DIY rack enclosure extrusion

[shaggy]

It's a conspiracy against us tin bashers, I tell you! 8>]

Joe at Isel is sending me an invoice tomorrow. He said their dimensions are based on Euro standards. Fine, some sizes simply won't work, others I can adapt to.

Given still-current 1-3/4" rack unit increments, this sort of creeping metrification (while simultaneously deleting or simply no longer catering for the traditional standard) seems like another part of the conspiracy (only partly kidding).

 

[ruffrecords]

Fischer Elektronik do an extruded case with a slide in top panel:



They also do a couple of profiles similar to the Isel ones but they only seem to be supplied with one particular enclosure:



Cheers

Ian

 

[scott2000]

Isel Extrusions (see link in post above) makes two sizes of side extrusion, w/ heights of 42mm and 56mm. (The 42mm would be probably suitable for sides of a 1U high rack enclosure.)

For 2U and higher enclosures they make two types of corner extrusion material, to which side and top panels can be attached..

I have a tube of a couple of sticks of this stuff from years ago..I remember testing it with some sheets and it seemed to be good. Just never got around to using it.. Guess I need to look into it more....seem to remember it taking a bigger sheet but I can't recall....
https://www.isel-us.com/enclosure-profiles/16x16x1000-extrusion-enclosure-corner-profile

they were $16.50 each in 2021
Shipping was $26 and change to me...

here was my contact but it was years ago
Best regards,
George Klein,
Isel USA Inc,
69 Bloomingdale Rd
Hicksville, NY 11801
[email protected]
P: 516-595-7497
F: 516-595-7498

 

[shaggy]

I have a tube of a couple of sticks of this stuff from years ago..I remember testing it with some sheets and it seemed to be good. Just never got around to using it.. Guess I need to look into it more....seem to remember it taking a bigger sheet but I can't recall....
https://www.isel-us.com/enclosure-profiles/16x16x1000-extrusion-enclosure-corner-profile

they were $16.50 each in 2021
Shipping was $26 and change to me...

here was my contact but it was years ago
Best regards,
George Klein,
Isel USA Inc,
69 Bloomingdale Rd
Hicksville, NY 11801
[email protected]
P: 516-595-7497
F: 516-595-7498

Same name is on their website, but I spoke to a Joe Griffin, nice bloke. Phone number is almost the same except the last four digits are -7495. You can cut that extrusion to length (slowly and carefully) in a cheap mitre/chop saw with a carbide tipped blade. Panels slide in and are mostly flat with maybe one bend in front for stiffness, very easy to do.

 

[scott2000]

I spoke to a Joe Griffin, nice bloke

it looks like he was Cc: on a couple of the correspondence..
Yeah I picked up an old Sescom monitor deal with the little speaker that was made using these types of extrusions and had to make one myself....
Of course after the Sescom became something else..lol
maybe one day I'll get to it....

 

[shaggy]

I just received a quote from Isel. While the cost of the extrusion itself is reasonable (~$25/meter for side extrusion, ~$15/meter for corner extrusion) the quoted shipping fee ($49 UPS, US coast-to-coast, for 3x 1 meter lengths) is a deal-breaker for me. I might see if they'll negotiate on the shipping, or more likely just continue to look for a West Coast source of similar material.

 

[Disco Volante]

Comments?
Ideas?
Suggestions?

Luc

Quite a good selection of options in this thread. Great!
Should you decide to go forward with your local guy anyway:

I am quite proficient with FreeCAD, and still mainly using pencil and paper in my small machine shop.
Provided a picture of a good pencil-sketch with measurements (preferably metric) I'd be happy to help you translate it into a dxf.
PM me if you need help.
Cheers, V!

 

[scott2000]

~$25/meter for side extrusion, ~$15/meter for corner extrusion

I'm not clear what you are making but wouldn't just the corner extrusion allow making a standard enclosure? side panels could be screws.. I need to look again.

 

[MidnightArrakis]

I just received a quote from Isel. While the cost of the extrusion itself is reasonable (~$25/meter for side extrusion, ~$15/meter for corner extrusion) the quoted shipping fee ($49 UPS, US coast-to-coast, for 3x 1 meter lengths) is a deal-breaker for me. I might see if they'll negotiate on the shipping, or more likely just continue to look for a West Coast source of similar material.

[$49 UPS, US coast-to-coast, 3x 1 meter lengths) is a deal-breaker for me] -- Ask ISEL if they are able to provide you with "cut-to-length" segments to whatever dimension that you need of their 1-meter lengths. If so, then that way, they could simply ship you a box full of small parts, instead of a "hard-to-deal-with" 3-foot long piece of metal, which would also be a bit much to wrap-up.

