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Advice on AV Cabinet
This thread has 19 replies. Displaying posts 1 through 15.
Post 1 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 09:56
crosen
Senior Member
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April 2009
1,262
We have been allocated the top shelf of a closet for AV gear. The shelf is 36"w x 21"d x 33"h. The gear we need to accommodate includes:

- Controller (Control4 EA5)
- 3 x cable box
- 3 x Roku
- 3 x HDMI switch
- 3 x HDMI TX
- network router
- switch
- UPS / IP Power controller

Our plan to accommodate this gear involved using a Middle Atlantic SRSR.

HOWEVER, the closet is being furnished by California Closets, and they do not have the faculty / inclination to create the shelf such that it can support the weight and torque of an SRSR.

We see two options:

1. After the closet is installed, bring in our own resources to try and shore up the shelf so it can accommodate the SRSR.

2. Figure out a way to accommodate the gear that does not require a pullout rack mechanism, but still affords us the needed access for installation and maintenance.

Focusing on option 2, any thoughts on how to approach this? Anytime we've ever tried putting gear on static shelving in the past, it has been a huge head ache with ongoing concerns about maintainability and we vowed never to do it again.

Much appreciate any thoughts.
If it's not simple, it's not sufficiently advanced.
Post 2 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 10:25
ichbinbose
Select Member
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1,824
Can you do two small swing open racks?
Post 3 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 10:33
Mac Burks (39)
Elite Member
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17,515
Does your list mean Qty.3 Cable boxes, Qty 3 Rokus...etc?

Putting AV gear in that kind of cabinet is always a nightmare. Even the best/most stable closet systems fail after a while. The good news is that i dont see any amps or AVRs in the list so you aren't dealing with the weight i usually have to deal with.

I hate slide out racks but you absolutely have to do it. Otherwise you will deal with a nightmare every time you service the system. Racks are also a great way to say "dont put your underwear and wallet on this shelf".

I would build a 3/4" plywood box that perfectly fits the 36X21X33 opening. A glued and screwed solid box. Mount that box to the studs and each side of the shelf opening. Then mount your rack base to the plywood box. I would even bolt the back rails of the base to the plywood box.
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 4 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 10:35
SWOInstaller
Select Member
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October 2010
1,589
How big is the closet? Can you work with the closet installer/manufacturer and have them allocate a space for a wall mounted rack rather than an SRSR? What about utilizing some floor space and putting a small rack with casters in?

Without model numbers my estimate is you would need at least 14RU to accommodate the devices you listed and that isn't including any spaces for patch panels or additional devices.
You can't fix stupid
Post 5 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 10:40
ericspencer
Active Member
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December 2011
535
Fixed rack firmly attached to structure and slide out shelves??
[Link: middleatlantic.com]
Not my circus, not my monkeys
Post 6 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 10:53
buzz
Super Member
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May 2003
4,366
Do you have enough clearance between the front edge of the shelf and the closet door to pull out the SRSR and work on the connections? It will cost you a little vertical space, but you could install your own top shelf above the California Closets top shelf.

Small stuff, such as ROKU, TX's, and possibly the router can be Velcro mounted to the walls. I often mount network switches vertically to the side wall. This gives me front access to the LAN connections and requires very little shelf space.

The worst part of this mess will be dealing with the modular power supplies. I'd be tempted to skip the modular's and use larger, central supplies and a small power distribution panel.
Post 7 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 11:38
Rob Grabon
Founding Member
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November 2001
1,392
Do two mock ups and explain how much cheaper and better it would be to have a floor rack vs the inconvenience of their shelving use allocation?

Design time, rack added costs, labor, 3rd party labor, materials, every service call plus 1 hour to deal with the height, ladders vs a couple of pillows.

Personally regretted the couple we weren't more adamant about, "this is a bad idea".
Technology is cheap, Time is expensive.
Post 8 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 11:46
Mr. Brad
Advanced Member
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April 2008
934
Ouch! I sure hope this is a walk in closet! Sometimes equipment space needs to become nonnegotiable.

