also hand sand.
· An adjustable wrench often-called a Crescent wrench, for tightening the nuts.
One is workable, two is better, or a couple of open-end wrenches of the appropriate size.
· Paint and wood filler or spackling.
· A vacuum cleaner.
· A level may be helpful.
MATERIALS—THE WOOD
A 4 X 8 foot sheet of plywood will make 12 shelves just under 24 inches wide and 16
inches deep, if cut fairly accurately. The problem for a lot of people is handling a full
sheet of plywood. How do you get it home? Do you need this many shelves anyway?
A lot of home centers have panel saws and will chop a sheet of plywood down to more
usable sizes for you at no or little charge. I use the word chop here intentionally as it
appears that these saws are never adjusted nor do they get new blades at any time
after the store first opens. You may or may not get a clean, accurate cut.
An alternative, at some additional cost, is to buy pre-cut 2 X 4 sheets of plywood. Each
of these sheets will make 3 shelves 24 by approximately 16 inches and will only require
two cuts. You could make these cuts yourself, with your circular saw or jigsaw, or have
it done at the home center. (Even a badly adjusted saw shouldn’t be off a lot in 24
inches.) If the home center does the cutting, you no longer even need a saw. You may
also only need two or three of these 2 X 4 sheets, depending upon the size of the rack
you are making. If you do any cutting yourself, wear your eye, ear, and dust
protection! Assuming that a 24-inch wide shelf works fine, now is the time to consider
whether you need any shelves deeper than 16 inches. You will need to decide how to
handle this extra depth: hang it out the back, stick it out the front, or average it over
both.
(I did some price checking while writing this since it has been a while since I built my
rack. As of April 2005, a 4 X 8 foot sheet of BC plywood was $28 at Lowe’s and a sheet
of cabinet grade was $43 with birch veneer. A 2 X 4 foot sheet of the cabinet grade was
$15. You do save if you can handle a full sheet but it’s not huge. Offsetting this
savings, to my mind, is that the smaller sheet handles more easily and provides you with
a lot more factory edges, making it easier to get nice, square shelves.)
MATERIALS—THE STEEL
I used 5/8 inch threaded rod for my rack and I think it is more than adequate. You may
prefer to use ¾ inch, which may be easier to find, if slightly more expensive. Whatever
you want. (Half inch is probably more than adequately strong but just looks too skinny.)
Most home centers, even some hardware stores, if you can find one any more, will stock
lengths of 3, 4, and sometimes 6 foot threaded rod as well as the nuts and washers.
Another source to check for these parts is in the yellow pages under “Bolts & Nuts” or
“Fasteners”. Most of these dealers can also cut the rod for you if the standard lengths
don’t work well. They won’t mess up the threads, or at least shouldn’t, and you should
get a nicer result than you would using a hacksaw on your own. These suppliers may
also be cheaper for the nuts and washers than the home center/hardware store. You
will need 8 of each per shelf. You may find it is more economical to buy a box of 100
nuts or washers than the 40, 64, or whatever you need, as the quantity price is a lot
lower. You can also buy what is called a “jam” nut, which is a half-height nut. These
look nice but are more expensive. Finishing the top of the rods with four acorn nuts is a
nice touch, depending upon price and availability. I did some quick checking at my local
hardware store for individual nut prices. A regular nut was $.35 and a jam nut was $.75
for 5/8-inch nuts. They also had a grade 8 nut which is overkill structurally but comes in
a nice gold color for $.75. Square nuts were $.95 but might look kind of cool as well.
Acorn nuts were about $1.25 each but you only need four. Washers cost $.35
individually. It’s definitely worth looking into buying these parts by the box. (Photo
compares a jam nut to regular nut.) Click here for jam nut comparison photo.
MAKING THE SHELVES
We will assume at this point that you have all your shelves cut to size. If you are making
double thickness shelves, you want to make them now. Match up pieces that are as
close in size as possible. This minimizes the sanding/trimming needed on the sides.
