Hifi Rack

[magma]

if wood is painted you cant see the grains - you can never tell by looking it is BTC

only poilsh that will show the grain will let you say BTC purely on looks

thats exactly what im asking asit bhai

Asit

is your furniture painted or polished ?

 

[vinehs]

Hi magma,
everybody isnt gifted with such skills...hyeah:
indeed they look fabulous...:licklips:
wud you be able to help me with one stand ....my budget is around 7k
thanks

 

[AmitKumar]

My understanding is that melamine is polish and not a paint, it is typically used on wood veneers.

Carpentars do some process with the help of a machine after the polishing to increase the durability of the polish. However i dont know the name of the process.

Once done properly can last easily for 10 yrs or so, however have to be careful from excessive water or oil.

There is another polish called PU polish if i am not wrong, costs about double of melamine, gives far better finish than melamine and is highly resistant to water and oil. Typicall used on veneers for kitchen interiors.

Hi Ali, there seems to be good interest for the wooden rack, i request you consider a group buy offer.

i got confirmation that Rubco makes 40 mm rubberwood panel costing about 320 or 330 per sq feet. Check their website they might have distributers in mumbai.

 

[magma]

Hi Amit

what you say is 100% true

however the term melamine is used loosely and can be done even over paint
its basically a transparent varnish that is sprayed with a compressor

there is one instance in which panditiji has used the word "paint" and then mealmine in the same post
so i am confused

also asit pinged me saying he had used an asian paints "paint"
now if paint has been used Asit probably didnt melamine this
only had if buffed
melamine on paint is very rare

 

[magma]

group buy can be arranged

interested guys need to sort out

i would be doing only 1 size with 1 shelf spacing format
i will also be doing only one color scheme
only then does it turn out feasible for a group buy

i would suggest doing the scheme similar to the 2nd pic

if there is intrest
i will open a new thread for this

also please do understand
well built wood racks are fixed - only they have minimal sway
hence the rack will be shipped assembled

this automatically means shipping costs and more importantly safe packing

a 7 k rack including shipping with solid hardwoods is really difficult
especially if if doing the 2 tone

@vinehs
for your budget sir i will be most happy to guide you and support you all the way
but a fully assembled finished 2 tone rack done entirely by me with my standards is difficult to achive in 7k
e.g Do you know a good polish job (the way i do it) with melamine matt costs over half your budget

i suggest you take flat packs from me and do a DIY assemble and polish at your end
Maybe i can finish polish the shelves if you wish because i have automated machinery for that
and provide you with the columns correctly cut and machine slotted
rest assembly and polish/paint you can handle
i can provide the pilot holes pre drilled if you wish too
assembly will be easy as long as you have worked with wood earlier and can handle self threading screws and a screwdriver

 

[RMCWS]

i suggest you take flat packs from me and do a DIY assemble and polish at your end
Maybe i can finish polish the shelves if you wish because i have automated machinery for that
and provide you with the columns correctly cut and machine slotted
rest assembly and polish/paint you can handle
i can provide the pilot holes pre drilled if you wish too
assembly will be easy as long as you have worked with wood earlier and can handle self threading screws and a screwdriver

I am interested in something like that [AV racks] for myself within budget. I am from Calcutta (so shipping can be costly too) Please let me know what are the options available.

 

[Shivam]

Wooden racks in my opinion also should be completely assembled and then shipped.

I had built a wooden rack using threaded screws and nails some years back but that was not very good in terms of sound. The next step was the wooden rack that I am using now which doesn't use any screws or nails. It is almost as sturdy as keeping equipment directly on cement floor and gives good sound quality especially with my turntable on the top shelf.
(I'll email the design details to magma for his opinion which I am sure will help improve the design both sonically and in looks)

I even tried various paints and polishes and found the age-old spirit based polish the best. It is not very long lasting but as per the opinion of a person whom I trust, it is the most non-resonating protection available for wood (now this is where I usually get accused of magic or snake oil).

Another good option that I had seen while searching on internet was of wooden racks where each shelf was on spikes. This can be shipped and assembled at location.
See this link - http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/images/uploads/big/HFRKPOD4.jpg

 

[Asit]

Hi Ali,

Sorry for the late reply. I was a bit busy at work and in addition, a very close one in our family has just been brought home after a 2 month stay at one of the major hospitals of Kolkata, and as a result, I did not find time.

I cannot answer many of your questions without asking my carpenter who is at the moment out of town.

However, I can try to answer some parts. Whether or not the wood or veneer grains would be visible depends on the darkness of the paint/polish of the melamine. In our master bedroom, we have basically the same shade but lighter, and there I see the grains (same with our shoe-rack). But in the gigantic bookcase, audio racks, dining tables and chairs we have a darker shade and the grains are not visible. I remember having a discussion with my carpenter and he also discussed this with his team (especially the guys involved in painting/polishing), and the gist is that if you want dark shades then you loose the grains.

