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So I decided to build another audio rack


314carpenter

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These ideas always seem to start out simple. Then over time as things progress I decide to add more and more time effort and money into the original basic plan I started with. With this build I had some oak boards left over that I wanted to use up, some 1 3/4" x 18" oak, some casters that could be salvaged for the build, some finish products and various supplies. Well. I am using some of that, however I stuffed another $400 into the build so far and I still have yet to turn a screw. Far beyond the original simple idea.

 

Here is the progress I have made to this point.

Design - still tweeking

Cut list - cut and sanded and adding additional pieces as I go

Material list - keeps growing along with the budget

Shopping list - God this stuff ain't cheap

 

Cut and sanded to 180 grit

Wetted with distilled water and dried overnight to pre-raise the grain

re-sanded again to 180 grit

Blow off sawdust

Router shelf noses with 1/4" bead top and bottom for a custom look

'

 

 

Mixed 2 parts General Finishes amber water based dye stain

            1 part General Finishes Rosewood water based stain

 

 

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Too add tone, depth, and fill some of the grain I added a 2 coats of Zinsser Amber Shellac. Unfortunately the Topcoat may not bond well with the wax in the Amber shellac, so on goes a coat of Zinsser SealCoat cut down from 2LB in the can to a 1LB cut washcoat. Locking in that wax beneath bonded layers of shellac is a non-issue now. 

 

Do not worry about that natural semi-gloss look of the shellac. That sheen will all go away as more finish layers are added on top. The final topcoat will ultimately determine the sheen anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Now on to some of the glazing. This step will greatly accentuate and contrast the early wood (dark grain) from late wood (light grain). This duplicates a finish you may have heard of before: Mission, Arts and Crafts, or Craftsman style. Only working the shelf surfaces and shelf supports for now. After assembly more glazing will be worked in to bring the trim and structure in line with the overall design.

 

General Finishes Van Dyke Brown with 10% General Finishes Extender to increase the working time.

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Don't worry. I will get to that part. Not there yet. This is a different kind of build. Not going with traditional joinery because of the 1-3/4" x 18" material I am using. Wood joinery with these materials would not hold up to the 800LB rating I am shooting for. Thinking I may come in at around 200LBS in rack alone, so I want the 250LBS each casters to be the limiting factor. Brute strength and overkill on this one. The major components will all be mechanical connections. For starters I am going with 3/8" x 6" T-50 washer head lag screws to provide support along the y and z axis. https://www.amazon.com/GRK-RSS386HP-HandyPak-Structural-Package/dp/B001SFT0T8

Later after some further assembly, I will be painting and installing THESE to provide some of the structural integrity along the width. It is an open front and back design, so the x axis will be the weakest and require the most structural support.

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I look forward to learning from your build for when it comes time for me to build my own rack... right now though, I need to build another wall cabinet for my Blue-Ray collection. My current one pictured below holds 400 Blue-Ray's but I passed that number 30 movies ago... LOL

 

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...back in the day when there was still space in this damn thing...

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Great thread, thanks for sharing. I built a component stand in 1981 using screws and L brackets, I still have it but it’s relegated to general storage in a closet.  It’s solid, but also not pretty, I’m not patient enough in doing a project like this, so it’s great to see the right way to do this type of rack. 

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18 hours ago, inMotionGraphics said:

I look forward to learning from your build for when it comes time for me to build my own rack... right now though, I need to build another wall cabinet for my Blue-Ray collection. My current one pictured below holds 400 Blue-Ray's but I passed that number 30 movies ago... LOL

Running into the same problem myself. I have recently been collecting as many titles as I can get my hands on. Physical media is dying "so they say". Some manufactures have stopped making players. I see how Best Buy and certain Walmarts continue to reduce the number of shelves dedicated to physical media. It all just makes me not want to loose out. When they are out of print, they get real hard to find.

 

Right now I am using 2 racks mounted to 1000LB lazy susan bearings. They fit nice into the closet. Unfortunately the same closet I plan to place the new audio rack. Maybe not immediately, but eventually that is the plan.

 

 

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1 hour ago, 314carpenter said:

Running into the same problem myself. I have recently been collecting as many titles as I can get my hands on. Physical media is dying "so they say". Some manufactures have stopped making players. I see how Best Buy and certain Walmarts continue to reduce the number of shelves dedicated to physical media. It all just makes me not want to loose out. When they are out of print, they get real hard to find.

