Greetings!
Finally got my rack built. Thanks to Richard, Slipknot, and everyone else for their imagination and good advice. Heres 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 3/4x10, $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), Id probably now use the Boos blocks (Id 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 Id 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 Roberts 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.
Id 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. Im reasonably pleased in this regard, though, and I personally think it looks as good as most price competitive racks, and I dont like the look of many much more expensive racks, with exceptions like Rix duly noted.
Sonically, I cant 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, Id 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
