Nervous about setting heaviest item not on lowest shelf?

@Strat-Mangler
I called VTI directly several years ago to inquire about ordering a few replacement shelf clips and if I remember correctly they sent me enough for the whole rack at N/C. I’d call them and explain your situation and see if they have a recommendation.

 

Before you start messing around with modification ideas, I would email VTI and ask them their opinion on 1) removing one shelf to make a bigger space for your amp and 2) doubling up on the glass shelf. I expect that the threads are made such that only one shelf would work and if you thicken the shelf it might not be able to thread properly.

What you might be able to do, if VTI, doesn't recommend you doubling the shelf space, is move the 13" shelf up and your amp is just over 10" in height so that gives you about 3 inches of room. How much clearance do you need if the rack is open on the sides and back?

We had a tempered glass desk at work. The person who used came back from making a cup of tea, placed it on the desk and the desk shattered. Hit the right spot basically to cause it to break. Not trying to scare you, just telling a story

Are dead set on glass shelves? VTI make stands with wood shelves as well.

 

Dont Do It Don't you try it Baby
Dont do it Don't Don't Don't

It would be Audio Suicide.

Amp Stand is what you need

 

what’s wrong with this?

 

I think it's clear this group doesn't like tempered glass for audio shelfs. No problem, don't use it.

I was professional glass installer for many years in my first real job, so I have much real experience with glass.

 

If one was stuck on glass as shelf material you can have custom shelf made with laminated glass. Won't shatter , just cracks, and won't collapse. It's not nearly as stiff as tempered, so for heavy items will need to be thicker. Same material as your windshield.

 

+1 on the laminated safety glass. Corning museum of glass has a glass bridge and several "see through" glass panels on the 2nd floor. First time I walked onto the glass bridge I nearly had a heart attack. LOL Felt like I was walking in space.
I was up there doing installation work, we did all the metal work on the fiber optic exhibit.
At one point I needed something I forgot to bring along and had to go to the maintenance building separate from the museum.
Sitting on sawhorses was a 3" thick 2' x 4' panel of that laminated safety glass that was made of 1/4 inch individual panes laminated together. One of the inner panes had shattered into small bits. It was dazzling to look at and I so wanted to bring it home and make a coffee table out of it.
Seems others that work there had the same idea and when a panel gets damaged there is a long line of folks waiting for one. I started pricing out having one built and shattering an inner pane, lost that idea real fast.

BillWojo

 

I have now a little similar rack system (different brand) and do not like it.
The back, which suppose to "organize" cables will not help connection of components, unless you are using cheap connectors which are very easy to bend. Even without "organizing back" those back legs can make some connections very complex.
So before you buy please make sure that you can connect your staff with this semi-closed back.

 

This is exactly what I've been struggling with as far as my setup us concerned. First of all, I'm just having a heck of a time finding something that's aesthetically pleasing! And the pricing of some of these rack/furniture units is pretty steep as well. But I also like the idea of cable organization (as well as cable masking). So that would require some kind of backing of some sort. I know there's the table type option, but, not exactly a fan of that either. Really was looking for something that stacks equipment vertically.

 

Glass racks are insanity both from durability and sound. If you must have clear racks for style I would suggest thick perspex as used in some TT designs. I have a 30kg amp that runs hot and no way will it fit in my rack or any of the mult1 tear racks available. Rarely do they have deep enough shelf spacing and they are barely deep enough front to back. I suggest a wide low rack two shelves deep or a modified sideboard. Use Isolators were necessary. At present my amp is on a very substantial coffee table next to the main rack. For large hi-end components you need something customised or modified.

 

And let's not forget WAF!
Now as I changed speakers and she is planning to change some decor she agreed with white rack and I ordered one from SolidSteel (who knows when they will deliver given all current work stoppages in Italy, and everywhere). This brand is the only one we found which is looking good, build well and not terribly pricey (for lower end models).

 

Can never forget the WAF, unless one is is missing the W, then you good.

 

I've been married for 35 years, I probably forgot how it is to missing the W ))

 

Found this and am working with the seller to customize it a bit somewhat.

Audiophile audio rack / Record player stand / Turntable stand / Threaded rod shelf

According to the seller, "As I am using industrial threaded rod, washers and nuts and shelves are 1" thick, each shelf can hold at least 200 lbs, in real life even much much more, so no worries about loads. Even the heaviest tube amp can be safely placed on any of shelves."

"Shelves are made from blockboard - it is a multi-ply material with core of solid pine wood strips covered with two layers of birch plywood. Shelf edges with exposed strip ends are especially good-looking.
Shelves are ~1" or 25 mm thick, covered with several layers of varnish."

 

Any thoughts or concerns about the above?

 

I used to have similarly designed Salamnder rack, and it kind of always got loose and shelves got wobbly. perhaps this design is more solid.

 

In principle it should be stable if, a big if tho, the shelf material is hard enough, meaning no long term compression from the tightened washers & nuts. I'm used to seeing solid maple, butcher block style, shelves & good butcher block construction should alleviate long term shelf compression. So, it really depends, to me anyway, on how tough the shelf material is. A good insurance policy, even with maple butcher block, is to have a relatively hard compression washer between the stainless steel washer & the wood shelf, definitely don't want rubber, needs something harder, but still have a slight elasticity.

If it were me I'd ask the folks at TNT audio where they tout the Flexi-Rack.

The TNT FleXy Table

 

Well it's just a flexy rack that you can easily make yourself (I made mine).
It will easily hold the weight but when you put your heaviest item on the 2nd to top shelf it will not be very stable, meaning that one person could easy tilt it to the floor! What you could do is instead of a high 4-shelf unit get a 2x2 low shelf unit which will make it more stable. Flexy racks can be made in any design you want, it's why they are called 'flexy' !

 

Yes, but I do it anyway. Just put it up there and shake the shelving unit a little bit. See how it looks from there. If it seems unstable or over wobbly then its a no go.

 

Helpful and fun link. I know Bob Brill, and his wife was my art history professor in college. Their daughter was my boss for about 4 years. We got very drunk one time at work, which ended up being less fun than expected. But a bottle of champagne and a bottle of vodka during work hours, tends to lead to bad results. Still friends on FB to this day though

 

Does anyone put their amp on the floor, below the bottom shelf (assuming there's clearance)? I have tile floor and enough clearance and am considering that for a Parasound A21.

 

Unless you've a bad back, how far down is it going to be to have your amp on the second or third shelf down but still easily usable for whatever you need to use it for? You'll have a source (or two) on the top shelf, so doesn't this work?

I'd probably lean towards having the rack weight evenly distributed, so if you did have the heavier item at the top, then if you can, organise the distribution with the heavier at the base.

 

Now I have a system with glass shelves (in a process of replacement, but nevertheless).
And I have to move a heavy audio component, which was on small plastic "dumpers" covering metal feet.
And the "stuck", almost like glued to glass. I have little idea how to move it. Maybe anyone knows a trick?

 

I recently had that stuck issue when replacing my VTI glass shelved rack. I pulled up on the corner of the player with my fingers while pressing down on the glass with my thumb and it popped loose. I thought about Prying it up with a flat bar with some padding first.

 

My fingers are not super strong (Duputrens) and TT weight 60 pounds... May be WD-40 will work? I am thinking removing plate first...