On the question of paint vs polish, I think it's polish. A few pieces late in the process were given the same treatment, and by then the spraying machine was gone (everything was done at my new apartment), and they applied the melamine in the traditional way of polishing, applying it at least 3 times and sanding before applying the final coat.

Now regarding durability, I can say they are very durable if applied the right way. I have a few pieces of furniture with melamine that I bought from a store when I came back to India about 18-19 years ago. All these had the original paint all these years (still in absolutely great shape). The only reason I got them repainted/repolished is that I wanted all my furniture to have the same look.

One thing about spraying: the sprayer will have to be experienced in the business. If more than a certain amount melamine is used, the melamine will drip down a vertical surface and solidify. This looks bad and may also peel off later easily. In addition, one needs to be careful to cover up everything around including the floor, otherwise there will inevitably be spraying in unwanted areas.I planned for all this with the help of my carpenter, and the wall paintings were done after the woodwork got over.

Asian paints has glossy versions of melamine. I will ask my carpenter about that too.

Bottomline is: you got to have people who know their job and are not easily satisfied. My carpenter is one such person. He experimented once he found out exactly what I wanted. I have seen him getting new and different cans of Asian Paints melamine and try them out to get close to his and my satisfaction. He kept on calling me during work to come and inspect the polish and tell him if this was what I wanted. I guess he wanted to learn this as well for his future work, so he used my apartment as his laboratory, but did not charge me extra over the initially quoted rates for his work.

Regards.

 

[magma]

Wooden racks in my opinion also should be completely assembled and then shipped.

I had built a wooden rack using threaded screws and nails some years back but that was not very good in terms of sound. The next step was the wooden rack that I am using now which doesn't use any screws or nails. It is almost as sturdy as keeping equipment directly on cement floor and gives good sound quality especially with my turntable on the top shelf.
(I'll email the design details to magma for his opinion which I am sure will help improve the design both sonically and in looks)

I even tried various paints and polishes and found the age-old spirit based polish the best. It is not very long lasting but as per the opinion of a person whom I trust, it is the most non-resonating protection available for wood (now this is where I usually get accused of magic or snake oil).

Another good option that I had seen while searching on internet was of wooden racks where each shelf was on spikes. This can be shipped and assembled at location.
See this link - http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/images/uploads/big/HFRKPOD4.jpg

^^ this was the first rack i had built its from"hifi racks"
however this is more difficult to ship
remember the legs need to be factory assembled by me - user asemblable modular legs leave to much "play"

yep shivam mail me the design
i think its the dovetails system with fevicol as far as i know or probably the l slotted sytsem i had used in this rack


@Asit
yep i guessed it was dark polish with melamine
a paint job gets more expensive and is not normally done by a woodworker or polisher
you need a paint booth for achiving piano gloss- however looks really nice

so asian paints that you reffered to was melamine
because as far as i know polish cannot be purchased from asian paints

you need to mix powders to get the desired shade

thanks rgds
Ali

 

[AmitKumar]

I just observed about 4 or 5 people showing interest in knowing/buying the wooden rack. may be you can start a new thread now or little later and keep a minumum target of Racks to be built.

If you get the target number of orders then you proceed ahead or otherwise.

 

[panditji]

I am interested in the group buy but I am also interested in the Flat Packs option as well as I have a carpenter and painter at my house...I can get it assembled over here as well as painted and polished...

Ali, do PM me regarding this option as well otherwise I am in for the group buy...

 

[magma]

Will start a new thread by tonight

 

[magma]

Timber!!!!







rikhavs rack

 

[panditji]

Very nice Ali...any chance of the same in the natural wood finish with 4 shelves?

 

[gopib]

Good one Ali. Look forward to the details - basically the measurements.

 

[RMCWS]

Looking for all the details (measure, cost, shipping etc.)

I also want to know whether a centre speaker can be kept on top of the rack?

 

[magma]

Size
24w 18 deep 34 high

Centre speaker?
Why not

I would estimate shipping at 45 to 50 bucks a kg
Though I won't really know till Gati actually quotes
Since they have a weight and volumetric based calculatoon

 

[magma]

some pics
of another custom version of the wood rack done for a doc in mumbai

He has also opted to go for a complete Soundfoundations solution for isolation as well as power cables

 

[magma]

Another Alpha Mk2 and an Alpha "Lite"

 

[clix22]

I really liked the wood ones. Will it be possible to have some sort of cable management system in this? I will be interested in a group buy.
Thanks and bets wishes