this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2023
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Hello, it looks like server cabinet that I just got off of Facebook marketplace doesn't seem to have rails or a rack. I'm not sure what the terminology for all of this is but I don't see a clear way to mount anything to the server cabinet could any of you kind souls explain what I need to buy for this cabinet?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

3D printed spacing jig, a power drill, and some riv-nuts and you might have something serviceable

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

The things you’re thinking of are called ‘mounting profiles’

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I’d return it if it was sold as a server rack.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

~~Server~~ cabinet doesn't have rails

Fixed the title

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Ooh it's off the rails.
Nice cabinet!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I have just steal rack strips if you are local to the Bay Area (Brentwood or concord) you can have free.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Utah is my guess based on OPs profile

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Damn, guess they sit in the garage a bit longer

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Hell, I'd pay for shipping. I live on the west coast now

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Will PM you

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That’s called an open-air portable closet.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Cellular Phone Booth

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

It was stripped for parts. Rails and mounting points are proprietary to each manufacturer. You cannot find generic replacements (at least not without some modifications)

They likely took all the old equipment out by removing the rails completely rather than doing it properly. Does the seller show other items for sale and do they list the missing parts in a separate listing?

Lesson learned. Inspect your purchases and know what you are buying before handing over the money.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Hook a leaf blower to it and stack money inside to make one of those hurricane cash grab things!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

you might even make enough money from that scheme to buy yourself another Facebook marketplace cabinet!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Is this one of those European see-through toilets xd?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

If this is what I think it is, then this is intended to have a server rack placed inside of it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Buy some like these https://cablematic.com/en/products/profile-rack-19-inches-for-sohorack-12u-2-units-WO044/

And check if you could install them on that frame.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

This is a virtual appliance cabinet. You have plenty of virtual rack space. Steal.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

You could probably throw two Dell M1000e server chassis into that as-is. Just make sure you aren't paying the power bill.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Silly robot, it’s a shower.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This looks like it was part of some tooling system, or production machine and is meant for that. I’ve never seen a cab with mirror finish interior panel either. Did you have this shipped off FB?

Edit: and solid rear wall? Uhh…

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Looks like a stripped cake fridge

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

If you find the model number on it and give it a google you can probably buy the missing posts

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I steal the cage nut rails to make yard rakes for my tractor

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Looks like the $uiside machine from Futurama, or a modern day police call box for a Dr(I bet it's bigger on the inside).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

There's cheap and there's proper.

Proper: Buy square hole rails or tell the FB lister to take it back.

Cheap: go buy 1x1 Angle aluminum and make your own shelves. (Provided the spacing is correct.)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Did you try getting rails and installing them? Seems to be the fix for the issue

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Frame for a TARDIS?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

That's clearly the server admin's office.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Frame for a TARDIS?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Who takes the effort to remove the mounting rails? Take it as a lesson learned for next time, and find a server rack with actual square hole or round hole mounting rails.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

This looks very similar to a cabinet I recently aquired. It was an A/V cabinet that had PA equipment mounted in it. I measured and did my research and bought a set of square hole rails 48U that bolted right to the inside of the cabinet. I picked them up from a surplus location. I did have to do a little extra drilling, installing some nuts, bolts, and spacers to make it all the perfect width. I wanted the fully enclosed cabinet with glass all the way around it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Do you just have your fans at 100% so your servers float?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

It’s the Helpdesk penalty box

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

It’s for a virtual server , … :D

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

A - you need to make sure that the opposite side can be removed, or has sufficient venting. Rack equipment moves air front to back (cold aisle to hot aisle) If all you have for venting is the top then youre going to need some heavy duty fans to lift the hot air out of the cabinet and exhaust it somewhere

B - You can buy rack rails - theyre basically angle iron, and either tapped 10-32, 12-24, M6. AV racks typically use tapped rails. Server racks more commonly use square holes that accept cage nuts with M6 screws. Assuming you have 72" internal clearance in height, then https://www.server-rack-online.com/7205-es2p.html or https://www.penn-elcom.com/us/42u-rack-strip-with-square-holes-1-16in-thick-r0863-2mm-42 rail kit is what youd want (the first link is for a pair, vs the second link is per rail). Dont forget the cage nuts and screws https://www.server-rack-online.com/hdw-105-50.html

For 19" racks, the distance between hole centers on the rails needs to be 18 & 5/16 inches. If you dont have about 20 inches between the cabinet walls (assuming about another 1.5 inches taken up by the width of the rails) then this cabinet is probably a bit of a lost cause

All that said, for the $100 you'd spend on rails, theres probably someone out there with a proper server rack trying to get rid of it for that or less

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

If you need a server cabinet this big...

... then you can afford just to buy a budget cabinet.

Otherwise, how can you afford the power bill?