Author Topic: Equipment stacking question...  (Read 4597 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline alank2Topic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2196
Equipment stacking question...
« on: May 27, 2016, 12:46:52 pm »
So I've got scope under a power supply under a meter under a waveform generator.  With the position of the legs on each unit, they aren't stacking flat but actually leveling towards the front being higher than the back.  Not a big deal, but I look at it and wonder if there is a better way to stack them.  Can anyone thing of a small disc of some material that wouldn't allow for slipping and wouldn't mar or leave residue on the equipment over time?
 

Offline German_EE

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2399
  • Country: de
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2016, 01:09:51 pm »
There are small pads sold to motorists that go between a mobile phone and the dashboard, they stop the phone slipping off during rapid movement of the car. I think you can cut them down.
Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.

Warren Buffett
 

Offline Shock

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4277
  • Country: au
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2016, 04:23:32 pm »
Rubber almost certainly can leave marks but it's a guess to how long it will take to break down, it is assisted by heat and oils. If not for this I'd suggest something Neoprene or a mouse mat material.

If you wanted to protect the equipment I'd use some felt cloth. I have some furniture with sensitive finishes and soft cotton cloth also doesn't mark it, check it's color fast or preferably a neutral color and been washed well in plain water if you use fabrics though.

Here is an interesting solution in stacking gear.




Soldering/Rework: Pace ADS200, Pace MBT350
Multimeters: Fluke 189, 87V, 117, 112   >>> WANTED STUFF <<<
Oszilloskopen: Lecroy 9314, Phillips PM3065, Tektronix 2215a, 314
 

Online Ian.M

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 13076
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2016, 04:35:00 pm »
There's also thermal issues to consider so some sort of shelving or racking system that not only keeps the weight off the bottom item but also stops the hot air flow from it directly entering the next one up, as illustrated above, is  preferable to indiscriminate direct stacking.
 

Offline Ranger14

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 64
  • Country: us
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2016, 04:35:22 pm »
Rubber almost certainly can leave marks but it's a guess to how long it will take to break down, it is assisted by heat and oils. If not for this I'd suggest something Neoprene or a mouse mat material.

If you wanted to protect the equipment I'd use some felt cloth. I have some furniture with sensitive finishes and soft cotton cloth also doesn't mark it, check it's color fast or preferably a neutral color and been washed well in plain water if you use fabrics though.

Here is an interesting solution in stacking gear.


Love the Poster and need to get one ..
 

Offline Shock

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4277
  • Country: au
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2016, 05:16:07 pm »
Shahriar (Signal Path Blog) uses furniture legs as shelving stands (see picture). Another source of legs are old or cheap clothes racks made from light tube steel.

Soldering/Rework: Pace ADS200, Pace MBT350
Multimeters: Fluke 189, 87V, 117, 112   >>> WANTED STUFF <<<
Oszilloskopen: Lecroy 9314, Phillips PM3065, Tektronix 2215a, 314
 

Offline bigeddie

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 1
  • Country: us
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2016, 12:55:05 am »
I can buy cloth-faced neoprene wraps at any drug store. They're meant for wrapping sore joints (wrist, elbow, knee.) Couldn't this material be used for dampening? Just cut it to fit.
 

Offline VK5RC

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 2672
  • Country: au
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2016, 04:07:56 am »
I would be a bit careful with light tubing as it is pretty easy to stack up a bit of gear,  which soon adds up in weight. Could end in tears or worse.
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 

Offline jitter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 809
  • Country: nl
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2016, 05:02:03 am »
So I've got scope under a power supply under a meter under a waveform generator.  With the position of the legs on each unit, they aren't stacking flat but actually leveling towards the front being higher than the back.  Not a big deal, but I look at it and wonder if there is a better way to stack them.  Can anyone thing of a small disc of some material that wouldn't allow for slipping and wouldn't mar or leave residue on the equipment over time?

How about these:



3M says they don't leave marks over time (datasheet).
 

Offline alank2Topic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2196
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2016, 05:54:08 pm »
Good ideas guys - the bumpons are a good idea, I just need them bigger.  Something like 1-2" diameter maybe 3/4" tall.
 

Offline DimitriP

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1377
  • Country: us
  • "Best practices" are best not practiced.© Dimitri
   If three 100  Ohm resistors are connected in parallel, and in series with a 200 Ohm resistor, how many resistors do you have? 
 

Offline jitter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 809
  • Country: nl
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2016, 06:43:20 pm »
Good ideas guys - the bumpons are a good idea, I just need them bigger.  Something like 1-2" diameter maybe 3/4" tall.

3M says the Bumpons are made from polyurethane, so perhaps AliExpress has something you need?
 

Offline Cerebus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 10576
  • Country: gb
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline DimitriP

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1377
  • Country: us
  • "Best practices" are best not practiced.© Dimitri
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2016, 11:23:43 pm »
Quote
Think of how good an insulator of heat cork is and why this might not be a good idea...

Most of the equipment is already covered with paint or plastic ... The idea is to cut to size pieces that cover the feet of existing equipment.
Think of coasters, not tablecloths :)
   If three 100  Ohm resistors are connected in parallel, and in series with a 200 Ohm resistor, how many resistors do you have? 
 

Offline Cerebus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 10576
  • Country: gb
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2016, 11:35:42 pm »
Quote
Think of how good an insulator of heat cork is and why this might not be a good idea...

Most of the equipment is already covered with paint or plastic ... The idea is to cut to size pieces that cover the feet of existing equipment.
Think of coasters, not tablecloths :)

You're the one who posted the picture of a whole square metre of cork, you could have just picked a coaster!  :)

I actually keep a stock of cork sheet like that from about 2mm to 6mm thickness. It is a surprisingly good thermal insulator but good for 1001 uses beside.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 


Offline FlyingHacker

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 807
  • Country: us
  • You're Doing it Wrong
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #16 on: May 29, 2016, 11:49:14 pm »
I don't care for cork because, after time and/or heat it crumbles and makes a big mess.

I tend to used stick on rubber feet. I have a bunch of them as every machine in our office render farm came with four of them, though we rack all the servers.
--73
 

Offline alank2Topic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2196
Re: Equipment stacking question...
« Reply #17 on: May 30, 2016, 01:17:05 am »
I wonder about shelf liner that is glued or taped to some sort of small block of wood, that might be pretty nice.
 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf