what do you use to protect rack gear mounting holes?

[capacitor]

I'm racking up some stuff and want to keep from marring the front panel around the holes. I also wonder if I should electrically isolate the rack units from each other. Any suggestions would be welcome.

It would be great if there's something I can pick up at Lowe's/Home Depot/Ace Hardware, but I'm expecting the good stuff to be online. Just wondered what the good folks around here use?

 

[hodad]

I use nylon washers from the hardware store. Not terribly pretty, and not a perfect solution, but they do an okay job.

 

[john12ax7]

You can use rack iso washers.

 

[KA-Electonics.com]

https://www.redco.com/Rack-Screws/

 

[Brian Roth]

https://www.redco.com/Rack-Screws/

Amen. I especially like the rack screws with "captive" plastic washers. I know that here I have a "jar" of one or the other of these:

https://www.redco.com/Middle-Atlantic-HP.html
https://www.redco.com/Redco-100pc-Rack-Screws-w-Washers-10-32.html
I love that odd little "point" on the end of the screws.....makes starting the screw easy to insert into the rack rail vs a conventional 10-32.

One comment......when dealing with an old rack rail, a 10-32 tap is a must-have to "clear" tapped holes which have been messed up over decades.

Bri

 

[Gold]

A plastic washer will keep the faceplate from being marred. If you want to isolate a unit you will need nylon shoulder washers too.

 

[sodderboy]

Good rack screws come with nylon washers.
You can also use actual nylon screws. You can buy them black, or natural and dye them any color you like with RIT. Do not use in traveling racks, they will snap!
Nylon screws and shoulder washers are usually used in cases where equipment isolation is necessary, which used to be back in the "MIDI rack" days. My iso jar is a bit dusty these days. . .

My advice to clients is "do not use screw guns on the rack screws" and it is completely ignored to the point of naffed ears and stripped or cross-threaded rack rail holes. Oh fwell!, so is the way in the commercial world. Anyone here racking their own creations will be much more careful.
Mike

 

[capacitor]

Sorry for the delay in saying so, but many thanks for all the advice. I'm mounting some diy projects in a Mid Atlantic cabinet that didn't come with rack screws. Super helpful all around!

 

[Tubetec]

https://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_hall_humfrees_5635.htm