Will a 2-post open rack suffice?

[beelzerob]

Well, the rack has finally been moved into place in the basement.

I'm rather pleased. I've decided I'm not going to use the 2-post rack at all. There's just no need. The full rack will handle all my patch panels and equipment easily. I'll keep the 2 post rack for future use, since I like it so much.

Now it's finally time to start terminating some wire and installing equipment!


Collin, I didn't quite understand your idea. Well, I understood the part about "ship 'em and I'll weld some angle on 'em", but if the rest of the post was an alternative to that, I didn't quite get it. At least, I don't understand how I would connect the angle/shelf if not with welding.

 

[Sacedog]

I would make sure that the cabinet is "secured" in some way. Either attached to the floor or wall, or to your very nice looking ladder rack up top. For a cabinet, you don't want a permanent attachment, but something at least to make sure it is rock solid. Of course, being in CA, I am much more worried about that sort of thing than you are in PA.

Looking good! It looks like you left yourself plenty of slack too.

 

[beelzerob]

Oh ya, plenty of slack. Although I know that too much slack is better than not enough...man, I sometimes wonder just how much $$$ I spent in that slack. Probably not too much, as I only ran out of the 22/4 wire, not the other types shown there....so I probably did ok. but I'm sure going to have plenty for patch wires!!

I'm not sure I'll bolt the thing down. If something happens to cause that thing to move by itself, we are in so much bigger trouble. The only other possibility would be one of my girls climbing on it....but even at that point, once I run all the wires into it, then it's sure going to have a bunch of stuff holding it upright. I have some spare metal strap, though, so maybe some kind of anchor to the basement ceiling wouldn't be so bad.

 

[CollinR]

Something like this, unrealted to your existing slides. This would use the poly strip as the slide attached to the cabinet by self tapping screws just like heavy shelves do.

 

[beelzerob]

Oh, I see...basically start from scratch, as it were. I'm still vague on how the poly produces a sliding surface for a shelf to be placed on, and how that involves a cutting board...but I see now.

Hmmm...well, my first choice is to try and reuse what came with the rack at minimum cost to myself. The 2nd choice would be to get useful things like sliding shelves for use with the rack, whether used or created adhoc. Then 3rd choice would be to buy something new to attach. So I'm wondering at how much shipping is going to be to ship those sliders out to you for welding, and if it's worth the cost of shipping 2 ways (they ARE heavy) and the angle iron, or if the 2nd or 3rd choice are actually cheaper. Or, of course, I could simply do without a sliding shelf at this point. Sure, nice to have, but I can't say it's a must-have at this point.

I do have a silverstone PC case I'd like to put in the rack, and I can either create a shelf for it to sit on, or go buy the rack ears for it. Then there's my networking equipment which can't be rackmounted, so a shelf would work well for it, but doesn't REALLY have to be sliding...

*ponder*