A cheap DIY server rack
A few words of explanation. I had several Pis with associated power supplies, Ethernet cables, hard drives, power strip and Ethernet hub in a plastic tub. Talk about an unsightly rat's nest. I looked at Pi racks for purchase and decided to build my own.
I laser cut 1/8 inch hardboard (a step up from cardboard) as a tabbed box, as well as suitable sized pieces on which to mount Pis and SSDs.
The grooves to hold the individual cards are made by cutting a pattern, placing it into the box and glueing the cut-out pieces in place. After the glue is dried remove the pattern and you are left with grooves. The box is suprisingly strong.
The material cost was $3.00, the cards and wires can be labeled, no expensive cases are needed for the individual Pis. Hard drives can be mounted on the opposite side of the same card. Hot glue, zip ties, and stand-offs hold the components and cables in place. The hardboard is easy to drill.
Due to the constraints of where I wanted to place this rack, near my modem, on a shelf with limited space, I decided to have the cables exit the back and into a box where I housed the power strip, power supplies, etc. I may cut a piece of smoked acrylic to cover the front and attach with small magnets. Too many projects to work on! I will post the svg files.
