IKEA DIY HIFI RACK

[kczar01]

So it has come time that I would like to build a rack and I have been granted permission to not buy a Quadraspire rack and to build one instead. The ikea cube will stay and move to the back of the room with an add on for more record storage.

 

I quite like the look of the rack, and have a couple of ideas to do it.

 

Any recommendations on on the shelf sizes between the tables?

 

It will go onto floor boards not sure how to ground the bottom level

 

Was wondering if anybody had done one?? Would like it to turn out similar below.

 

this is the size i will use.

http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/50161665/

[henry218]

are they really good for hifi rack? its very light, i have few for the side tables.

[harry_mr]

I think they are about half the standard leg size, these legs are hollow inside so just remember this when you cut them down. I nearly went down the lack track

but ended up buying a secondand rack on here, althought I still might do it in another room. There is the smaller lack side table too, plenty of pictures of racks made from these

cheap alternatives. Good luck.

[ThirdDrawerDown]

A friend did this build recently (photos below)

 

The hollow core of the Lack legs he handled by replacing them - buying thick dowel, drilling one hole through everything and binding the lot with steel rod.

 

The square Lack is an almost ideal construction - materials, design, dimensions - for a vibration-free turntable stand.  I think the hollow legs are part of the value, so it might be worth researching ways that Ikea hackers have shortened the Lack legs.  When modding hollow-cored doors I've simply cut blocks of wood to suit and glued them into the modded door.  If doing the same to Lack legs I'd hunt down some Titebond glue (from Masters, specialty shops).

 

My friend has since moved on to something similar to your design.  And we've been discussing a design equivalent to your design for me, the discussion cut short when I sourced some 2" thick pine.  I'm looking at something similar to Thomo's design here, but with spikes on the feet of every leg.  Links to inexpensive spikes are found in the recent spikes threads.

 

As for height, your stereo gear is quite possibly in multiples of 1.75 inches high, and this might guide the purist in designing a rack:

 

 

Understanding the “U†in Portable Racks

The width and height of rackmountable equipment is standardized in the audio industry. At the core of this standard is the rack space, or unit. One rack space is defined as 1.75″ from top to bottom and 19″ in width.

Rack Space — Top to Bottom
Rack equipment that is 1.75″ high or some multiple of that conforms to the standard. Equipment height is often measured in rack units, where one unit (1U) is 1.75″, 2U is 3.5″, and so on. Racks are built with holes in their rack rails which correspond to this spacing, allowing for equipment of any unit height to be mounted. If you’re building your own rack, you can purchase rack rails of almost any height.

If you’re not sure how many rack spaces your gear will need, you can use a rack ruler, which is a measuring tape that features rack unit intervals as well as inches.

Rack Space — Left to Right
From left to right, rack spaces are 19″ wide. Some gear is described as half-rack or third-rack. These sizes allow for multiple pieces of gear to fit in a single rack space (two half-rack units or three third-rack units fit left to right into a rack respectively).

 

 

 

Audio Rack Height

• Audio rack height is measured in "rack space units", designated as "U" for unit, or "RU" for "rack unit. A single rack space is the equivalent of 1.75-inches (1U), with larger units conforming to the height standard with higher numerical "U" designations in multiples of 1.75-inches. Industry veterans often refer to the height of rack gear simply by the number of rack spaces rather than the "U" abbreviation -- "three rack spaces" for example, for the equivalent of "3U" or 5.25-inches.

 

 

 

 

 

[WhakPak]

Sorry, don't like them. Ugly cables on show, difficult to work with making your connections at the back, dust...much prefer the 19 inch rack

[joz]

If you had some good cables with bling you wouldn't mind

[Batty]

I'm lazy, I just stood 2 lack side tables on top of one another with TT on top amp, DAC and SB touch on the middle shelf.

[betty boop]

Lack tables are good. I like the concept

[L J T]

I'm lazy, I just stood 2 lack side tables on top of one another with TT on top amp, DAC and SB touch on the middle shelf.

I have three of them. They are great and very cheap.

