rack enclosures - good places to purchase?

[caress]

i've been thinking about making a few rack effects for myself/friends and i'm wondering where people get their rack enclosures?
i've found front panels on ebay and some pricey stuff on mouser, but i'm hoping to keep the price down a bit.
specifically, i'm hoping to get some 2U racks that are relatively shallow - maybe 8-12" deep?

[tiges_ tendres]

I bought one of these:

http://www.paia.com/proddetail.asp?prod=FR-7&cat=44

It's useful for pedal stuff as it's modular!

[trixdropd]

I generally buy the ec-1 from parts express, but They're hard to drill and low on space on the rear panel. I have recently ordered from par-metal.com and It has aluminum front and rear, and was fair in proce. All blank racks cost quite a bit.

[caress]

I have recently ordered from par-metal.com and It has aluminum front and rear, and was fair in proce. All blank racks cost quite a bit.

i just found them while searching, actually.  found a nice 2U x 8" deep for $53... sound good?

[thegman54]

Ive had good luck with buying old broken rack effects and replacing the faceplate. I paid 20us for a pair of broken 1u units and 20 for a pair of faceplates.  Beats the 40 bucks a piece. just my .02 c

[Mark Hammer]

A lot of the things we might build in rack-mount format can actually be fairly small.  In which case a suitable solution can be to use a rack face panel in tandem with something from the Hammond 1444/1434 series.  http://www.hammondmfg.com/dwg21.htm

The downside of these is that they come in heights of 1, 2, or 3 inches, which means that you will always have leftover vertical space when affixing one of these to a 1.75" or 3.5" face panel.  Still, they are solid, light, easy to machine, and you can even do things like install one smaller unit (e.g., 1444-6) for a shielded power supply, and a separate one (e.g., 1444-22) for the audio circuitry.

[MikeH]

You can almost always find some lousy rack effect on ebay going for less than $20, and you might be able to salvage parts from it too.  Provided it has a suitable configuration of knobs, etc.

[MikeH]

Ok- I just looked; not always but I've seen some useless stuff go stupid cheap.  Those DOD rack mount digital delays from the 80's arent exactly in demand.

[trixdropd]

I have recently ordered from par-metal.com and It has aluminum front and rear, and was fair in proce. All blank racks cost quite a bit.

i just found them while searching, actually.  found a nice 2U x 8" deep for $53... sound good?

it sounds good to me if it sounds good to you...

[burningman]

http://www.robeshop.de
http://www.verotec.co.uk/19_cases.html

If anyone knows of a North American distributer/contact for Robeshop.de, please post.

I have considered going the DIY route but that would probably get very expensive with a metal 'brake' and cutting machine.

From what I have seen, ordering custom enclosures costs a fortune unless you're doing a bulk order.

[liquids]

You are in brooklyn, so you'd think that it wouldn't be hard to find an abundance of crappy stuff to gut.  The only problem is, most of the rack crap you're looking for is probably stuff music stores refuse as trade in and most guys have in the closet somewhere, or disposed of it.  

I would ask the guys behind the counter at music stores nearest you, especially those that look a little 80's (the era of the rack gear guitarist!) if they happen to ANY crappy rack stuff they'd get rid of for for cheap...they might just heap it on you for free.  

More so, post a craigslist ad - "want your rack gear for $10," and see what happens.  Ask for photos so you can sift through it more easily...you might get some good responses.  Humor, if nothing else.  

[scratch]

I've actually done what Mark has suggested (twice) ... simply 'bolted' a 2U blank rack plate to a Hammond 3" tall enclosure using Hammond handles. built a power supply in one. I'll post pictures when I get home later.

[CodeMonk]

For anyone that lives in the Southern California/Los Angeles area, theres a place called Apex.
It's in I think North Hollywood or Burbank. Near the Lankershim exit off of the 5 freeway.
A few months ago, I picked up 4 1u units and 4 blank faceplates for $50.
Its a great place to get other components as well. I picked up about 200 2N5088 transistors for $10 (as well as a whole bunch of other parts).

[scratch]

here's a 2U rack PSU I built using a Hammond 3" high enclosure and a blank plate, used a couple of handles to attach the plate to the 'chassis'.

Should have gotten a picture of that, also used 1/4" high stick on feet on the bottom so when it's out of the rack the screw heads aren't scratching the surface underneath.

Needs a rework to shrink board and add some additional ones, as well as switch controlled outlets on the back.

[punkin]

Nicely done! 

[aziltz]

anyone know where I could get rack "rails" that I could mount to a table or something to support a few units?

[trixdropd]

anyone know where I could get rack "rails" that I could mount to a table or something to support a few units?

You can start here. http://www.middleatlantic.com/rackac/rail/rail.htm
Guitar center, sweetwater, ect all carry them.

[burningman]

Good thinking scratch. Where did you pick up the blank rack plate?

[scratch]

bought them locally, here in Ottawa,  Reset Electronics ...

I'm on the lookout for enclosures that would be 1.5" high X 14-17" wide x 6-10" deep to make 1U enclosures ...

[Mark Hammer]

I was at the home of the late Peter Snow today, helping his wife sell some of his gear (I can't believe someone wanted all those Simmons and Tama e-drums!).  There are a number of 1U and 2U blank rack chassis that he had bought but never used (there is a LOT of stuff he bought but never got to use).  His home is out in Orleans.  If there is a use for this stuff, Denis, I could set up a meeting with his wife to buy some stuff.  He had a lot of components and chassis that are suitable for synth stuff.