MOTM

In a message dated 1/31/2000 4:46:20 PM, synth1@... writes:

>Please voice your opinion for "big honkin' rack rail" lengths for wood
>cases.
>1 26U length recorded. Any other preferences?


I'll take any size between 22U and 26U.

>The rail are currently planned as simple 'L' brackets with:
>a) the same tapped holes/spacing as the 19A but....
>b) the other "leg" of the rail is 0.75" wide with counterbored holes to
>accept wood screws
>The holes on this side are about 6 inches apart.


I hope the same "tight" radius as well!

>I *know* this does not address what to do if you want 2 or more "butt-ended"
>rows
>on top of each other. One solution is a "semi-floating" rail, 1.00" high
>with 2 parallel
>rows of tapped holes. One the ends, there is a 90 degree bent flange with
>say 4 counterbored
>holes for wood screws. This allows the bottom panel holes of "Row A" and
>the
>top panel holes of
>"Row B" to screw into *something* that is supported on the ends (since
>the
>ends screw into the
>left/right sides of the case).


If I understand this correctly, then this is a very similar solution to the 
one I was thinking about.


>Also, these will be "cut in half" so I can ship them without sending 40"
>long torpedos
>through the mail system, and then postal employees use them for pole
>vaulting practice.


I understand that there may be certain length limitations for shipping BUT 
I'd like to keep my rails as long as possible.

>Now, *sloping* a la Moog 35/55 is another issue! I seriously doubt I can
>provide angles bent other
>than 30/45/60/90 (I think the Moog slope is about 10 degrees). Moog used
>*wood* rails, which
>with any dado machine you can just "dail in" the bevel slope. Bending 11ga
>iron bars is a different
>animal!!


It seems that any mounting solution that would work for a middle pair of 
butted rails would work for a sloped cabinet -- or, as implied by your 
mentioning of the Moog cabinet, a wedge could be cut for top and bottom 
mounting rather easily (though I couldn't do it here). I seem to remember 
Paul S. was thinking of putting case plans together so that each of us could 
either build the case or have a carpenter build it for us. I think many of us 
could pool our resources in this manner to come up with some common 
dimensions at least.

>From my end: I have to watch stuff like maximum UPS/USPS/FedX dimensions!

Just a note that the 22U rails I got from TechAM were sent UPS (in a simple 
cardboard tube I think).

When might these be available (and how much are we thinking of paying)?
John B.