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Audio Rack Construction

Happy New Year All!

I'm planning a rack with three wood (maple) shelves using threaded rod as the supports. This will be something similar to Salamander racks. Besides, the metal washers and nuts, I'm going to be using some type of isolation washer that will contact the top and bottom of each shelf.
So...shelf, isoloation washer, metal washer, and then nut.

Questions: 1. When passing the threaded rod through each shelf, should the holes in the shelves not allow the threaded rod to touch, so the only thing touching the shelves are the isolation washers? 2. Besides neoprene, what's a good material for the isolation washers? 3. After leveling each shelf during assembly, I'm planning to add aluminum tubing over the threaded rod and nuts between each shelf for a cleaner look. This would mean that the top and bottom ends of the aluminum tubing would also contact the shelves. Should I avoid this, or additionally add some isolation material between the ends of the tubes and the shelves?
kennythekey
jdoris
972 posts
 
Well Done, Kenny. On leveling the top shelf: There a school of thought that says that you don't want the nuts on your rack completely tight, and that some feeling of play is better. Can't remember where I heard this, but you might look around; I have mine that way. Whyn't you level the top shelf for your TT, and give a listen? I'd certainly be keen to hear your results on an a/b: tight v. loose rack. John
kennythekey OP
593 posts
 
Thanks John.

Okay, so I started listening and I was mesmerized. Not that everyone would have such an experience, but I realized just how poorly I treated the support of my components in the past.

Every audio attribute was bettered. It sounded like I did a full system upgrade and it costed what, $700? I will never underestimate the rack as a true component again.

Oh, and I eliminated my foot-fall problem. Did I ever really have a foot-fall problem or was it just the crappy rack I used in the past? The energy that this flexi-rack directs outward is awesome. I lightly pound on a shelf and I can hear my table in the middle of my room rattle. I jump up and down next to the rack, and the glass of water on top...nothing. Now, I can identify and fix room vibration problems using my rack...hah...hah...okay, I'm getting silly.

Yea, I'm happy. My rack is fully tightened but I may experiment with the nuts to see what's up with that.

Goodbye Target, goodbye old side table, goodbye Billy Baggs.
kennythekey OP
593 posts
 
Theaudiotweak -

I have no experience with the Sistrum.

I did find out that my maple platform is not warped, but the Isoblock feet are different heights because they compress differently based on the component's weight distribution. This would then make it difficult to level a component without leveling feet or a flexiRack.

As you suggest, this should not be an issue with a rigid metal platform.
kennythekey OP
593 posts
 
To be fair to Mapleshade, I spoke to Pierre and this is normal. He suggests using 2" X 2" manila paper squares under the blocks as a shim and twisting each block until the resistance is the same for all.
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