Part 2 of the build – The enclosure. As mentioned in the design and planning post, the LackRack looks like a good option being cheap and easy to build/assemble.

Normally a LackRack is built using the Lack Table (55cm x 55cm). This is perfect for 1/2 length (~35cm) equipment. However, I will be using full-length servers in the lab so the Lack Coffee Table (55cm x 90cm) gave me the extra length required to completely enclose the equipment.

Reference: LackRack

Part and equipment list

• 2 x Lack Coffee tables – white (Ikea – £14 each)
• 2 x 44mm by 44mm by 2400mm timber (B&Q –  £5 each)
• Chisel
• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Wood saw
• Tape measure
• Marker pen

Construction steps

At a high level the steps where:

1. Assemble 1 x Lack Coffee table without the shelf (bottom)
2. Assemble 1 x Lack Coffee table without the shelf (top)
3. Use the chisel and hammer to remove the stoppers from the bottom of each leg.
4. When this doesn’t work.. apply saw to the offending leg.
5. Cut 4 x 80cm posts.
6. Insert one post into each of the legs of the bottom table.
7. Hammer down each post to make sure it is fully inserted.
8. Fit top table into the top of the posts.
9. Pull down on the top table to make ensure each post is completely inserted into each leg.
10. Add the shelf to the top table.

And as a special “treat” I recorded the process: Video (sorry about the overexposure).

Final result

Overal, I am happy with the final result. Assembly was straightforward and resulted in a cheap enclosure for the lab equipment.

Lessons learnt

Below is a list of things I learnt from the project or would do differently if I repeated the project:

• Wear gloves!
• The thickness of the plywood stopper in each leg varied a lot. Of the 8 legs I “opened”, 6 had a 1cm stoppers and were easily removed with the chisel and hammer. 2 had a 4cm stoppers. For the 4cm stoppers, I had to cut off the bottom of the legs to remove them.
• Each leg had a 2nd big stopper about 1/2 way up the leg. I didn’t remove these so the support posts wouldn’t fit totally inside the legs and where visible in the final product.  Not a huge deal for me and luckily meant the top of the rack was at the ideal height for a monitor and keyboard. The rack ended up standing 135cm tall.
• Add the shelf to the top tables. I hadn’t initially planned to do this but it ended up being really useful for storing cables and boxes.
• If you cut the posts to 35cm (rather than 80cm) the posts should be fully enclosed in the legs and look a bit nicer.

So there you have it, one LackRack assembled and installed.

Next: Racking the kit and cabling.