Butcher Block Flexy Rack Build - Finished

[Old Guy8]

Brought shelves in to warmer basement to cure. This is another pic, this time under led light. The color is Sherwin Williams Classic oil stain, Bright Cherry. Like rich red tone.
But if you do birch, you might investigate useing a wood conditioner first which I didn't.( Make sure compatable with oil stain.) Especially on board endgrain. They got very dark like paint. There is a little blotch otherwise. Definitely not pro work on my part. I can feel with hand and see few pimply surface blemishes if light right. I might have reduced, if sanded between poly coats. Applying finishes in same dusty garage where sanded, wasn't ideal. I tried to rid dust from garage with leafblower.
Topped with two coats satin polyurethane.

 

[Old Guy8]

Ordered hardware, due in a week. Will give shelf finish time to cure.

Swivel total locking casters. 3" polyurethane wheels and black painted steel frames to blend with black oxide finish hardware. Mounted height is 4".

Ordered black oxide finished 5/8"-11 x 3' threaded steel rods and class 8 hex nuts. Black oxide finished stainless washers with 1-1/8" OD. And natural brass acorn nuts for tops. Also cloth filled neoprene washers, 5/8 x 1-1/2" x 1/8" thick.

Casters will be surface mounted inward of rods. Allowing swing clearance. Given double wide rack, it should be stable. Not for single width unit, IMO. Casters with 5/8"-11 mount were TOO expensive and not available in desired black finish. Casters won't allow leveling of bottom shelf and whole unit. Top and middle shelves can be leveled individually, of course.

Edit: May apply liquid car wax to threaded rods to reduce rust and add shine.

Is the polyurethane cured when it stops giving off odor? A week and still has a little smell. Don't want rubber washers to adhere to finish. I'll give it more time.

 

[KrautNotRice]

Looks great!
I personally like the blotchyness, it's character. Looks more interesting than a totally homogenous finish.
Oil based poly will give off a smell for even longer than a week, but should be hard enough to "walk on" after 24 hours, according to the label of the stuff I used anyway.

 

[faber12]

Looks great! I like the idea of the hockey pucks covering the nuts, if you sink the nuts into the underside and then epoxy them in it would make for easy adjustments.

 

[Old Guy8]

Looks great! I like the idea of the hockey pucks covering the nuts, if you sink the nuts into the underside and then epoxy them in it would make for easy adjustments.

Thanks for comments. I think recessing nuts on underside would be difficult, IMO. And I don't have counterbores large enough to clear hex. Think hex nuts need to be loose to align to rods and for leveling. Besides, I want rubber washers on both sides, to isolate from vibration.

 

[JoeESP9]

Looks great! I like the idea of the hockey pucks covering the nuts, if you sink the nuts into the underside and then epoxy them in it would make for easy adjustments.

How would you turn the nuts to raise or lower the shelves? How would you get the shelves screwed to the allthread rods in the first place?
FWIW: I've had a Dual Flexy since before the turn of the century.

 

[Old Guy8]

Personally, I think the exposed hardware look is part of flexy appeal. If I can get consistant finishes of the pieces, should look good. If not black, stainless also looks good. To each his own. Many ways to do one.

 

[faber12]

How would you turn the nuts to raise or lower the shelves? How would you get the shelves screwed to the allthread rods in the first place?

Drill through the pucks, then sink the nuts in the bottom, and epoxy them to the puck, keeping the path clear for the threaded rod. Essentially turning the pucks into giant nuts.

 

[JoeESP9]

What are the hockey pucks for?

 

[KrautNotRice]

What are the hockey pucks for?

It's scientifically proven that hockey pucks increase fidelity. In fact, the more the stronger the effect.
I place them under the speaker outriggers or speaker stands, under amps. Sometimes also just near the speakers on the hardwood floor, seems to tighten up the bass and improve imaging.
Your kilometers may vary.

 

[Old Guy8]

Maybe hockey pucks deserve thier own thread?

 

[JoeESP9]

FWIW: I've tried Hockey pucks under my speakers. I prefer spikes. As for Flexy racks, IME the neoprene and steel washers on both sides of each shelf that are screwed down tight are sufficient for vibration control.

I've had a Dual Flexy for 20+ years. Mine is slightly different than most dual Flexys. I use two all thread rods in the middle and only one on each end.

All you cheapskates note, I saved ~$4 with my configuration.

What the Hell! Hockey pucks are cheap. Buy a box of them and try them for yourself.

 

[Old Guy8]

Ebay seller made no attempt to cushion casters. Shipped in plastic bag to bang each
other. No surprise, paint is scratched up. Otherwise robust casters. Will mount with 1/4" clearance to hex nuts. #14x3/4" sheet metal screws. Have to decide how close to edge to mount. Hidden under or wider stance? I mounted near edge for wide spacing.
Two of the casters lock solid with no movement. Two have a little play in the bearings, which allows some movement.

