Aluminum rack rails?

[gabelinkiewicz]

I’m currently changing up my 80/20 cart design and thinking of swapping out my steel rack rails for aluminum. This would be a huge weight savings.

 

I see that Star Case sells some. Curious if these hold up well or if anyone has had experience with aluminum rack rails. My worry is if there’s susceptibility to bending, especially heavy items that are all on 1U like my a10 rack.

[tourtelot]

I am guessing, really guessing as I have no experience with those specific rails, that if you installed some gear once, you'd probably be okay.

 

Here's the thing.  If your cart rides around most of the days in a year in a camera truck, I might be concerned about viability.  At least, I would use steel washers to sandwich  the rails where they mount to the cart, nut-and-bolt, not SMS, and be very careful about torquing the equipment rack screws too tight.  Heavy units should be supported in the rear as well as the front. This IS from my experience with threading aluminum plates overall.

 

D.

[Jeff Wexler]

I used aluminum rack rails on all of the last carts I built and they worked out fine. I did make sure that they were very firmly supported at all points attaching to the 80/20 profiles. I will add that I never had any very heavy or substantial rack mount equipment installed, and for heavy stuff like cart power supplies, etc., always mounted down low and often with additional support along with the rack rails. Tourtelot has made some good suggestions though I think he is more concerned than I hav ever been.

[Derek H]

Doug, what do you mean by “not SMS”?

[Wandering Ear]

I’ve been using the starcase aluminum rack rails for years. They are solid.

It’s worth noting they are not a drop in replacement for steel rails as the dimensions are different than the common steel rails. 

[Johnny Karlsson]

12 hours ago, Wandering Ear said:

It’s worth noting they are not a drop in replacement for steel rails as the dimensions are different than the common steel rails. 

Thank you for pointing this out.
Also, looks like these are tapped for rack screws on both sides, which likely also would be problematic for simply replacing existing steel rails.

[BAB414]

On 6/20/2024 at 4:05 PM, Derek H said:

Doug, what do you mean by “not SMS”?

Sheet metal screws. Had to look it up

[drpro]

"Sounds More Sassy"

[Wandering Ear]

4 hours ago, Johnny Karlsson said:

Thank you for pointing this out.
Also, looks like these are tapped for rack screws on both sides, which likely also would be problematic for simply replacing existing steel rails.

It’d be an annoying thing to not notice before ordering. The star case rail are indeed pre tapped and are uniform on both sides.  This adds roughly 1/4” to each rail width over the steel rails, so the mounting frame needs to accommodate that. 
 The star case corner brackets use the existing holes to build there racks with. I think they don’t have any non tapped mounting holes, but there is enough space to drill new ones for mounting directly to 8020. This is how mine are on my cart. 
All that being said, they are still my favorite rack rails and I’ve never once worried about their durability. 

[Wyatt Tuzo]

I know this is not what your asking for (and may be more structural work than you're willing to undertake), but you COULD do away with the rack rails altogether. My current 8020 based cart has been in service for at least the past 13 years with rack equipment affixed directly to the slots via 10-32 roll-in t-nuts. I have the lower-most aluminum drawer reinforced to the back of the cart as well, and this supports everything above adequately.

I don't need to swap things out to terribly often, but when I do, I just lay the cart on it's back to keep the t-nuts from sliding down (sometimes I'll stick a blob of butyl in there to block the channel so they can't slide too far). ...keeps the cart as narrow as possible and cuts down on added weight.

[Derek H]

Hey Wyatt, just curious on a couple things. What size extrusion are you using? Also do you use anything to keep the gear recessed?

[Wyatt Tuzo]

I use 1010 extrusions. My power supply, drawers, and mixer tray are all flush to the face of the cart frame (not recessed), and my monitors are set back on a deeper vertical plane (I hope this makes sense. Here’s a pic for reference. You may need to zoom in 

 

 

[Wandering Ear]

On 6/22/2024 at 5:27 PM, Wyatt Tuzo said:

I know this is not what your asking for (and may be more structural work than you're willing to undertake), but you COULD do away with the rack rails altogether. My current 8020 based cart has been in service for at least the past 13 years with rack equipment affixed directly to the slots via 10-32 roll-in t-nuts. I have the lower-most aluminum drawer reinforced to the back of the cart as well, and this supports everything above adequately.

I don't need to swap things out to terribly often, but when I do, I just lay the cart on it's back to keep the t-nuts from sliding down (sometimes I'll stick a blob of butyl in there to block the channel so they can't slide too far). ...keeps the cart as narrow as possible and cuts down on added weight.

This is a great way to do it!  When i needed to drop 2” off of my follow cart i went this route, and i will do all my future builds this way.   The 25 or 10 series profiles fit perfectly. 

[gabelinkiewicz]

On 6/22/2024 at 5:27 PM, Wyatt Tuzo said:

I know this is not what your asking for (and may be more structural work than you're willing to undertake), but you COULD do away with the rack rails altogether. My current 8020 based cart has been in service for at least the past 13 years with rack equipment affixed directly to the slots via 10-32 roll-in t-nuts. I have the lower-most aluminum drawer reinforced to the back of the cart as well, and this supports everything above adequately.

I don't need to swap things out to terribly often, but when I do, I just lay the cart on it's back to keep the t-nuts from sliding down (sometimes I'll stick a blob of butyl in there to block the channel so they can't slide too far). ...keeps the cart as narrow as possible and cuts down on added weight.

Love this! Good pro tip on the sticky stuff too. Having those nuts slide is the bane of my existence.

 

On 6/21/2024 at 11:30 PM, Wandering Ear said:

I’ve been using the starcase aluminum rack rails for years. They are solid.

It’s worth noting they are not a drop in replacement for steel rails as the dimensions are different than the common steel rails. 

Good point. I’d need to rebuild my entire cart with to accommodate.

 

Thanks everyone for the input! Happy to hear they seem to hold up well. And even more happy to hear completely different mounting ideas to cut weight.

 

Much appreciated

[Wyatt Tuzo]

If you end up attaching directly to the profile, Gabe, I recommend using short rack screws like these:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/421012-REG/Middle_Atlantic_HPQ_HPQ_10_32_3_8_Philips.html

 

They will allow thinner rack ears to mount securely and firmly before the screw bottoms-out within the profile channel.

 

 

[Derek H]

I’m guessing it would not work with 1.5” rail and maybe not with 30mm either?

[Dejan Ceko]

Looking solid https://www.adamhall.com/shop/ca-en/19-rack-accessories/19-rack-fastening-solutions/930/6150?c=16162

[tourtelot]

Nice cart, Wyatt.  Is the Pro Tools screen a playback?

 

Recording to the SD I assume.

 

D.