DIY 1RU rack boxes (reinventing the wheel?)

I make all sorts of odds and sods in 1RU format - Audio distro amps, DMX splitters etc etc. Never enough of anything to make getting the local CNC metalbashers to make up app specific boxes. Trouble is all the off the shelf 1RU boxes are butt ugly or in some way inconvenient. Hence the search for the perfect box. It really boils down to the side extrusions - with a suitable extrusion, everything else can be done "on the flat". Went googling and came up empty. What I really want is something like this :

But it occurred to me that a zillion people must have trodden this path and to save myself a lot of tooling costs and minimum order run costs, does anyone know of any preexisting extrusion close to my requirements and available "off the shelf".
cheers
M

i don't understand.

I think what he's saying is that all the sides are simple to cut from flat sheet metal stock...but the side pieces that hold it all together are the difficult part, hence the little doohicky he's drawn.

Are the top and bottom slots to receive the top and bottom panels? If so, are you sure you want this? That means you would have to remove the front or back to slide the top off. Gack! Maybe a slot for the bottom is OK, but give me a top that is removable without any other disassembly. My 2c.

A P

These are the side pieces of the extrusion on end, he has shown, CJ.

Can I recomend adding an inside groove to slide a pc board into on each side?

Many pieces of gear get their primary structural strength from the side extrusions. And the load is coupled into the rack rails nicely. I like this. :thumb:

That means you would have to remove the front or back to slide the top off. Gack!

Click to expand...

You can undersize the backplate height and screw the top down with a few screws after its slid in.

[quote author="Larrchild"]
Can I recomend adding an inside groove to slide a pc board into on each side?
[/quote]
Thought about that, but in its present form one can give it a few quick swats with the dropsaw, a tidy up with the mill, then use the same extrusion for front and back panels as well (wouldn't want internal grooves messing up areas where connectors, pots etc are mounted).
cheers
M

Hello, you should look here: http://www.schroff.biz/
they have extruded side panels in their cases, at least in the ones
I have bought of their brand.

Willem.

Yeah, Schroff is very nice, but I really like your idea mobyd.
The side extrusions of the schroff cases have the holes (for attaching the front and back panel) a little more to the center (where you have 4mm schroff has 8mm). This makes it possible to remove both bottom and top cover plates withouth removing the back panel. The top cover plate just slides over the back panel, which is smaller in size (hight) as the front panel.

Penn Fabrications make something very similar to what you need:

http://www.penn-elcom.com/

Go to the MSB (Modular Stage Box) section - then look at the Frame extrusions - these come in several sizes, certainly including 1U and 2U versions.

They produce all the other parts also. Worth a look!

Not very expensive either........

JG

[quote author="AudioJohn"]Penn Fabrications make something very similar to what you need:

http://www.penn-elcom.com/

Go to the MSB (Modular Stage Box) section - then look at the Frame extrusions - these come in several sizes, certainly including 1U and 2U versions.
[/quote]

Thanks for that - Unfortunately their 1RU section violates one of my unstated design criteria (must be able to accept a unified XLR connector
[31mm high] from behind) but otherwise looks like useful stuff !
cheers
M

:shock: I don't see why it will not accept a unified XLR connector, I mean, these are side extrusions, it's up to u to make a backpanel. (which can easely be 31mm high, I think)
I think AudioJohn has found what you where looking for...

Having a Schroff 1U case, and 2 different Par-Metal 1U cases (series 10 and series 12) in front of me right now, I would have to say that the Par Metal Series 10 that we all love on this forum is the best.

Some people complain about the Lip on the top and bottom panels.

If you ask Par Metal nicely, the will make the case without that lip. it is there to give the unit rigid strength so the top and bottom do not Bow in, but i have not had a problem with that. They do offer a brace you can use in that case though... if needed


with the schoff case, one problem i have is the front panel, It is an Extrusion. and has lips...

another issue is that there is a very easily scratchable coating on the front panel. its not as robust as a plain Anodised panel.