WTB: Server Rack

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jrdnlc

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Jun 26, 2015
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The black painted/ enameled screws and cup washers look pretty, but functionally, they are no different to any old bright steel screw with a pan head and flat washer. I just prefer using stainless ones so that any galvanic reaction with the crappy cage nuts is kept to a minimum and it's not really any more expensive when buying from a proper hardware wholesaler either. Quite apart from that, what you were going to pay for them was OTT. If I recall, even Navepoint sell them on amazon for less than half that :)
I want black screws so stainless steel is not an option unfortunately. Here are the ones I just picked up



And how it looks on the rack

 

pricklypunter

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Nov 10, 2015
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Not too bad a price for that Dell rack, they are well put together. Could prolley get him to come down $20/ split the fuel cost for pickup etc :)
 

pricklypunter

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I want black screws so stainless steel is not an option unfortunately.
Are you not using washers with those cap head screws? Without washers there's a risk of the heads biting in and chewing your rack ears up, spring for some washers (no pun intended), they won't break the bank :)
 

jrdnlc

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Jun 26, 2015
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I'm on the prowl for a rack around me on CL too.

Any thoughts on this one? 42U Dell Computer Server Rack 19

Price seems a little high to me.
It's not too bad. When I had mine I got it for $100 from Craigslist from a company that was closing down. It was in excellent condition. Just sold it recently

Setup notifications for Craigslist that notify you on new items posted for a specific post. It works wonders and very useful. If it wasn't for that notification from yesterday I wouldnt have this rack right now.
 

jrdnlc

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Jun 26, 2015
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Are you not using washers with those cap head screws? Without washers there's a risk of the heads biting in and chewing your rack ears up, spring for some washers (no pun intended), they won't break the bank :)
I did get washers I was doing a test fit :) i'm not liking the look for some reason so might return them once I get the Startech screws. Thank god I didn't cancel the order
 

pricklypunter

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Nov 10, 2015
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I did get washers I was doing a test fit :) i'm not liking the look for some reason so might return them once I get the Startech screws. Thank god I didn't cancel the order
Cap head screws were really meant for use with shouldered or half blind holes, hence the head being not much larger than the thread, so they were sunken into the piece. They don't look near as pretty when they are standing up on the surface though, they almost look out of proportion that way :)

These are the ones I buy when clients want that "all black" look, although I get them directly from Navepoint, rather than through "amazingtheycanchargethatmuchforstuff": Amazon.com: NavePoint M6 Cage Nuts & Screws for Server Shelves Cabinets - 50 Pk Rack Mount: Computers & Accessories
 

jrdnlc

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Jun 26, 2015
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Cap head screws were really meant for use with shouldered or half blind holes, hence the head being not much larger than the thread, so they were sunken into the piece. They don't look near as pretty when they are standing up on the surface though, they almost look out of proportion that way :)

These are the ones I buy when clients want that "all black" look, although I get them directly from Navepoint, rather than through "amazingtheycanchargethatmuchforstuff": Amazon.com: NavePoint M6 Cage Nuts & Screws for Server Shelves Cabinets - 50 Pk Rack Mount: Computers & Accessories
Ah, too bad they don't just sell the screws with washers.
 

jrdnlc

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Jun 26, 2015
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That's quite the price tag Creole! I was hoping to score a deal like Jrdnlc. I wanna be cheap, but i know i gotta look for something along the range of $200-$300 to be decent i guess, maybe more. I will be scoping out craigslist soon and see what i find. I have 6 of the Rosewill L4500's and 6 of the Rosewill R4000 server cases (I like Rosewill, they're cheap). I guess it's gotta be somewhere along the lines of 30inches deep? Also, cant tell from the pic exactly, but maybe thats a 24u? I would probably need that to rack all the l4500's alone...
Yeah it's a 24u rack. Do you have any rails yet for the L4500's? I'm having a hard time finding compatible ones. I was hoping the Supermicro fit :(
 

pricklypunter

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I don't want to be the one to pour cold water on your idea, but those are a "tip over" accident waiting to happen in their current configuration. You will need to add some stout spreader legs or a large plate to the bottom of them at the least. Micro vibration would also be a big concern for me with those too. With the amount of rackable gear you have, either buy a proper rack second hand, or build one from scratch that's sturdy enough to do the job properly. Cheap, half baked solutions, while they may get your gear off the floor, are putting your gear and data at risk unnecessarily :)
 

pricklypunter

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Nov 10, 2015
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Hehe, enthusiasm, I like that :)

Please, I in no way mean any offense here, my concerns are simply for your data integrity and disk health. Yes, I agree wholeheartedly with you, things that spin have centripetal and other forces acting upon them, which if not perfectly orbiting, will create a degree of vibration. However, I was actually meaning vibrations being induced through the surrounding floor into the rack due to the narrow base of the legs and the mechanical construction of the shelf unit.

All that being said, it's your money and data and if you wish to trust it to these shelf units, have at it. I look forward to seeing the end result of your build :)
 

modder man

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Jan 19, 2015
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Not to derail the OP, but what are you running 12 of those rosewill cases for? That is a lot of running hardware for the home.
 

jrdnlc

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Jun 26, 2015
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I been looking for rails that can work with my L4500 chassis but for my life of me I can't find any good ones. The Rosewill rails are OOS everywhere
 

qamaro

New Member
Apr 9, 2016
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I'm going to agree to watch craiglist, lot of good deals crop up in the Los Angeles area. I saw that 24U Dell rack and it was a great deal. I was in the market for a 24U myself but couldn't find one at "great" price. So waited and found a 42U Tripplite SR42UB rack (doors, side panels and casters) for $50 and I paid the guy an extra $20 to drive it to my place... win/win.