Rack Mount Enclosures

frozen001 · 15th November 2011, 04:49 PM

Any one ever made a rack mount enclosure? I would rather not pay the $$ that these are going for on-line.

simon7000 · 15th November 2011, 06:20 PM

I make them all the time. My cost is under $5 for a 1 or 2 RU 1/8" aluminum panel and about $20 for a 2' x 4' sheet of .062 aluminum for the chassis. So not including the tools cost is around $25.

Digikey and Mouser sell Bud's CH-14401 rack mount chassis for under $50.

Of course the tools to build the case cost me well under $250,000. But I have used them enough to pay for the tools.

Enzo · 16th November 2011, 10:29 AM

In case I am confused, you mean the chassis for some project to be rack mounted? Or you mean the rack enclosure itself into which some project might be bolted. In other words a rack mounted thing, or the rack to mount things in?

Zero Cool · 16th November 2011, 10:57 AM

I have a bunch of 2ru boxes for sale cheap!

dangus · 1st December 2011, 06:17 AM

Middle Atlantic makes some relatively cheap but very solid rack-mount cases.

I've built a few things using Hammond aluminum or steel chassis boxes with a 19" blank rack plate bolted to the front. Not all that cheap, though.

For projects that can fit in a 1U cabinet, the best buy might be obsolete IT hardware like old ethernet hubs. You should be able to buy them by the pound from computer recyclers.

15th November 2011, 04:49 PM	#1
frozen001 diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2009	Rack Mount Enclosures Any one ever made a rack mount enclosure? I would rather not pay the $$ that these are going for on-line.

16th November 2011, 10:57 AM	#4
Zero Cool Audio Junkie diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: MN	I have a bunch of 2ru boxes for sale cheap! __________________ It's not about what you can BUY...It's about what you can BUILD!

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15th November 2011, 06:20 PM	#2
simon7000 diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Oakmont PA	I make them all the time. My cost is under $5 for a 1 or 2 RU 1/8" aluminum panel and about $20 for a 2' x 4' sheet of .062 aluminum for the chassis. So not including the tools cost is around $25. Digikey and Mouser sell Bud's CH-14401 rack mount chassis for under $50. Of course the tools to build the case cost me well under $250,000. But I have used them enough to pay for the tools.

16th November 2011, 10:29 AM	#3
Enzo diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lansing, Michigan	In case I am confused, you mean the chassis for some project to be rack mounted? Or you mean the rack enclosure itself into which some project might be bolted. In other words a rack mounted thing, or the rack to mount things in?

1st December 2011, 06:17 AM	#5
dangus diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Vancouver Island	Middle Atlantic makes some relatively cheap but very solid rack-mount cases. I've built a few things using Hammond aluminum or steel chassis boxes with a 19" blank rack plate bolted to the front. Not all that cheap, though. For projects that can fit in a 1U cabinet, the best buy might be obsolete IT hardware like old ethernet hubs. You should be able to buy them by the pound from computer recyclers.

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