 

[Old Guy8]

FINISHED. Just have to load it up.

Cost:
Shelves $165, Menard's on sale.

*Hardware/casters $150 total:
Ebay vendor Zoro for rods $68, brass acorn nuts $8, hex nuts $6.
Other Ebay sellers for black stainless washers $14, cloth inserted rubber washers (cloth inside helps hold thier shape. Worked well.) $18.

*Ebay seller for 3" dia. poly wheel Casters $25.

Stain $20, Bright Cherry oil from Sherwin Williams. ( No offence to S-W stores. If your a novis with stains I advise. Find a store with people with actual wood staining experiance. I didn't on another project. They can advise before you screw up.)

Satin Polyurethane, I had on hand.
Total Flexy cost: About $335

*The casters are of course optional. You could add feet of many types to bottom of rods. I looked at pivoting flat bottom flange style feet.

I used rubber wrist band to speed threading nuts on as was recommended by poster here. Worked well, and a time saver.

I put cork pads under all gear. Maybe less likely to damage/stick to polyurethane finish, at least till sure it has totally cured. Poly has had TWO WEEKS to cure. (Edit: After few weeks, no issues to cork sticking to polyurethane.)

Overall height is 39".

Was not sure of look of having casters. Think looks ok with them black. Does not move, when locked.

Turntables on it is ok so far. Just can't push rack while playing, or open CDP drawer. Rack will sway when pushed sideways. An adjacent table for TT is best. I have second TT on repurposed cast iron sewing machine table beside it.

Top Shelf with 55# tube amp and turntable has a bow under .010" in two feet span. Not bad.

 

[TEA FOR ONE]

That came out Great!

 

[Old Guy8]

That came out Great!

Thanks, happy with it. The three foot rods are maybe a little too long for three shelves. Two footer would be too short. May move shelves down a few inches.
One misstake I made was chipping out bottom sides of drilled holes. Should have put scrap board underneath. Got a drill press since build. That might have helped.

 

[Pete B]

It looks great but I've read most of this thread and can't find where you sourced
the butcher block. It would help to provide your sources so that we don't have
to do all the searches again for wood and hardware.

I understand that you want it on rollers but for others it might work to extend the
rods to the floor and put acorn nuts on the bottom also as sort of dull "spikes".

 

[Old Guy8]

It looks great but I've read most of this thread and can't find where you sourced
the butcher block. It would help to provide your sources so that we don't have
to do all the searches again for wood and hardware.

I understand that you want it on rollers but for others it might work to extend the
rods to the floor and put acorn nuts on the bottom also as sort of dull "spikes".

Pete,
The first post had the butcher block info. Managed to corrupt post and can't edit it.
Butcher block came from Menards. Was on sale for $50 at the time.
There are many Flexy racks with rods extending to floor elsewhere on AK. I wanted to be able to reposition or have access to back. The fully locking casters do not roll or rotate when locked. Don't mare vinyl plank floors.
I'll update the thread with sources that I missed documenting.
Thanks for your comments.

 

[Pete B]

Thank you!

 

[OnTheBlitz]

FINISHED. Just have to load it up.

Cost:
Shelves $165, Menard's on sale.
*Hardware/casters $150 total, Ebay vendor Zoro for rods $68, brass acorn nuts $8, hex nuts $6. Other Ebay sellers for black stainless washers $14, cloth inserted rubber washers (cloth inside helps hold thier shape. Worked well.) $18. Ebay seller for Casters $25.
Stain $20, Bright Cherry oil from Sherwin Williams.
Satin Polyurethane, I had on hand.
Total $335

*The casters are of course optional. You could add feet of many types to bottom of rods. I looked at pivoting flat bottom flange style feet.

I used rubber wrist band to speed threading nuts on as was recommended by poster here. Worked well, and a time saver.

I put cork pads under all gear. Maybe less likely to damage/stick to polyurethane finish, at least till sure it has totally cured. Poly has had TWO WEEKS to cure. (Edit: After few weeks, no issues to cork sticking to polyurethane.)

Overall height is 39".

Was not sure of look of having casters. Think looks ok with them black. Does not move, when locked.

Turntables on it is ok so far. Just can't push rack while playing, or open CDP drawer. Rack will sway when pushed sideways. An adjacent table for TT is best. I have second TT on repurposed cast iron sewing machine table beside it.

Top Shelf with 55# tube amp and turntable has a bow under .010" in two feet span. Not bad.

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Nice work! Looks great!