Racks, rails and panels

From: Ian Primus <ian_primus_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Tue Nov 18 06:35:37 2003

On Tuesday, November 18, 2003, at 03:42 AM, Pete Turnbull wrote:

> On Nov 17, 22:01, Ian Primus wrote:
>
>> How do I get the side panel off the Digital rack? They seem to come
>> off, and one is loose. I am wanting to remove it, and reattach it so
>> that it won't rattle. Also, the top panels are a little crooked. I
> have
>> tried to look for how the thing is put together, but it's hard for
> me
>> to tell, being unfamiliar with racks. What is the trick to removing
>> those panels?
>
> There are two or three types. One has panels that pop on using springy
> metal fasteners, one has sides that lift up slightly then pull off,
> similar to (but not the same as) the taller racks.

I've managed to get the panel to slide up, but it doesn't want to come
off. It's like there is something keeping it from sliding up all the
way. I'll have to take a closer look at the bottom of the panel, maybe
there is something I missed.
>
>> What are the preferred types of screws to use for mounting things in
>> racks? One of my racks has threaded holes, but the Digital one
> doesn't.
>> Should I just go to the hardware store and get some 1/4-20 nuts and
>> bolts, or is there a recommended or standard size? Also, what is the
>> threading on racks with threaded holes? Is this a standard size bolt?
>
> Normally, on those racks, you use clip-on Tinnerman nuts, with 10-32
> screws. Some devices use a metal strip with tapped holes to take 10-32
> screws. A Tinnerman nut is basically a folded piece of springy sheet
> metal with a nut welded onto the back, so that it clips onto the
> vertical rail and holds the nut captive and aligned with the hole in
> the rail.

Are these Tinnerman nuts available in places like Home Depot, or do
they need to be ordered. Something tells me that Home Depot wouldn't
carry them, since they sound specific to rack mounted hardware, but I
thought I'd ask. I'll probably just use regular nuts and bolts, those I
_can_ get at Home Depot.

>> Also, I have a Fujitsu Eagle, which, aside from being very heavy,
> also
>> needs a new set of rails. It has some rails already, but I don't have
>> the mating ones to put in the rack. Do most devices take standard
>> rails, or are there peculiarities to some drives? Will a normal set
> of
>> rails handle a 150 pound hard drive, or do I need something a bit
> more
>> robust?
>
> Pity you haven't got the original rails, they're really high quality.
> Eagle rails are heavier-duty than most, but any really HD rail will be
> fine, providing the holes fit.

I've got part of the original rails :). Bolted to the side of the drive
are sliding rails, and normally I would assume that the entire rail was
there, as the end is such that it could be screwed into the rack, but
there are only these screw holes on the front of the rails, not the
back, and I know that a 150 pound drive cannot be supported by a single
set of screws in the front.

>
>> Does it matter what order I put the hardware into the rack? I
> wouldn't
>> think that it would, but I'm worried about heat.
>
> Within reason, it doesn't matter. I'd leave a gap above the Eagle. In
> case you didn't already know, the rack is measured in "U" (units of
> 1_3/4"). 3U is 5_1/4". If you look closely you'll see the holes are
> not evenly spaced, but in groups of three. The centres of the outer
> holes of a 1U space are 5/8" distant from the centre of the middle hole
> (and distance from centre of outer hole of one U to centre of outer
> hole of the adjacent U is 1/2" ).

OK, that makes sense. The Eagle is definitely going on the bottom
though :)


Ian Primus
ian_primus_at_yahoo.com
Received on Tue Nov 18 2003 - 06:35:37 GMT