[WhakPak]

If you had some good cables with bling you wouldn't mind

I do. At last count I had 12 of these:

http://www.psaudio.com/products/power/power-accessories/ac12-power-cable/

[ArthurDent]

The square Lack is an almost ideal construction - materials, design, dimensions - for a vibration-free turntable stand.  I think the hollow legs are part of the value, so it might be worth researching ways that Ikea hackers have shortened the Lack legs.  When modding hollow-cored doors I've simply cut blocks of wood to suit and glued them into the modded door.  If doing the same to Lack legs I'd hunt down some Titebond glue (from Masters, specialty shops).

 

It's an ideal size with 455mm between the legs fitting most gear. And yes, keeping the legs and filling just the bottoms with glued in wooden blocks seems to be the preferred method. Good price too at $10-$20 and an amazing range of colours at the moment. Using a nice red one under my turntable with the phono pre tucked in underneath.

Edited November 20, 2013 by KenTripp

[Ray H]

I'm lazy, I just stood 2 lack side tables on top of one another with TT on top amp, DAC and SB touch on the middle shelf.

 

 

Same, in my second system. For a starter or budget system they are fantastic. You can always use some isolation between the Lack and the component as well (cheap cones etc.)

 

The new gloss Lack tables are very nice looking also.

[kczar01]

Thanks for the comments guys, i am still looking into this I would like to contain it to the one set of racks as in the table rack, it is the same epth as the Lack side table, equiptment to be set up as planned;

TOP - Turntable and Mac

Middle - Amp, Phono and DAC

Bottom - CD, and Tuner???

 

I think it might need another shealf....

[frankn]

It is a slippery slope with the LACK tables, started with two, now have five.....thank goodnes my amps are too heavy for them

[shaky]

What weight are your amps? Curious. Would they hold 70kg?

[Peter_F]

 Would they hold 70kg?

Really, really good gear needs to be on wheels not racks!   

[shaky]

But I don't mind a nice rack!! ;-)

[kczar01]

It is a slippery slope with the LACK tables, started with two, now have five.....thank goodnes my amps are too heavy for them

 

yeh just realized that i have 4 side tables

[kczar01]

What weight are your amps? Curious. Would they hold 70kg?

 

But I don't mind a nice rack!! ;-)

 

Not sure mate, they are pretty strong, i have stood on them and the likes. In the smaller form they would be stronger I would say.

 

 

And i also like racks....

[Peter_F]

But I don't mind a nice rack!! ;-)

Me too!

[frankn]

A good rack is a pleasure to behold......

A LACK table maximum load is 25Kg according to IKEA - even if they are being conservative lets assume it is 50Kg - I wouldn't put my amps on a couple of them as my amps weigh a total of 95Kg - if they collapsed overnight I'd be pissed

And things always collapse when you are not around  

[hochopeper]

A good rack is a pleasure to behold......

A LACK table maximum load is 25Kg according to IKEA - even if they are being conservative lets assume it is 50Kg - I wouldn't put my amps on a couple of them as my amps weigh a total of 95Kg - if they collapsed overnight I'd be pissed

And things always collapse when you are not around  

 

Not sure what I'd be doing differently if I was standing watching 95kg of amps fall to the ground vs not being around at the time ... I expect all that changes is that the time when I swear and curse (that's what I tell people I'd be doing, really there might be a lot more sobbing and tears involved)

 

I use LACK tables for my computer at my standing desk and am going to rack mount a few bits of audio gear to the table legs ... http://www.avlife.com.au/forums/index.php?/topic/58-standing-desk/

Edited November 22, 2013 by hochopeper

[Phantom]

A good rack is a pleasure to behold......

A LACK table maximum load is 25Kg according to IKEA - even if they are being conservative lets assume it is 50Kg - I wouldn't put my amps on a couple of them as my amps weigh a total of 95Kg - if they collapsed overnight I'd be pissed

And things always collapse when you are not around  

 

Agree 100%.

 

 Two of my amps weigh over 15KG and one is 25KG. As good as Lack tables may be I wouldn't risk it.

[L J T]

I weigh 85 kilos and the Lack table can easily hold me.

[Phantom]

I weigh 85 kilos and the Lack table can easily hold me.

 

 

Hmm.

 

I am 75KG and for under $10 maybe I should try it out.

 

If it doesn't suit we can use it as a lamp table

 

Cheers