42/54 hp Lunchbox Inspiration

[Olivia_Artz]

i just got my pelican protector 1150 and 42 hp rails. they kind of sit loosely when i extend them across the interior of the case. any tips on mounting them?

-liv

[hi.mo]

my rails were just slightly more than 42hp, ive cutted them from one 104 hp rail. what you can do is use a longer screw (if you gonna drill holes on the sides) and add some spacer /washers (maybe plastic ones) in between rail and case.

[t3h]

@Olivia_Artz

any tips on mounting them?

you can add 3mm or 4mm aluminium plate for extra stability for both ends of the rails. People sometimes do that.

[Olivia_Artz]

thanks for the washer suggestion. i don’t want to drill holes in the case. not for any practical reason, i just want to preserve the “integrity” of my pelican case. i’m so excited to final have one after lusting after them my whole life.

my rails just arrived today! i think i’ll follow someone else’s suggestion of adding metal plates to one or both ends. and maybe jb weld everything in place

[flowers_hair_dirt]

I’ve seen people use really strong Velcro on aluminum brackets to mount the rails. I think it is a smart design choice if you don’t want anything too permanent in your new pelican case or at least a good place to start if you are worried about making mistakes.

I would be super careful using JB wield on the rails.
I made a 54hp wooden case last winter and I had to remove the rails twice because they were just slightly unparalleled. I measured everything multiple times and I didn’t know it was off until my last module would not fit. I had to remove all the modules and adjust the rails the tiniest amount. Luckily the third time i got it perfect.

If i had JB welded my rails I’m not sure i would have been able to adjust them afterwards. it would have been a total bummer and made my rack 1-2hp smaller!

Just something to think about before using permanent glue as opposed to velcro or mounting with screws and washers through the case.

[kbra]

If you can get alu sheet cut to size and can drill & countersink it, of course you can always get alu brackets that stand on the bottom of the case and support the rails screwn to the top side of the brackets. Sort of how Tiptop Happy ending etc. work on their own, the alu brackets / end cheeks also act as spacers / stands. (I’m not sure if I managed to explain it well enough that you get an idea…)

Then add some friction so that the thing doesn’t move (eg. stuff cardboard or fabric between the brackets and case walls, or use velcro between brackets and case for extra locking effect) and you have something that doesn’t move much and doesn’t accidentally fall into the bottom of the case.

[t3h]

@flowers_hair_dirt

I had to remove the rails twice because they were just slightly unparalleled

yes, this is actually not easy task at all. What I found useful is to mount some dummy faceplates (I had some from unfinished DIY projects) and then make the measurements.

[2197]

just about to pick up a palette case and slowly start building a portable rack to play along with norns. realised intellijel’s website states palette “capable of powering up to 12 modules”. is this really the total? or per row? i’m sure i’ve seen pictures of other palette cases that has more than 12 modules in them. current idea looks like this (17 modules): NERV - Eurorack Modular System from 2197 on ModularGrid

[Helen]

@2197

i’m sure i’ve seen pictures of other palette cases that has more than 12 modules in them

I have an Intellijel 4u 62hp case - which is technically outside the scope of this 42/54hp thread, I know (and apologies for that) - It has enough built-in headers for 12 modules b-u-t… flying bus cables are your friend!

Show us your modular system

I’m slowly breaking down this patch now, but at its maximum extent, this is what it was looking like. It was sounding pretty sweet, too - though I do say so myself [2021-01-01]

[kbra]

I have the Palette as well, slowly filling with slightly smaller amount of modules. FWIW, the USB power (which gets connected directly to separate 5V header) and the top row count as “modules” in the grid, so as far as I can count, technically you have “only” 15 modules that require normal euro power headers in there.

(Still, you’d need something like a 4-way flying bus board cable to split power to the remaining modules, as mentioned!)

[2197]

@Helen

flying bus cables

ah, thanks! never really had to think about power in my other case, so i didn’t know you could use flying bus cables to expand the number of 16 pin headers.

@kbra

technically you have “only” 15 modules

right, i see that now. still plenty of headroom for power usage so i’ll just get a flying bus cable. thanks!