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rackstack/README.md

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# rackstack
![display](media/renders/rackDisplayRounded.png)
### A modular 3d-printable mini rack system
- ***Mount Anything:*** Perfect for organizing SBCs, mini PCs, small switches, power hubs, etc.
- ***Fully customizable:*** Fully written in OpenSCAD. Everything, from the dimensions of the rack, to the roundness of the corners, can be modified with a simple code change.
- ***Printable from home:*** Designed to be printed with conventional FDM printers. Requires minimal supports when printing, and final assembly needs only a few easy-to-source parts.
- ***No cage nuts:*** Sliding hex nut design for the front rails allows one to easily mount items, without dealing with cage nuts.
- ***Stackable:*** Individual racks can be easily stacked and fastened together. Mix and match different color and design combinations!
## Assembly
Pre-generated STLs for roughly 200mm^3 (mini), 180mm^3 (micro), and 100mm^3 (nano) rack frames can be found in the [stl](stl) dir.
These STLs are generated from the files in [rack/print](rack/print) - further information about printing these parts
(supports, orientation) can be found in these files.
### Assembly Instructions
Please see [the assembly guide](./assembly-guide).
### BOM - Required Tools:
- 3d FDM Printer - build size requirements depend on configured rack profile
- M3 Allen Key (for constructing the rack)
- M4 Allen Key (for mounting rack-mount items)
### BOM - Single Rack:
| Item | Name | Quantity | Comment |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| <img src="media/bom/fhcs_short.gif" height="60" width="72"> | M3x8 FHCS | 8 | Extras are useful and inexpensive. If you plan on eventually stacking multiple racks together, don't hesitate to get a lot more. |
| <img src="media/bom/fhcs_medium.gif" height="60" width="72"> | M3x12 FHCS | 12 | ☝️ |
| <img src="media/bom/fhcs_long.gif" height="60" width="72"> | M3x16 FHCS | 16 | ☝️ |
| <img src="media/bom/hex_nut.gif" height="60" width="72"> | M3 hex nut | 36 | ☝️ |
| <img src="media/bom/dowel.gif" height="60" width="72"> | 3x10 steel dowel pin | 4 | 3mm diameter, 10mm height |
| <img src="media/bom/magnet.gif" height="60" width="72"> | 6x2 neodymium disc magnet | 8 | 6mm diameter, 2mm height |
| <img src="media/bom/glue.gif" height="60" width="72"> | super glue | \>= 2ml | Used to glue magnets to plastic |
### Printing - Single Rack:
| Part | Quantity |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|----------|
| [Y-Bar](./rack/print/yBar_P.scad) | 4 |
| [X-Bar](./rack/print/xBar_P.scad) | 4 |
| [Main Rail](./rack/print/mainRail_P.scad) | 4 |
| [Left Magnet Module](./rack/print/magnetModuleLeft_P.scad) | 2 |
| [Right Magnet Module](./rack/print/magnetModuleRight_P.scad) | 2 |
| [Hinge Module](./rack/print/hingeModule.scad) | 4 |
| [Left Side Wall](./rack/print/sideWallLeft_P.scad) | 1 |
| [Right Side Wall](./rack/print/sideWallRight_P.scad) | 1 |
| [XY-Plate](./rack/print/xyPlate_P.scad) | 2 |
| [Feet](./rack/print/rackFeet_P.scad) (optional) | 2 |
#### Notes:
- ⚠️ Before printing the actual parts. It's recommended to print this evaluation part: [eval_P.scad](./rack/print/eval_P.scad) to test tolerances.
If you find the fits too tight/loose, you can adjust them [here](./config/print.scad). Please make sure also adjust the layer height in that file, too.
- Omitted actual plastic for printing. Any conventional 3d printing plastic should do (PLA, PETG, ABS),
but beware of PLA's thermal limits. Higher infill is recommended for all parts.
- For joining two racks, you will need to print 4 [rackJoiners](./rack/print/rackJoiner_P.scad), as well as 8 M3 hex nuts, and 8 M3x12 FHCS.
- Main front rails use M4 hex nuts and screws.
- Side rails are mounted using M3 hex nuts and screws.
## Trays, Boxes, etc
Some parametric rack mount systems can be found in [rack-mount](./rack-mount). The following rack-mount systems
are currently supported:
- [Enclosed Box](./rack-mount/enclosed-box): For mounting box-shaped objects, without the need for any mounting holes on the box.
- [Tray](./rack-mount/tray): Simple tray mounted using only the front rails. Can be configured to have screw mounts at the bottom of the tray.
- [Patch Panel](./rack-mount/patch-panel): Linear patch panel array. Number of keystone slots can be configured.
## Configuring + Generating STLs
A python script: [rbuild.py](./rbuild.py) is provided to generate different project stls. **Before running the script**, please
configure the path to the OpenSCAD binary in [rbuild.py](./rbuild.py).
Requirements:
- `openscad` CLI binary
- `python3`
### Examples:
Generate all project files for the `micro` profile:
`python3 rbuild.py -b all -c micro`
This will build all the parts defined in [rack/print](./rack/print), and put the STLs in [stl/micro](./stl/micro).
You can also provide a `-dz {n}` parameter to adjust the height of the generated rack. Configuring other rack
variables can be done in [config/rackframe.scad](./config/rackFrame.scad).
For generating a specific part, and putting it into a new `stl/custom` target directory:
`python3 rbuild.py -b yBar -c micro -t custom`
`rbuild.py` also support an optional `--nightly` flag, which will run a nightly build of OpenSCAD. Please make sure the
path to the nightly build is also configured in [rbuild.py](./rbuild.py).
### ⚠️ Important:
Before committing to a full print, please try printing an evaluation print: [eval_P.scad](./rack/print/eval_P.scad) to test tolerances.
It is very likely you will need to edit the default tolerances in [print.scad](./config/print.scad) for a nice fit.
## Designing rack-mount items
Some useful variables for designing your own rack-mount items can be found in [rack-mount/dimensionHelper.scad](./rack-mount/dimensionHelper.scad).