PrintableRacks R23D printed 10-inch homelab rack
The easy one. Each side is a single printed loop with the rails built in, joined by a top and a bottom plate with eight M6 screws. Eight printed parts and about 20 minutes to put together with one hex key. Up to 4U per unit; for more height you stack two. It is a first draft that nobody has printed or load-tested yet; a free 4U print kit is in the builder.
Opens the “PrintableRacks R2 · 4U · Homelab” starter build, which passes every check. Opening it replaces the rack saved in this browser.

Key facts
- The PrintableRacks R2 is a printable 10-inch rack frame, designed by PrintableRacks; it is a first draft that nobody has printed or load-tested yet.
- It comes in 1U to 4U, with 230 mm of usable depth.
- The opening between its rails is 222 mm, for panels 254 mm wide.
- At 4U it is about 262 mm wide, 230 mm deep and 224 mm tall as drawn in the builder.
- It needs a printer bed of at least 256 mm and about 765 g of filament at 4U.
- 293 of the 359 loose devices in the PrintableRacks catalog fit it on a shelf without sticking out the back.
PrintableRacks R2 specs
| Type | Print it yourself (first draft; free 4U print kit in the builder) |
|---|---|
| Rack standard | 10-inch (254 mm panels) |
| Heights | 1U, 2U, 3U, 4U |
| Usable depth | 230 mm |
| Outer size at 4U | 262 x 230 x 224 mm (W x D x H, as drawn in the builder) |
| Opening between rails | 222 mm |
| Fastening | Eight M6 button-head screws into captive nuts, one 4 mm hex key. Gear bolts into M6 square nuts held in a printed cassette inside each rail |
| Smallest printer bed | 256 mm |
| Filament | About 765 g at 4U |
| Load rating | None: not load tested yet |
PrintableRacks' own design. Print files exist for 4U and were checked in software and sliced (about 765 g of PETG and 25.6 hours, or 805 g with the rear brace), but nobody has printed one yet. Use PETG or ASA; PLA softens near warm gear.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Eight printed parts and eight screws; about 20 minutes to assemble with one hex key
- Each side is a single printed loop with the rails built in, so there are no posts to square up
- No cage nuts and no heat-set inserts: square nuts sit in a cassette behind a solid 3 mm rail wall
- Every part lies flat on a 256 mm bed and prints without supports
- Top plate has a fan grille for a 120 mm fan
Trade-offs
- Not printed or load tested by anyone yet; treat it as a first draft
- 4U at most per unit on a 256 mm bed; go taller by stacking two units
- Fixed 230 mm depth
- The wall beside each rail nut is 2 mm thick, so do not over-tighten
- Open front and back: add the optional rear brace if it sways
What fits in the PrintableRacks R2?
Counted from the 706-part catalog at the frame’s tallest height (4U) and deepest option (230 mm). Loose devices are checked on the shelf named beside them.
- 218 rail parts fitof 225 for 10-inch rails
- 293 loose devices fiton a shelf, of 359 in the catalog
- 5 stick out the backat 230 mm deep
Fits, for example
- Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny (M720q / M920q)
- Raspberry Pi 5 (8 GB)
- UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra
- Synology DS423+
- HP EliteDesk 800 Mini (G4-G6)
- Dell OptiPlex Micro (7080 / 7090)
Does not fit cleanly
- Synology DS224+Sticks out 2.7 mm
- Synology DS225+Sticks out 2.7 mm
- UniFi USW-Enterprise-8-PoESticks out 18 mm
- Framework DesktopToo short
Questions about the PrintableRacks R2
Will a 1-litre mini PC fit in the PrintableRacks R2?
Yes. A 1-litre mini PC such as the Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny (M720q / M920q) (179 x 34.5 x 183 mm) takes 1U on the printed 1U shelf and leaves 47 mm spare at 230 mm deep.
Will a 2-bay NAS fit in the PrintableRacks R2?
Only with an overhang. A 2-bay NAS such as the Synology DS224+ (108 x 165 x 232.7 mm) takes 4U on the printed 1U shelf, but at 232.7 mm deep it sticks out 2.7 mm behind the 230 mm frame.
Can I download and print the PrintableRacks R2?
Yes, at 4U. A free print kit (.3mf, opens in Bambu Studio and other slicers) for the 4U build is in the builder: open the frame, open the Parts list and choose Download print kit; it needs a free account. The kit has a small test piece: print that first. Other heights have no files yet. It is still a first draft, checked in software and sliced, but nobody has printed or load-tested one. The files are free for personal, non-commercial use (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
Does the PrintableRacks R2 have a load rating?
No. Nobody has load-tested it yet, so keep heavy gear out until someone has. The builder still adds up the weight of your parts.
Who designed the PrintableRacks R2?
Designed by PrintableRacks. A free print kit (.3mf, opens in Bambu Studio and other slicers) for the 4U build is in the builder: open the frame, open the Parts list and choose Download print kit; it needs a free account. The kit has a small test piece: print that first. Other heights have no files yet. It is still a first draft, checked in software and sliced, but nobody has printed or load-tested one. The files are free for personal, non-commercial use (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Open the PrintableRacks R2 in the builder to get it, or see our five frames side by side.
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