Let them all talk about it, then come back and push for a rolling rack on the floor. easy for the cabinet maker to build around. We are to the point that we would almost refuse to put this much equipment on the top shelf. Installing and servicing equipment on a ladder is a bad idea.

I would point out the to the owner that for you to provide any future phone support, the customer will need to be up on a ladder to power cycle and provide status light information.
Post 9 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 11:49
cma
Super Member
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August 2003
3,044
Swing door rack mounted to the wall
Post 10 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 13:10
Ernie Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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December 2001
30,104
If the space will actually work for the equipment, here's what I would do.

Be sure the shelf that the equipment is going on is 3/4" thick. I'd insist on having a cabinetmaker make a shelf out of plywood, covered with melamine to match the rest of the closet.

Mount 1x2 (which in truth is 3/4" x 1-1/2") wood to the sides and the rear of the cabinet. The shelf will sit on this. Orient it so that 1-1/2" is the height.

Did I say the shelf will sit on this? NO. It won't. It will instead be mounted to it by driving screws down through the shelf and into the wood.

Under the shelf, I'd mount a piece of 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" angle iron (which in truth is 1-1/2" x 1-1/2"), prestressed so that it pushes up on the shelf.

Use glue and 3/4" flathead screws to mount the angle iron to the plywood shelf. (If you think flathead is a description of a style of screwdriver tip, well, it's not. It's the description of the shape of the head of the screw.) I mean the kind of screw head that's flush to the surface.

Just my thoughts on things.
Screw it all together.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 11 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 13:41
mwstorch
Long Time Member
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May 2003
375
Ive done the #1 option too often in situations like this when I cant get a floor standing rack. The quickest and easiest solution is to create a fixed shelf with your own 2x4, plywood, etc and then cut down one of the California Closet shelves to make a facia to cover the ugly front edge of whatever you fabricate.
Post 12 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 14:46
ceied
Loyal Member
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February 2002
5,749
put middle atlantic rack in before the closet system and make them work around it... bolt your stuff to the studs
Ed will be known as the Tiger Woods of the integration business, followed closely with the renaming of his company to "Hotties A/V". The tag line will be "We like big racks and tight holes"...
Post 13 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 15:30
Ernie Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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30,104
ed,
that's a great idea, but the closet company still has to be involved from the start.

Since they don't "have the inclination" to help out, you can be sure they're avoiding liability. They have no pressing need to even provide a disclaimer. They want to install a cabinet and go away. And get paid. And never hear from the client again.


The rear panels of such closets are not always right up against the wall, and can be an entire inch off the wall.

The more I thought about this approach, the more questions I had.

Is that 21" dimension inside the cabinet, or outside the cabinet?

If it's inside the cabinet, there's 1-3/4" between the back of the rack (19-1/4" deep) and the wall. If it's the outside dimension, there's about 1-1/8" space behind the rack. Minus, of course, whatever space the back panel is from the wall.

I've never seen one of these racks installed with less than six inches behind the rack. How will you deal with the wiring?

You're totally right about how clumsy it is to try to install equipment in a space like this. So,,, It's also occurred to me that you can't use the entire width of the closet space if you use a rack. I'd seriously consider putting in a wood shelf plus a vertical divider, placed so that an old-style A/V component (17-1/8" width) could be put in at a later time if needed.

Your actual usable space would almost double if you did not use a rack. It's worth a think or three.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 14 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 17:20
IRkiller
Advanced Member
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Posts:
May 2012
920
We take areas like this and reverse mount rack shelves to the walls using togglers usually. Seems like you have enough space for 3-4 high on each side. Try to make a "core" of wiring and it shouldn't be that bad.
how in the hell does ernie make money?
Post 15 made on Friday April 12, 2019 at 17:34
buzz
Super Member
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May 2003
4,366
It would be very tight to mount rack shelves side by side in a 36" space.
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