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Print 10" 2–8U Draft

PrintableRacks R53D printed 10-inch homelab rack

The small-printer one. Every part fits a 180 mm bed. Small parts dovetail together and printed keys lock the joints, so the frame has no screws. Three depths and heights in 2U steps. It is the lightest of the five and probably the least stiff, so keep heavy gear out until someone has tested it. 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 R5 · 4U · Small-bed” starter build, which passes every check. Opening it replaces the rack saved in this browser.

PrintableRacks R5 rendered from its CAD: a slim light frame of small spliced parts with open sides and dark rail strips.
Rendered from our CAD. Not printed yet.

Key facts

PrintableRacks R5 specs

TypePrint it yourself (first draft; free 4U print kit in the builder)
Rack standard10-inch (254 mm panels)
Heights2U, 4U, 6U, 8U
Usable depth160, 200 or 230 mm
Outer size at 4U254 x 200 x 202 mm (W x D x H, as drawn in the builder)
Opening between rails222 mm
FasteningNo frame screws: small parts dovetail together and printed keys lock every joint. Gear bolts into M6 square nuts held in a printed cassette in each rail segment
Smallest printer bed180 mm
FilamentAbout 400 g at 4U
Load ratingNone: not load tested yet

PrintableRacks' own design. Print files exist for the 4U, 200 mm deep 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

  • Every part fits a 180 mm bed, so it prints on small machines such as the Bambu A1 mini
  • Lightest of our frames: about 400 g of PETG for 4U with side panels
  • No screws in the frame at all; printed keys lock the joints
  • Three depths (160, 200 and 230 mm) and heights from 2U to 8U in 2U steps
  • No cage nuts and no heat-set inserts

Trade-offs

  • Not printed or load tested by anyone yet; treat it as a first draft
  • 56 small printed parts for 4U and roughly an hour and a half to build
  • Slim open frame: expect it to be the least stiff of the five
  • Printed keys and dovetails depend on a well-tuned printer
  • Not for heavy gear until someone has tested it

What fits in the PrintableRacks R5?

Counted from the 706-part catalog at the frame’s tallest height (8U) and deepest option (230 mm). Loose devices are checked on the shelf named beside them.

Fits, for example

  • Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny (M720q / M920q)1U on the printed 1U shelf; 17 mm to spare at 200 mm deep.
  • Raspberry Pi 5 (8 GB)1U on the printed 1U shelf; 144 mm to spare at 200 mm deep.
  • UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra1U on the printed 1U shelf; 72.4 mm to spare at 200 mm deep.
  • Synology DS423+4U on the printed 1U shelf; 7 mm to spare at 230 mm deep.
  • HP EliteDesk 800 Mini (G4-G6)1U on the printed 1U shelf; 25 mm to spare at 200 mm deep.
  • Dell OptiPlex Micro (7080 / 7090)1U on the printed 1U shelf; 22 mm to spare at 200 mm deep.

Does not fit cleanly

  • UGREEN NASync DXP2800Sticks out 1 mm5U on the printed 1U shelf; 230 mm deep frame.
  • Synology DS224+Sticks out 2.7 mm4U on the printed 1U shelf; 230 mm deep frame.
  • Synology DS225+Sticks out 2.7 mm4U on the printed 1U shelf; 230 mm deep frame.
  • MikroTik CRS309-1G-8S+INToo wide272 mm is wider than the 222 mm opening.

Questions about the PrintableRacks R5

Will a 1-litre mini PC fit in the PrintableRacks R5?

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 17 mm spare at 200 mm deep.

Will a 2-bay NAS fit in the PrintableRacks R5?

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 R5?

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 R5 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 R5?

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 R5 in the builder to get it, or see our five frames side by side.

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