Use a generous amount of wood glue between the pieces and then, in what will be the
underside of the finished shelf, screw in some drywall screws to hold them together.
Once the glue sets, these will never come apart. Make sure you do not put the screws
anywhere near the corners where you will drill holes for the rods themselves. Clean up
any glue that squeezes out. Give the glue time to set.
You may want to drill some ventilation holes in any shelf supporting an amp or other hot
piece of equipment. I laid out a grid that would be concealed by my tube amp once it
was on the shelf. I drilled ½ -inch holes about two inches apart. I made the grid about 6
by 8 inches. This will entail some drilling.
Support the bottom side of the shelf with a backing board, i.e. some scrap wood/extra
shelf to prevent tear out where the drill comes through the shelf. You will also want to
do this when you drill the holes in the corners for the rods.
Since the shelves may vary slightly, find the one with the smallest width. It may only be
by a sixteen or eighth of an inch. Determine what will be the top and front. I would
recommend using the factory edge, i.e. the cut the factory made for you, as the front
edge. We want to put the worst side down and the worst edge at the back of the rack.
Carefully measure in from each side at the corner 1¼ inches and mark this point. This
is where you will drill the holes for the rod. Use an awl, small nail, or the point of a
drywall screw to indent this mark, and then drill through the shelf (or as deep as you
can) with a small drill bit such as the 3/16-inch. Keep the drill as perpendicular to the
shelf surface as you can. This hole will help guide the wood boring bit. You will use a ¾
inch drill bit for 5/8 rod or a 7/8-inch bit for ¾ inch rod. The slightly larger size of the bit
will provide some clearance for any holes that don’t end up exactly in the right spot
(See my floating shelf photo). Clamp the shelf down on its backing board to keep it from
moving while drilling it.
(Note: locating the hole 1¼ inches in from each side will leave an opening between the
rods of approximately 20 inches at the front and back using 5/8 inch threaded rod. This
opening will vary somewhat depending upon the thickness of the rod you use and the
actual width of the shelves you decide upon but should exceed 19 inches. I made my
shelves 23 inches wide and with 5/8th rod got openings of 19 7/8-inches,
approximately. A 24-inch shelf should have an opening of about 20 ¾ inches with 5/8
rod. Work this out for yourself once you know the shelf width, rod size, and opening
size you need. You can move the rod holes into the shelf farther, say 1½ inches from
each side, but I wouldn’t move them out any closer to the sides as the washers may end
up hanging over the edge of the shelf itself.) Click here for photo.
rilling these holes will generate a lot of dust and shavings. There may also be kick back
if you don’t keep the spade bit perpendicular. Be careful. Take your time. Wear your
eye, ear, and dust protection. Clean up as you go along.
You will use the first shelf you drilled as a template for drilling all the other shelves. This
is why you found the narrowest one. Doing this will also improve the accuracy of drilling
the remaining rod holes so that they line up when you assemble the rack.
Place the template shelf on the next shelf to be drilled having determined the top and
front of that shelf. You should also have your backing board(s) in place. Align the front
edges of the template shelf and the shelf to be cut. If there is any minor difference in
width, center the template shelf to compensate for this. Clamp everything together.
Carefully use the hole in the template shelf to guide the drill bit. Drill all four holes;
repeat for all of the remaining shelves. I have suggested having a couple of drill bits
available as you may find the bit dulls as you drill this many holes. Use a sharp bit and
don’t force it! You do not need to lean on the drill to make it cut. Just keep enough
pressure to maintain cutting. Vacuum frequently so you can see what you are doing.
You don’t want shavings or chips between the shelves as you drill. Don’t use your
dining room table as a bench.
FINISHING
Once the shelves are drilled you may want to consider rounding/beveling their edges if
you have access to a router. This looks nice. You can also ease the edges while
sanding if no router is available. You may find voids in the plywood and there may be
some tear out. Use the spackling or wood filler to fix these areas before sanding.
