Built a Flexi-type rack?

I was very lucky and was able to get my 1-3/4" maple shelving for free, they are old workbench tops that were being thrown away at work. I was able to make four shelves from one bench alone! I'll try posting some pictures as soon as I replace the steel rods and flange nuts with my new brass rods and fittings.

This is why I bought Mapleshade hardware to use with my Tony's Woodshop butcher blocks.

All in, this stand is costing me alot..more than I expected (but not as much as a Samson...by a few hundred when you factor in shipping). But I'm hopeful that it will be worth the time, effort, and cost!

-Jim

If you have a Lumber Liquidators near you, they have deal on nice 1-1/2" thick x 25" wide x 96" (or 144")long unfinished and sanded piece Maple butcher block.

http://www.lumberliquidators.com/catalog/thumbnail.jsp?parentCategoryId=18&categoryId=21&nonFlooring=1&&

I recently bought an 8-foot piece, cut it into six 25" x 16" sections, beveled the top edges (45-degree), and carefully drilled the holes with a Forsner bit. I then use a very light stain and sprayed them with a semi-gloss polyurethane and used the new Maple shelves to replace the black 3/4" MDF shelves that came with my old Michael Green Just-A-Rack.

The Just-A-Rack came with 3/4"-10 black steel-rods and black jam-nuts as well as big heavy 3/4"-10 threaded cone spike feet and matching custom cap-nuts for the top shelf.

Wow, what a difference in looks, and the sound seems to have improved as well. It's quite heavy. The best part is that I spent under $200 and a few hours to get a killer rack.

Now, if I could just figure out how to post a picture . . .

Greetings!

Finally got my rack built. Thanks to Richard, Slipknot, and everyone else for their imagination and good advice. Here’s an after action report:

The Finished Product:
4 Shelf Flexi-Rack: Brass Fittings and Maple Butcher Block

Shelf dimensions: 23.5” Wide x 21” Deep x 1.5” Thick

Usable shelf space: 20” Wide x 21” Deep

Space between shelves: 12” (bottom), 8”, 8”

Height: 37.75” (floor to top of hex nuts on top shelf)

Weight (estimated): 110 lbs

Comments on Finished Product:
This is not a petit piece of furniture. Think of a small apartment sized refrigerator, minus the freezer section.

The 3’ rods yielded ample shelf space for a 4 shelf unit. Plenty of room for my beefy Odyssey Stratos Dual Mono on bottom shelf, and for standard sized components (like my Marsh Pre and Jolida CDP) on the two remaining 8” inner shelves. There might be a problem if one had two components that required top access, say if a top loading CDP and a turntable; the 8” space might make dealing with a TL CDP awkward. The open design means cooling is not an issue.

Materials:
4 3/4” x 10 Brass Threaded Rods (from McMaster-Carr); $47.48 x 4; $7. 25 SH; $ 197.17

4 Brass Acorn Nuts 3/4”x10, $17.36;
35 Brass Thick Flat Washers 25/32” ID, 13/8” OD $ 95.34;
30 3/4” x 10 Brass Hex Nuts $46.80;
$5.00 SH (McMaster Carr); Total for nuts etc, $164. 40

4 2” Audiopoint Internal Thread (#2.0AP-1KINT) $41.99 ea.; 4 Coupling Discs (#APCD2), $7.49 ea.; $10.85 SH (Star Sound Technologies); $ 208.77

1 Maple Butcher Block Counter Top 8’ x 25” x 1.5” (Purchased Locally); $180.00

1 Bottle Boiled Walnut Oil $10.00

Total Materials: $760.34

Comments on Materials:
Given the rising cost of metals, not a super cheap project. For comparison, the Mapleshade Sampson 4 shelf rack is currently $995 plus SH; they use 1.25” stainless steel rods. At current prices, other well -regarded commercial racks, like SolidSteel, are competitive, new or used.

McMaster-Carr was the most reasonable provider for brass, overall, when I shopped.

Boos makes excellent butcher blocks – 24” x 18” x 1.5” for around $60 ea, around $100 for 2.5” thick. Although I like the look of the counter top I used (lots of color variation and “imperfections” for “character”), I’d probably now use the Boos blocks (I’d purchased the counter top for a different project ) since the labor savings would for me offset the added cost.

The Walnut Oil is a great product. A slightly higher sheen oil finish, that dries a bit harder, and adds a bit of an attractive reddish hue. Much easier than poly and the like, and arguably better looking.

Given what I’d already spent, I splurged on the Audio Points. Robert at Star Sounds was very helpful, and I ended up believing in the product. Also, Audio Points make a very simple way to deal with footers. Again, reduced labor a plus for me.