 

I really hope it doesn't come to that... even if streaming does eventually get as good as Blue-Ray, I still like to own a physical disk. Even though Oppo and Samsung dropped out of the market, I don't think physical media will die out entirely... they might just limit production and fewer retailers will carry them, but there will always be a market I reckon. 

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Not quite perfectly flat yet. I don't really care if it ever gets that flat. Just want those high grain ridges gone so when I slide a 100LB ampifier across the shelf, I don't drag across some grain possible lifting some finish, or color, or even a scratch.

 

It was the first time for me using the AquaSeal product. A bit of a learning curve. Started on the bottoms of course. I eventually got a good technique down. More tedious than I thought it would be. Worth the effort, but I stopped after 2 coats. There is maybe 100 board feet of material here to finish. I eventually got one coat of General Finishes on everything, then called it a day.

 

https://aquacoat.com/products/clear-grain-filler

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/hp-polyurethane-top-coat-gloss-quart

 

 

 

 

 

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Just took the preliminary weight measurements. I estimate the final weight of the rack to be approximately 175 pounds total. 

 

3 hours ago, rockhound said:

Looking good Im about to redo mine as well. Looking at your materials I think ours will be very similar.

I could have added another $200 to the total bill had I choosen THESE these for the sides.If I went this route instead, I would have cut vertical slots along the sides for added ventilation, and some additional aesthetics. That would have brought the material list up to $600.  Just using up what I had here instead.

 

Totally understand now why audio racks are as expensive as they are, even though the prices seem insane for what they are. My issue was more about getting exactly what I wanted. I just could not find the size, color, style, shape, materials, casters, etc. that fit what was in my mind. If I was asked to build one of these for someone else, I wouldn't do it for less than $1200. Good luck with your build.

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On ‎9‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 12:21 PM, 314carpenter said:

Just took the preliminary weight measurements. I estimate the final weight of the rack to be approximately 175 pounds total. 

 

I could have added another $200 to the total bill had I choosen THESE these for the sides.If I went this route instead, I would have cut vertical slots along the sides for added ventilation, and some additional aesthetics. That would have brought the material list up to $600.  Just using up what I had here instead.

 

Totally understand now why audio racks are as expensive as they are, even though the prices seem insane for what they are. My issue was more about getting exactly what I wanted. I just could not find the size, color, style, shape, materials, casters, etc. that fit what was in my mind. If I was asked to build one of these for someone else, I wouldn't do it for less than $1200. Good luck with your build.

That rack is looking great! Very well done! I'm can't wait to see the completed project. I had the same thoughts about "why audio racks are so expensive" when I built my 2-channel audio shelf. There wasn't a shelf on the market that was exactly what I needed, most of them were flimsy and way too small, so I built my own. I used hard maple and stainless steel tubing for the supports (without the electrical components it weighs 165 lbs).  More than enough mass and it's wide/deep enough to resist/dampen normal room vibrations.  

 

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28 minutes ago, DMH said:

That rack is looking great! Very well done! I'm can't wait to see the completed project. I had the same thoughts about "why audio racks are so expensive" when I built my 2-channel audio shelf. There wasn't a shelf on the market that was exactly what I needed, so I built my own. I used very heavy maple hardwood and stainless steel tubing for the supports (200 lbs).

Thank you. I really appreciate that. It will be a while longer before I am done done. I have a small workspace, so I did not have enough room for all of the pieces to be finished all at once. Some of the trim on the rear, and decorative side pieces will be added on later. I have to go through the exact same finish process all over again. I think there are something like 11 or 12 coats of various products with curing and sanding in between each. Don't worry the rack will up and running first.

 

I love what you did there. Tubing is great, feet are a nice touch, the dimensions are definitely custom. I know that maple butcherblock is not cheap either. 

 

I went through a lengthy process trying to match oak to walnut with the "Flexy" racks I built for my other system. I also needed something custom for integration across the front wall. Here is a pic to my other systems diy racks.

 

 

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Thank you. I really appreciate that. It will be a while longer before I am done done. I have a small workspace, so I did not have enough room for all of the pieces to be finished all at once. Some of the trim on the rear, and decorative side pieces will be added on later. I have to go through the exact same finish process all over again. I think there are something like 11 or 12 coats of various products with curing and sanding in between each. Don't worry the rack will up and running first.
 
I love what you did there. Tubing is great, feet are a nice touch, the dimensions are definitely custom. I know that maple butcherblock is not cheap either. 
 
I went through a lengthy process trying to match oak to walnut with the "Flexy" racks I built for my other system. I also needed something custom for integration across the front wall. Here is a pic to my other systems diy racks.
 
 
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Nice. I dig the glass tops.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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