Once sanded, vacuum the shelves and use a tack cloth to get off the last of the sanding
dust. Prime and paint your shelves. A 4-inch wide foam roller that is absolutely great
for this kind of painting—quick, no brushstrokes, and a really even finish. Gloss black
polyurethane paint would really look sharp if you have a place to paint that is well
ventilated.
I spray painted the washers black to match the shelves and I think it looks nice. You
might consider painting the nuts as well. I am not sure painting the rod is worth it as you
may chip a lot of the paint off during assembly. If you go with a finish like flat or glossy
black, you can always spray the rods once the rack is assembled. I’m not Martha
Stewart; these are just some thoughts.
ASSEMBLY
Assembly is the tedious part. Start by running two nuts into roughly the middle of each
rod. I am starting in the middle; you don’t have to do it this way. If you start by installing
the top or bottom shelf, though, you will have to run the nuts for the next shelf all the
way up or down to that shelf. I think starting in the middle is much easier. You can kind
of spin the nuts on with the flat of your hand once you get the hang of it. Space the
nuts out roughly the distance between the shelves that will go in that part of the rack.
Install a washer from each end. You should have Washer-Nut-Open Space-Nut-
Washer. Slide on a shelf from each end bearing in mind which direction is the top,
which way is the front, and what type of shelf you want in that position, single or double
thickness. Refer to your sketch. Drop a washer on from each end, then run two more
nuts on from each end. You have roughly located two shelves.
Aside. I gave some serious thought to finding a way to run the nuts on using some
mechanized method. The problem is that you will spend more time coming up with the
method to save you time than it takes to just sit there and keep slapping the nuts onto
the rods. Console yourself with how much you are being paid every hour by making this
rack instead of buying it.
You will see the pattern as you go. If you have any floating shelves, make sure you
don’t forget them. Watch what you are doing. If it seems tedious spinning the nuts on,
just wait until you have to spin some of them off and then back on because you messed
up.
After you have two or three shelves roughly in place, firm one shelf up by finger
tightening the nuts holding it. Stand the rack up on a level surface, it may be kind of
floppy, and using a measuring tape along each leg, get one shelf the distance from the
bottom of the rack called for in your sketch. Make sure all four legs are sitting evenly on
the floor. Check this with a level if you have a truly level surface. Otherwise, measuring
works fine. When you are happy, tighten the nuts enough to start to give the rack some
rigidity. (You may need to loosen them back up if subsequent shelves don’t go on
easily.) You can now measure from this shelf to position any other shelves you have
started. With two or three shelves loosely tightened (an oxymoron?), keep installing the
other shelves until they are all on. Check their locations and, if you are happy, tighten
them down securely. Fine-tune the location of each shelf. You are done except for any
minor paint touch-up caused by the assembly process. Admire what you have
accomplished.
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
For bottom “feet” you can use a nut or two; or a bolt with a coupling as the Positive
Feedback article did, which also aids leveling; or you can find rubber tips made for
furniture or crutches (a good idea if you have hardwood floors); or you can use
nothing. The rack is probably better-anchored and more stable on carpet just using the
unfinished ends of the rods themselves.
I found some black foam pipe insulation and have used it to cover the steel rods. (It’s
the black stuff in the photo.) This insulation is made for ½ inch copper pipe. I’m not
sure if I totally like it or not but I’m sure it makes it sound a lot better.
I use some Velcro ties in back to dress the AC wires along the legs in an effort to isolate
them from the interconnects and keep things tidier. It would be nice if component
manufacturers agreed to put output and input jacks on, say, the left side of the unit and
the AC inputs on the right but I don’t see that happening.
Even though this isn’t the best looking rack on the planet, you do gain some sonic
benefits. For example, interconnects can be shorter, improving the sound, saving
money, and making it less of a mess in back. You may also achieve some degree of
isolation from room vibration. The primary benefit, though, is convenience.
Let me know if this has been helpful.
Kent Johnson
04/2005
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