Has anyone done this:

Two AXS racks (pull out on tracks, no swivel), side by side in millwork, JOINED together (somehow) so they both get pulled out at the same time?

I'd like to run a fair amount of cabling between the two racks... keep the length of cables to a minimum, and not have to worry about one rack sliding solo and "yanking" out cables from the other rack.

Also, since the support stands are wider than the racks, the racks will have to be spaced apart a couple of inches (right?)... I'd like the "join" between the racks to be at the front, so it conceals the gap, and makes the two racks look like ONE wide one.

MA make a Cable Chase product for ganging Slim 5 racks... but I'm not sure if it would work with the AXS as described above.

Thoughts?

Don't do it, you will regret it. It will be a major PITA. If you do your installation correctly you should have NO problem with cables coming out when you pull one rack out. We have done installs with as many as 6 AXS racks side by side with HUGE amounts of cable. PLAN your wiring infrastructure and two racks that pull out separately will be fine.

I am not sure why you think it will be an issue considering the design of the AXS racks - if you have specific questions post them and I will do my best to answer. I do recommend the use of axs-wt cable management tray for your application.

p.s. It would be especially fun when an installer unfamiliar with the installation comes out to the job a few months later and installs a set of rails under one rack and as he's pulling the rack out notices another rack flying out of the cabinet on the side.

Thanks Q3... (what are we doing up?)....

I have to admit that I had similar thoughts myself.
So, for the cable between the racks, is this how you do it:

Cables from rack one, get tied to cable tray, then secured at rear of frame 1, then over to rear of frame 2 (secured), then along cable tray for rack 2?

I'll take your advice and scrap any further thoughts of doing what I had described.

How close can the racks be mounted in the cabinet, and still be pulled out simultaneously?

Thanks again.

we have done a few jobs with racks bolted together, 1 job has 2 areas with racks bolted together, both areas have AXS43's 2 racks side by side. We had the cabinet guy make us a 1/2 round spacer to place between them to break up all the black, but has been no issues at all. It has also saved us running a 6m cable to go a foot across to another component

If an installer pulls 1 plate and the racks dont come out it pretty obvious that they are bolted together

Good point. Both racks could not come out until both plates are unlocked. Interesting that you have done this. I could be wrong. Unlikely, but a possibility ;-).

I've done it many times as well, if you look at the rails for the pull out racks they have 2 sets of notches at the ends for the support to fit into so that you can pull out two racks side by side one support bracket just goes slightly in front of the other. You just need to be dead on with the base pieces that bolt to the bottom of the cabinet so that everything lines up correctly.

on a couple of our ganged racks we had the cabinet guy make us a block that is the correct height with nothes in the right spots to hold the rack rails...at the home pictured above they actually had the blocks finished..sanded stained and such to match the cabinet. was a lot less expensive than 2 prs of stands


AND it makes you lay out both sets of tracks!

I go both ways.

I recently had a menage 'a rack with 3 racks bolted together.

Bolting together cuts down on wire in between racks, but when you need to just pull one out really quick... well, get all the rails because they all have to come out.

I'd rather have a dead space behind and not move the rack at all, but that rarely happens.

Perhaps you should change your name to Bi Papa.

Thanks for all the feedback...

I was about to throw this idea out when I first read QQQ's response. But its good to hear than others have had this idea and found good solutions.

Glackowitz, in the photo above, what is dividing the racks? Is it a "pole" (ie not full depth), or is it a movable "gable" that is attached permanently between the two racks?

Thanks again QQQ and all who have responded so far.

Nice Rack!!

ya know middle atlantic has the fold up wire trays behing the rack. secure wires to those and go one at a time

ed

Its a 3/4" wide by 2-3" deep strip of wood, just deep enough to cover the rails to get bolted its actually bolted in place, we drilled it and ran the bolts through it. in the back we used a few..3-4 pieces(2-3" tall in a few locations..top, bottom, middle) to keep the spacing the same but still allow us to use velcro on the rails to hold the wire in place

New movie coming to CEDIA...

BrokeRack Mountain. Doh.