Technique:
Cut butcher block to size

Round edges with router

Drill “countersink” holes with Forstner bit at depth and OD of washers, so washers will sit flush with finished surface.

Drill 3/4” inch holes for rods, centers 1.75” on diagonal from corner.

Sand

Finish

Assemble, “building” from ground up. Ensure shelves are parallel with combination square set to desired spacing. Tighten nuts. Place in desired location, leveling with Audio Points.

Comments on Technique:
The woodwork was done by a carpenter/furniture builder friend of mine, so except for the assembly, my knowledge is second hand.

Drill press was equipped with a jig that allowed setting the holes w/o templates and the like.

With the bits we used, a 3/4” bit made holes with sufficient play for assembly.

Unfortunately, although Robert at Star Sounds recommends tightening nuts only hand tight, we needed to go a bit tighter for a stable structure.

Wiping off some of the machining grease on the rods made the nuts turn much easier, probably because the grease contained filings from manufacturing which tended to jam the nuts.

Countersinking the washers, although it increases the possibility of difficulty in assembly, gave the piece a cleaner look, and might marginally increase usable shelf space. Recommended.

Help of a friend is recommended, both for assembling and placing the rack (to avoid butchering hardwood floors), and because turning all the $%%^%$@ nuts is a drag.

The Audio Points leveled the rack beautifully, even on my 100 year old hardwood floor. Per Robert’s instructions, I did not use lock nuts or the like. We figured 1.5” of rod below the bottom shelf, to allow space for nuts, and play for the Audio Points in leveling.

I’d reckon the labor at 5-8 hrs; for me, 4 times that shopping and figuring it all out.

General Comments:
Visually, the rack is not unattractive, though it is a bit industrial looking, and would be more at home in a post-modern loft than my antique house. I’m reasonably pleased in this regard, though, and I personally think it looks as good as most price competitive racks, and I don’t like the look of many much more expensive racks, with exceptions like Rix duly noted.

Sonically, I can’t tell folks what they would most like to know, since I have not carefully A/Bed it with competitors. I do think my system sounds noticeably better (more vibrant and articulate, esp. in the bass) than did my previous set-up, but that was cobbled together shelving ($0.00).

Functionally, in addition to the ready cooling, the open design may facilitate wire management, as it does for me – my outlet is directly beside the rack.

Overall, hard to give a bottom line. Had I known the likely cost going in, I’d have carefully considered other options, but I do like the rack pretty well, both visually and (so far as I am in a position to judge) sonically.

Thanks again!

John

Congrats, let's see some photos! Cheers,
Spencer

John-
Thanks for the detailed report! Sounds like you've got a winner. Materials are expensive as is the time involved, but the end result is something you can take pride in and get system benefits at the same time.

Excellent job and very nicely detailed! Thanks John.

FYI, I noticed that Bed, Bath And Beyond now carries the John Boos butcher block. Great prices if you receive the same 20% off coupons that I seem to get twice weekly :-))

Sounds to me like a lost cause,the advice that echoes for the rest of us from his comments is to buy the Mapleshade with the much beefier (inch and a quarter rods) and be done with it.Trying to sell a home made rack will not retrieve even half of the original cost.

Yioryos, having built two flexi racks myself I somewhat agree. Right now I'm toying with the idea of building another using granite. The next one should be a lot easier as I've learned from my mistakes. Please talk me out of it.

Hi Again!

Thanks for the good cheer!

OK, Yioryos, I'll put my rack up for $375. Just Kidding! Wonder how long I'd have to wait though, given cost of brass. You've of course a point about resale, although if one could get 50%, that w'd be pretty good -- I look to pay %60 for my components.

On the Mapleshade. They use stainless, not brass: some people prefer the sonics of brass. I certainly prefer the cosmetics. I also expect there's some who would prefer the AudioPoints as footers -- StarSouunds certainly gets good press. On the other hand, I think the MS shelves are one piece, which some might prefer to block. Anyone got a ballpark on their shipping? I'm guessing north of $100, to many places.

Timrhu: How does the granite effect costs? I think I've seen a company in Oregon selling a three shelf granite flexi for $1800 (!).

Spencer: Should have pics this wkend. If you, or anyone else, wants a peek, drop me a line.

Cheers,

J

Jdoris, we recently had granite counter tops installed in our kitchen. The contractor threw in three pieces of granite cut and drilled as part of the deal. The counter tops went in on schedule but I'm still waiting for the shelves and wondering if he's gonna come thru. Those guys have scrap pieces of stone that can be had fairly cheap. I'm thinking less than $400 for three shelves cut, polished and drilled. Probably less if you know somebody who does that work.