[command-tab]

I'd like to make my own rack to put all my equipment in because the racks that are sold retail are far too expensive. Problem is, I cna't find any definite dimentions anywhere. Does anyone know the sizes of the racks? eg: space between the angled brackets (vertical rails), the total width, the total depth...height isn't a factor here..i'll worry about that later.

[Camelot]

Actually, height is the primary factor.

A standard rack is referred to as a 19" rack. The actual space between the rails is 17 3/4 inches.

The reason that height is most important, though, is that racks are measured in RU (Rack Units), each RU is 1.75" high. Rackmount cases are measured in 'U's, so a 1U server is 1.75", 2U is 3.5" high, 4U is 7", etc.

The most important factor is the hole spacing. Your screw holes have to match the pattern on the rail in order to hold the server in place.

You should be able to find technical documents with exact measurements on various vendors sites. Check Chatsworth for a sample technical drawing of one common rail. It's an industry standard, so the sizes would be common for other vendors' rails.