PrintableRacks R43D printed 10-inch homelab rack
The stiff, growable one. Each side is a stack of solid, vented wall modules in 2U and 4U with the rails built in; add height later by adding modules. The closed sides are meant to make it stiffer than an open frame, which nobody has tested yet, and they make cabling and reaching in harder. It is also the longest print. It is a first draft that nobody has printed or load-tested yet; a free 6U print kit is in the builder.
Opens the “PrintableRacks R4 · 6U · Stack” starter build, which passes every check. Opening it replaces the rack saved in this browser.
Key facts
- The PrintableRacks R4 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 2U to 12U, with 230 mm of usable depth.
- The opening between its rails is 222 mm, for panels 254 mm wide.
- At 6U it is about 262 mm wide, 230 mm deep and 285 mm tall as drawn in the builder.
- It needs a printer bed of at least 256 mm and about 1,181 g of filament at 6U.
- 302 of the 359 loose devices in the PrintableRacks catalog fit it on a shelf without sticking out the back.
PrintableRacks R4 specs
| Type | Print it yourself (first draft; free 6U print kit in the builder) |
|---|---|
| Rack standard | 10-inch (254 mm panels) |
| Heights | 2U, 4U, 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U |
| Usable depth | 230 mm |
| Outer size at 6U | 262 x 230 x 285 mm (W x D x H, as drawn in the builder) |
| Opening between rails | 222 mm |
| Fastening | Wall modules lock together with a tongue and groove and two M6 screws per seam into captive nuts. Gear bolts into M6 square nuts held in a printed cassette in each module |
| Smallest printer bed | 256 mm |
| Filament | About 1,181 g at 6U |
| Load rating | None: not load tested yet |
PrintableRacks' own design. Print files exist for the 6U build and were checked in software and sliced, but nobody has printed one yet. Use PETG or ASA; PLA softens near warm gear.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Solid vented side walls give it shear stiffness that open-post frames lack
- Add height later by adding 2U or 4U wall modules, up to 12U
- 15 printed parts for 6U; every part lies flat on a 256 mm bed, no supports
- Each module carries its own nut cassettes, so holes stay on pitch across seams
- Carry grips are moulded into the top wall module on each side: your fingers hook under the top rail of the wall, so lifting loads the walls rather than the lid
- No cage nuts and no heat-set inserts
Trade-offs
- Not printed or load tested by anyone yet; treat it as a first draft
- Heaviest of our frames: about 1.2 kg of PETG and 40 hours for 6U
- Closed sides make cabling and reaching in harder
- Fixed 230 mm depth
- Seam screws are reached from inside with the hex key
What fits in the PrintableRacks R4?
Counted from the 706-part catalog at the frame’s tallest height (12U) and deepest option (230 mm). Loose devices are checked on the shelf named beside them.
- 218 rail parts fitof 225 for 10-inch rails
- 302 loose devices fiton a shelf, of 359 in the catalog
- 18 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
- UGREEN NASync DXP2800Sticks out 1 mm
- Synology DS224+Sticks out 2.7 mm
- Synology DS225+Sticks out 2.7 mm
- MikroTik CRS309-1G-8S+INToo wide
Questions about the PrintableRacks R4
Will a 1-litre mini PC fit in the PrintableRacks R4?
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 R4?
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 R4?
Yes, at 6U. A free print kit (.3mf, opens in Bambu Studio and other slicers) for the 6U 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 R4 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 R4?
Designed by PrintableRacks. A free print kit (.3mf, opens in Bambu Studio and other slicers) for the 6U 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 R4 in the builder to get it, or see our five frames side by side.
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