Small rack sourcing

[Anthony de Boer]

Howard Gibson wrote:
> Anthony de Boer <adb-SACILpcuo74 at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> >  ..  Also there are racks that take any of at least three different
> > screw size/pitches (don't strip out the holes!), ones that ship with
> > paint partially blocking the threads, ...
> 
> Anthony,
> 
>    The standard is for the holes to be 10-32UNF.  I have seen M6X1.

Yes.  #insert the Tanenbaum quote about the wonderful thing about
standards being the multitude of them to pick from.

Years ago at 151 we had some aluminum racks that took #12 or #14 screws,
and I'm fairly certain I ran up against #10-24 racking once.  Being
gentle with a hand screwdriver the first time and not forcing the threads
will help figure out what it wants.  If you haven't already read "Zen and
the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace" get a copy.

(Likewise peecees have a mixture of coarse-pitch and fine-pitch screws,
coarse for cases and PSUs and HDs but fine for floppy and optical drives,
and I'm sure there are a lot of stripped holes out there.)

Throw away the Philips-head screws that come with some rack gear and get
Robertson-head ones; this lets you balance the server on one arm with the
screw stuck on the bit in the electric screwdriver and get it installed
solo.  Make sure the second screw is in reach, of course, and it's the
bottom ones that are the important ones to get first.  And short screws
(3/8" or at most 1/2") go in quicker; someone I worked with once thought
1" screws were better, but they just took longer to get in or out and
don't add any strength.

Temporarily installing a shelf upside-down is a useful trick when you
have heavy gear to install over vacant rack space.

> Paint can be easily removed with a tap of the correct thread size.

Even more so when the tap is in a drill chuck in the aforementioned
electric screwdriver.

> If you need the clip-in nuts, I can figure out where to find them.  They actually, are very convenient and strong.

Back at a previous employer, they were in very short supply, and various
of my coworkers were like squirrels hiding their nuts in various small
caches around the datacentre.

-- 
Anthony de Boer
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