Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4253
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
#952556 - 10/11/11 02:31 PM
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Hi All,
Any recommendations for suppliers of rack enclosures in the UK/EU? I
don't want plastic, and I don't particularly want to pay a great deal, but I do want it to
feel solid. Yes, I know, you get what you pay for... but seriously, any
links/recommendations would be welcome.
There was a thread on this site ages
ago (maybe 2 years??) that recommended a company in Italy, that made kits for rather nice
looking enclosures for £30-40, which would be perfect... but I'll be damned if I can find
the thread or remember the name of the company!
Cheers,
M.
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. . . Delete This
Here be Dragons
Joined: 23/06/08
Posts: 3888
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952564 - 10/11/11 03:02 PM
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www.studioracks.co.ukgood stuff, well made, in the uk.....
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. . . Delete This
Here be Dragons
Joined: 23/06/08
Posts: 3888
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oops, just clicked, you probably mean the equipment casing rather than a rack itself...
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Martin Walker
Watcher Of The Skies
Joined: 28/02/01
Posts: 16375
Loc: Cornwall, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952607 - 10/11/11 05:53 PM
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I haven’t come across any cheap aluminium rack enclosures myself, and certainly not in
the £30-£40 range, so I’m interested to see what others suggest.
However,
if you’ve already got a rack to fit it into, one fairly cheap approach that nevertheless
would work well from an electronic point of view is to build your circuit into a diecast
aluminium box, and then bolt that to a blank rack front panel - no-one would know once it
was bolted into the rack, since you’d simply see the beautiful front panel 
This is the approach taken by a host of DIY modular synth builders 
Martin
-------------------- YewTreeMagic
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Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4253
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Quote Off duty BBQ lighter AKA Idris:
oops, just clicked, you probably mean the equipment casing rather than a rack
itself...
Thanks
ODBBQLAKAI... I did indeed mean the actual cases. I've already got a decent old Ominrax
desk/racking system. Just want to make more stuff to put in it 
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Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4253
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952618 - 10/11/11 06:08 PM
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Thanks Martin, Yes, I'd thought about that approach. Not keen though. *I'd*
know, you see? Oh well, sheet aluminium (yes Mr Forum Splellchcecker, that's
right... it's A-L-U-M-I-N-I-U-M!!!) is cheap enough. Maybe I'll just brush up on my
metalworking skills while I'm at it. It's a pretty trivial job, so I s'pose if I'm going
the DIY route, I might as well go the whole hog! A pretty front panel might be more
involved though!
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dmills
Joined: 25/08/06
Posts: 2129
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952664 - 10/11/11 09:30 PM
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I like the stuff from Holt Broadcast for this, particularly the allex and allex EMC
ranges, slightly more money, especially if you want the 3U one, but the EMC range are
lovely. The Italian company may be www.hifi2000.it who do various rack cases with or without heatsinks
built in, but I do not really rate the quality. For small things, I second the
notion of a diecast box screwed to the back of a panel. Regards, Dan.
-------------------- Audiophiles use phono leads because they are unbalanced people!
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Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4253
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: dmills]
#952669 - 10/11/11 10:16 PM
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Yes, it was the modushop.biz web site I'd had in mind. Prices have risen a bit since I
last saw, but not so much as elsewhere.
I'd seen the 1U racks there. What's
the issue with them... I mean, as long as they're rigid and the front panels are nicely
machined and the bends are genuine right angles... how can you get something like this
*wrong*?(!)
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dmills
Joined: 25/08/06
Posts: 2129
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952681 - 10/11/11 10:49 PM
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Self tapping screws instead of proper press in sheet metal nuts, non conductive powder
coating on mating surfaces (EMC problem and makes ensuring everything is earthed a pain),
sharp edges where the press has cut things, and at least in my case I had a few holes that
did not line up well.
The steel is also a bit on the thin side, fine once
assembled, but a bit flexible when you strip the case down.
Cheap? Sure, but
IMHO it shows a bit in the fit and finish.
Good enough for a prototype while
you are still deciding on the layout and will end up with all sorts of 'spare' holes (And
I have used them for this), but IMHO not for a quality production unit.
Regards, Dan.
--------------------
Audiophiles use phono leads because they are unbalanced people!
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SiriusBlack
Joined: 20/01/06
Posts: 98
Loc: UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952682 - 10/11/11 10:51 PM
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I used this guy's suggestion and made a couple http://www.ikeahackers.net/2007/09/hack-bedside-tables-into-music-studio.h
tmlI think it was £7.99 for ikea bedside table and about £10 for rack
rails and screws :-)
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Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4253
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: SiriusBlack]
#952687 - 10/11/11 11:16 PM
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Quote SiriusBlack:
I used this
guy's suggestion and made a couple http://www.ikeahackers.net/2007/09/hack-bedside-tables-into-music-studio.h
tml
I think it was £7.99 for ikea bedside table and about £10 for rack
rails and screws :-)
LOL...
thanks for the tip, but it's the metal cases that the electronics sits inside that I
want... ie the things that you put in those racks that you've made. I've got plenty of
racking, I just need more stuff to put inside them 
Useful tip for others though...
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nathanscribe
Joined: 19/01/07
Posts: 716
Loc: Yorkshire, by gum.
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952690 - 10/11/11 11:19 PM
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Farnell sell 'em in different U and depths. The smaller ones aren't far above your budget
I think.
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grab
Joined: 08/07/07
Posts: 2626
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952749 - 11/11/11 11:06 AM
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Penn-Elcom (aka Penn Fabrication) are another. Mostly they sell to middlemen though.
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Frank Eleveld
Joined: 30/08/04
Posts: 3767
Loc: NL
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952750 - 11/11/11 11:07 AM
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A few years ago a small Austrialian company (can't seem to find the link anymore) had very
high quality enclosures available. Fully modular, well-made and properly shielded against
EMC... But their products were frightingly expensive - a complete 19" kit was about 200
AUD plus shipping.
I seriously considered getting one of these enclosures for
the Green MicPre I was building at the time, but ultimately decided the price was too
high.
Cheers,
Frank
--------------------
Imagination is more important than knowledge - A. Einstein
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benniferj
Joined: 11/06/07
Posts: 267
Loc: Camberley, Surrey, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952802 - 11/11/11 02:08 PM
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Bryant Broadcast are fantastic for this sort of thing, including wallboxes, stageboxes,
connectors, components etc. This is what I think you're after. Lots of
different sizes and colours. http://www.bryant-unlimited.co.uk/iqs/cpti.651/dbitemid.361/sfa.view/racks
_and_accessories.html
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Folderol
Joined: 15/11/08
Posts: 2544
Loc: Rochester, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952859 - 11/11/11 06:54 PM
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Mmm. They look very smart - tempted to buy one even though I don't need one at the moment
-------------------- It wasn't me!
(Well, actually, it probably was)
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~Paul
Joined: 01/09/04
Posts: 1793
Loc: South Herts/North London
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#952896 - 11/11/11 11:17 PM
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Yes, I posted the modushop one in a thread quite a while back. I used one of their cases
for my Hypex amp build.
Perhaps not the cheapest, but the quality is very good. So
its a decent enough deal for what you get.
Maplins do really cheap ones.. But they
look pretty naff. And someone on here said they were not all that either..
--------------------
Paul
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Paradigm X
member
Joined: 25/01/04
Posts: 260
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#953320 - 14/11/11 04:34 PM
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http://www.esr.co.uk/electronics/products/frame_rack.htmAre cheap... meant to be good, not used/seen personally tho tbh.
-------------------- http://www.paradigmx.com
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nathanscribe
Joined: 19/01/07
Posts: 716
Loc: Yorkshire, by gum.
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Paradigm X]
#953334 - 14/11/11 05:08 PM
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ESR are a decent, friendly place - but those racks look like the same ones Maplin have,
and those are not great. Their one advantage is they're cheap, but I wouldn't recommend
them and I won't be buying another. Awkward to work, and the fixings are a bit naff.
I've had other things from ESR though, and have always enjoyed good service, so
don't let my above comment put anyone off ordering from them.
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Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4253
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: nathanscribe]
#956370 - 30/11/11 12:07 PM
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Slightly off-topic from my initial post, but I stumbled across this site, offering
enclosures with front panels for many of the available DIY designs: DIY
Racked Thought it worth adding to this thread....
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Martin Walker
Watcher Of The Skies
Joined: 28/02/01
Posts: 16375
Loc: Cornwall, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#956393 - 30/11/11 01:39 PM
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Excellent find Mixedup! Thanks for the link Martin
-------------------- YewTreeMagic
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sdracer77
Joined: 18/12/11
Posts: 1
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: Mixedup]
#959561 - 18/12/11 08:32 PM
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i've been using this company for my network cabinets and panels for school they
cover a range of audio panels and cases that might help you. found them on ebay they also
have their own website Allmetalparts http://www.allmetalparts.co.uk
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Martin Walker
Watcher Of The Skies
Joined: 28/02/01
Posts: 16375
Loc: Cornwall, UK
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Re: 19" Rack enclosures... can't find thread...
[Re: sdracer77]
#959690 - 19/12/11 03:41 PM
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Hi Steve, and welcome to the SOS Forums!
Thanks also for that excellent link/resource - I might well end up buying some blank
aluminium front panels from them at those bargain prices (so may companies only supply
them in steel, which is much harder to drill for DIY projects).
The other
rack sizes and accessories also seem good value 
Martin
-------------------- YewTreeMagic
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