Do-It-Yourself Studio Rack Basics
Building your own wood studio rack can be a fairly simple process if you can follow just a few basic guidelines during the project. First, your cuts need to be square. A studio rack is basically a "box" comprised of a top, a bottom, and two sides. Making square cuts ensures that you won't end up with a crooked studio rack...the equipment just won't fit properly if the sides tilt one way or the other. Always use some type of square when making your cuts (i.e.: a speed square, a carpenter's square, a drywall square, or a laser square). Second, your measurements MUST be precise.
Studio Rack Depth
Depth of your studio rack should be determined by the depth of the equipment in your arsenal. If your deepest piece is 9", you should add another 2-3" to allow for roughly 3/4" to 1" of recess in the front and some space for cabling in the back. You'd probably be safe to go with a 12" depth to accomodate gear as deep as 9". You may also want to take into consideration any future gear purchases...and build an even deeper rack to accomodate that equipment later on down the road.
Studio Rack Width
All rackmountable equipment measures 19" wide. But you'll want to add some "wiggle room" to this measurement so as not to cut it too close and make too tight a fit. As long as your width is at least 19" but no more than 19 3/16", the equipment should fit just fine. Most mounting faceplates have oval-shaped mounting holes that allow for these slight variances.
Studio Rack Height
All 19" rackmountable recording equipment height is measured in what is know as a "unit". A standard unit is 1.75" in height. Therefore, the amount of space needed to hold, for example, 8 rack units of equipment would be 14" (8u x 1.75" = 14"). As with the width measurement, you'll want to give yourself just some space above and below. Doing so will also allow just space for air to travel over and under your equipment, helping to keep it cool. To the height we'll add 1/4" or so (you can certainly add more if you'd like)
So, to build an 8-space studio rack, the interior measurements will need to be 14 1/4" in height and 19 3/16" in width. Start out by cutting the sides first based on the measurements above. Then, taking into consideration the width of the wood (usually 3/4") and the fact that the top and bottom pieces span "across" the 2 sides, precisely measure the width of the sides and add that measurement to the pre-determined interior width before cutting. If the wood stock is 3/4" thick, add 1 1/2" (3/4" x 2) to the 19 3/16" interior measurement for a total of 20 11/16" for the top and bottom pieces.
Studio Rack Assembly
If you're looking for a quick, easy way to assemble your studio rack that's simple, strong, and may even outlast your equipment, you might want to try pocket-hole construction. Pocket-hole joinery allows you to fasten two perpendicular pieces of wood together by drilling an angled hole in one. You then insert and tighten a self-tapping pocket-hole screw into the hole which essentially clamps and pulls the two pieces tightly together. Pocket-hole jigs are fairly inexpensive and surprisingly easy to use. If you're serious about building your own sturdy studio racks, a pocket-hole jig would be a worthy investment. And you'll find rather quickly that it can be used for scores of other projects....picture frames, cabinets, shelves, etc...
Studio Rack Hardware
You can add rubber feet, handles, or even wheels depending upon your needs, but really, the only essential hardware needed to complete your studio rack and make it functional is a pair of threaded steel rack rails. You can find them on the web at many popular online music retailers. Here's just one example: www.nice-racks.com.They can be screwed directly to the inside wall at the front of the rack, or you can choose to drill holes through the sides of the rack and permanently secure the rails with nuts and bolts.
Studio Rack Finishing
One of the benefits of building your own wood studio rack is that you can choose to paint it or you can stain it to match your decor...the possibilities are endless. You'll not only save a few bucks, but you'll gain satisfaction knowing that you made something by hand that is not only functional, but adds some personal character to your space.
Building your own wood studio rack can be a fairly simple process if you can follow just a few basic guidelines during the project. First, your cuts need to be square. A studio rack is basically a "box" comprised of a top, a bottom, and two sides. Making square cuts ensures that you won't end up with a crooked studio rack...the equipment just won't fit properly if the sides tilt one way or the other. Always use some type of square when making your cuts (i.e.: a speed square, a carpenter's square, a drywall square, or a laser square). Second, your measurements MUST be precise.
Studio Rack Depth
Depth of your studio rack should be determined by the depth of the equipment in your arsenal. If your deepest piece is 9", you should add another 2-3" to allow for roughly 3/4" to 1" of recess in the front and some space for cabling in the back. You'd probably be safe to go with a 12" depth to accomodate gear as deep as 9". You may also want to take into consideration any future gear purchases...and build an even deeper rack to accomodate that equipment later on down the road.
Studio Rack Width
All rackmountable equipment measures 19" wide. But you'll want to add some "wiggle room" to this measurement so as not to cut it too close and make too tight a fit. As long as your width is at least 19" but no more than 19 3/16", the equipment should fit just fine. Most mounting faceplates have oval-shaped mounting holes that allow for these slight variances.
Studio Rack Height
All 19" rackmountable recording equipment height is measured in what is know as a "unit". A standard unit is 1.75" in height. Therefore, the amount of space needed to hold, for example, 8 rack units of equipment would be 14" (8u x 1.75" = 14"). As with the width measurement, you'll want to give yourself just some space above and below. Doing so will also allow just space for air to travel over and under your equipment, helping to keep it cool. To the height we'll add 1/4" or so (you can certainly add more if you'd like)
So, to build an 8-space studio rack, the interior measurements will need to be 14 1/4" in height and 19 3/16" in width. Start out by cutting the sides first based on the measurements above. Then, taking into consideration the width of the wood (usually 3/4") and the fact that the top and bottom pieces span "across" the 2 sides, precisely measure the width of the sides and add that measurement to the pre-determined interior width before cutting. If the wood stock is 3/4" thick, add 1 1/2" (3/4" x 2) to the 19 3/16" interior measurement for a total of 20 11/16" for the top and bottom pieces.
Studio Rack AssemblyIf you're looking for a quick, easy way to assemble your studio rack that's simple, strong, and may even outlast your equipment, you might want to try pocket-hole construction. Pocket-hole joinery allows you to fasten two perpendicular pieces of wood together by drilling an angled hole in one. You then insert and tighten a self-tapping pocket-hole screw into the hole which essentially clamps and pulls the two pieces tightly together. Pocket-hole jigs are fairly inexpensive and surprisingly easy to use. If you're serious about building your own sturdy studio racks, a pocket-hole jig would be a worthy investment. And you'll find rather quickly that it can be used for scores of other projects....picture frames, cabinets, shelves, etc...
 | The Rocket Jig by Kreg Quick and easy professional quality pocket holes... |
Studio Rack HardwareYou can add rubber feet, handles, or even wheels depending upon your needs, but really, the only essential hardware needed to complete your studio rack and make it functional is a pair of threaded steel rack rails. You can find them on the web at many popular online music retailers. Here's just one example: www.nice-racks.com.They can be screwed directly to the inside wall at the front of the rack, or you can choose to drill holes through the sides of the rack and permanently secure the rails with nuts and bolts.
Studio Rack Finishing
One of the benefits of building your own wood studio rack is that you can choose to paint it or you can stain it to match your decor...the possibilities are endless. You'll not only save a few bucks, but you'll gain satisfaction knowing that you made something by hand that is not only functional, but adds some personal character to your space.
