Build Your Own Server Rack – This article represents my own opinion and may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosures for more information.
I have a few rack mount servers that I use for testing and development. These days home servers are becoming more and more popular. Everything from storage servers, home theater servers, home automation, and more are making their way into people’s homes, and having a base station enclosure helps fit all of those servers in one place.
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Every now and then I look into buying a shelf to put them on, but even used ones aren’t cheap. A new no-frills open-shelf cabinet (like this Tripp Lite SR4POST25 25U 4-Post Open-Frame Cabinet
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Out of curiosity I wanted to see what it would take to build my own, so I designed and built a 20U server case. 20U is more than most people need for a home server rack, but I chose that height because it puts the top in a comfortable position as a standing desk. You can have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse connected to a KVM switch for direct console access.
The pricing wasn’t too bad. The materials for an enclosed 20U server rack came out to just under $400. For an open rack it was only about $100 including wheels. Much cheaper than buying a server enclosure. Here’s what I came up with if anyone is interested.
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The closed cabinet design is based on the open server rack, so you can use this as a guide to build an open rack if that’s all you want.
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Preface These plans can be customized to suit your needs. Instead of coming up with a cut list and cut plans, I’m writing these steps in a way that will make it easy for you to build the shelf to your specifications by measuring and noting as you go.
Step 1: Attach Shelf Rails to Side Brackets Measure and cut 4 pieces of 2×4 to the exact height of your rails. Drill pilot holes and screw them into the side of the stud as shown.
The rails will have holes on each side of the corner. The side that has the variations will be where the equipment is placed. The side with the more standard spacer screws on the stud. Ever 2-3″ space screws with 1″ wood screws. A typical 1U server weighs about 10-15 pounds. You probably won’t fill the entire rack with servers, but it’s still a good idea to make sure the rails are securely attached.
Step 2: Attach Horizontal Width Boards According to the specifications, the rails should be spaced 19 1/8″ apart. This may vary if you use different types of rails. An easy way to find the exact distance you need is to install a 2U gap on the top and bottom so you can know the exact distance you need.
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Make sure the 2 sides are square. It might be a good idea to make sure that some of the rack mount hardware is a good fit in case the gaps are closed. Once you have everything set and square. Mark the length for the top and bottom 2×4 pieces. Cut it to size and attach with wood glue and 1-1/2″ pocket hole screws as shown.
Step 4: Attach Plates for Server Rack Depth There is no standard rack mounting depth (distance from the front of the front rail to the back of the rear rail), and racks can be anywhere from 19″ to 30″. Different manufacturers use different shelving depth.
You can choose a mounting depth that suits your needs. Just make sure there’s enough room in the back for any cables sticking out or future expansion.
After determining the depth of your cabinet, calculate the desired shelf depth, remove the width of 2 2×4 (7″) and cut 4 lengths of 2×4 for the verticals. Attach with wood glue and pocket hole joints as shown.
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Make sure your box is square. If you have some sliding rails for your servers, you can attach them to the front and back rails to help line everything up.
Step 5: Cut and Attach Additional Support Boards For added strength, mark and cut, then glue and screw additional 2×4 boards to the sides, top, and bottom as shown.
Depending on how much you plan to load the shelf, you may also consider adding additional support such as metal L-braces at the corners.
Simply screw the casters securely to the bottom of the server stand frame you just built and you’re good to go.
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However, an enclosed grill has some advantages, such as the ability to keep dust and other debris out. Things like bugs. For some reason centipedes seem to love electricity. I have found them in computer cases as well as electrical panels.
Dust can accumulate on the internal components of your servers, making cooling less effective. We’ll go with that reason rather than cringe at having to sweep up dead bugs. 🙂
Step 7: Cut the Cabinet Panels Measure and cut the top and bottom for the server case enclosure. The sides will be flush with the width of the open grill. Front and back 5″ overhangs add 10″ to the depth of your open grill.
Measure and cut the sides as well. The depth of the sides will be the same as the depth of the top and bottom. The height of the sides will be the height of the open grill plus 2 times the thickness of your plywood.
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Don’t secure anything yet. Just prepare it. Apply edge strips to the front and back of the top and bottom and to the top, front and back of the sides.
Step 8: Fit the Cabinet Top and Sides Drill the appropriate pocket holes for 3/4″ hardware in the underside of the cabinet top, spacing the holes every 6-8″. Attach the sides to the top as shown.
Now place the upside down open frame rack into the partial cabinet centering it. There should be 5″ of plywood sticking out front and back. Attach the top and sides of the plywood to the 2×4 frame from the outside using 1-1/2″ flathead wood screws. Drill pilot and bench holes deep enough to fill the holes with wood material before finishing. You may want to measure and mark the screw locations for a more even look.
Step 9: Match Holes in the Cabinet Bottom Drill pocket screw holes in the underside of the cabinet bottom every 6″ and attach the bottom to the sides of the cabinet. Also drill and countersink 1-1/2″ wood screws ” in 2×4.
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Step 10: Install Wheels With the rack server cabinet already upside down, it’s a good time to install the wheels. Position the wheels so they are on top of the 2×4, drill pilot holes and secure with 1-1/2″ to 2″ wood screws.
Optional: Insulation At this point you may want to add some rigid 1″ or 1-1/2″ sheet batt insulation in the gaps between the 2x4s in the open rack (not 5″ in front or behind it). servers are strong (especially 1U servers) and can help reduce fan noise. Not much since the front and back will be open. If you plan to keep it where noise is an issue, consider larger servers that can accommodate 80mm or 120mm fans that don’t make as much noise.
Step 11: Make Door Frames Measure the front and back openings and subtract 1/4″ from the width and height. This will give you the correct size for the width and height of your door with a 1/8″ gap all the way around. surface .
Cut the 1×4 boards to the appropriate length, drill holes for the pocket, glue and screw them together as shown after making sure everything is the correct size in the opening.
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Step 12: Install screen Good ventilation is important, so the center of the door is an aluminum window pane. Stretch and staple the aluminum screen to the inside of each door and trim off the excess.
For a more finished look, you can cut and screw some screen molding around the edges of the screen.
Step 12: Add Filter Foam to the Front Door Dust can be a real problem for computers, so we’re going to add a removable foam filter to the front door to help capture some of the dust. No filter is required on the back door because the air flows from front to back through the servers.
Cut the foam filter material to be larger than the aluminum screen already attached to the door. Cut a piece of material fabric about 1/2″ – 1″ wider and longer than the piece of filter foam.
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Place the filter foam on the back of the door above the aluminum screen. Place the hardware cloth over the filter foam and screw the hardware cloth to the door around the edges using small 3/8″ or 1/2″ wood screws.
The material cloth will keep the filter foam from sagging or otherwise losing its shape. When the filter is full of dust, simply unscrew