I Build a 10 Inch Mini Rack from Aluminium Extrusions
A builder creates a custom 10-inch mini server rack from aluminium extrusions, designed to be compact, modular, and quieter than a full 19-inch rack. The project uses 3D-printed parts and adjustable shelves to hold networking equipment and a small server.
Background
- The "10 inch" refers to a smaller, less common rack-mount standard (10" wide instead of the usual 19" found in data centres), popular among home-lab enthusiasts who want compact, tidy networking setups.
- Aluminium extrusions are pre-formed, T-slotted aluminium profiles (often sold by brands like 80/20 or MakerBeam) that can be cut and bolted together like modular building blocks, commonly used for DIY enclosures, 3D printer frames, and workbench fixtures.
- The author is a hobbyist building custom gear for a home network lab — a trend driven by people who self-host servers, run homelab experiments, or want prosumer networking gear without the space demands of a full 19" rack.
- This project sits at the intersection of the "homelab" community (r/homelab) and the "maker/DIY" community (3D printing, CNC, custom enclosures), where buying off-the-shelf rack hardware is seen as expensive or inflexible compared to building your own.