I once had a short stint working on a UPS "sorting belt" at one of their Processing Centers here where I live. I can tell you from what I have personally seen of what it takes to very quickly grab and sort the umpteen-zillion items coming down the sorting belt, a 3-foot long "whatever" (even if it is small in its height and width), will "gum-up" the sorting facility -- AND -- the personnel!!! But, a "normally-sized" box containing a bunch of your pre-cut segments can be handled and sorted with ease!!! Check it out!!!

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[scott2000]

would be interesting to hear how this option would differ. How much would Peter be robbed to pay Paul if it were.
If I can convince someone here to take this tube I have to the P.O., I'll see what it costs to trek across this great land.

 

[MidnightArrakis]

From what little I know about shipping stuff.....I have been informed by "those who know".....that the shipping cost isn't so much by "how much it weighs" (although that -- IS -- a consideration), but by a combination of "how much space or "volume of space" an item takes up and how easy is it to be "handled". As an example, you could have a box that is 3' X 3' X 3' filled with those white shipping "peanuts" that weighs almost nothing, and it will probably cost you more to ship that to a destination than it would to ship a small box containing a brick!!! The reason???.....That huge weightless box is way more difficult to "handle", while also taking up a huge amount of "space" in the truck, than a little box that has a fair amount of "heft" to it!!! Do you see the point here???

The GroupDIY link below will provide you with a few examples of my sheet-metal design work.....should you need any assistance:

https://groupdiy.com/threads/metal-work-for-500-series.89714/post-1185078

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[scott2000]

that the shipping cost isn't so much by "how much it weighs" (although that -- IS -- a consideration), but by a combination of "how much space or "volume of space" an item takes up and how easy is it to be "handled".

agree 100%. Just curious if there would be added costs of cutting them down..etc... the handling part of the sender's S&H is usually handling regardless as well. Paying someone to wrap and box..label....
I don't even want to make the 20 mile round trip to my local P.O. most of the time when handling stuff on my own......has to be convenient along with other reasons for being in the area.... Got a gas hog for a truck.... it's always busy there and waiting in line can take time.....an hour out of my life.....etc..but that's diy logistics...

 

[shaggy]

There'd certainly be a cutting charge, but also, in my case I'd prefer the uncut piece, as I don't know exactly what length(s) I'm going to need in future. I might make a guess if the cost-saving was worthwhile.
Yes, as an ex-ebay seller, I can say that shipping bulky items across the US is/was always a huge stumbling block. On the other hand, you could ship a small or medium flat-rate USPS Priority box full of steel or cast iron for the same price as polystyrene foam, as long as it was under max. weight (45 or 50 lbs, as I recall.

 

[shaggy]

I'm not clear what you are making but wouldn't just the corner extrusion allow making a standard enclosure? side panels could be screws.. I need to look again.

One-piece full height side extrusions offer simpler and sturdier construction, with no need for additional side panels. Unfortunately the Isel side extrusions come only in two rather small sizes, so have limited usefulness. In this case (no pun intended) their corner sections are the only option for making larger enclosures.

 

[MidnightArrakis]

Is there some sort of conspiracy, or is it just a lack of commercial interest, in the supply of this type (pic below) of aluminium extruded side rail? Purchase by the foot, and cut to length. 4 holes each in front and rear panels, 8 self-tapping screws, then flat top and bottom panels slide right in. Anybody here with only basic tools could make a professional-looking enclosure. This construction has been used by certain test equipment manufacturers for decades, and is easily the simplest and quickest way to DIY a professional-looking enclosure. Yet I haven't found the stuff readily available anywhere online, and could only obtain it by cannibalising old /surplus equipment.

PS - Your link to Isel Extrusions gives me some hope, and I'm checking w/ them..

[Your link to Isel Extrusions gives me some hope] -- Of course, I have no idea of what your CAD-design capabilities are, but if you share with me what the dimensions (i.e., H x W x D) need to be, I "may" be able to further assist you with your DIY endeavor, as sometime later on during this coming week, ISEL will (supposedly) be providing me with some of their specific CAD-design files of their aluminum extrusions. What this means is.....once I obtain these CAD-files and I import them into my SolidWorks CAD-modeling program, I could then modify them to whatever W x D dimensions that you are looking for. How does THAT sound to you?

In addition, some of these CAD-design files I am (supposedly) to be receiving will also be of their front- and rear-panels. So, knowing what components that you wish to be placed onto each panel will then allow me to determine both what size hole cutouts to include, as well as exactly where they need to be also placed!!! YA-A-A-AY!!!.....

Not only that, but the image that you see below is from my importing a "Protocase" aluminum extrusion template CAD-file into my SolidWorks program. Again, since it is necessary to first select the Height of an extrusion and then input the Width and Depth dimensions in order to have an extrusion template generated that I can then import into SolidWorks, I need to have all of your basic mechanical detail dimensions so I can create something for you to use.

An-n-n-n-n-nd.....to anyone reading this response posting of mine who is also actively involved with 3D-printing, I am also able to export an -- STL -- file of all of this, so you can then feed this same data into your 3D-printer!!!



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