Expanding the 3d printed rack

By @steevc4/27/2026hive-103035

A while back I used my Bambu Lab A1 3d printer to produce the parts for a 10" rack to house my network gear. I was not quite happy with how the modem was perched on top. The rack is modular so I just needed to print off an extra side piece and some shelves. Previously the sides each had a large and a small piece, so I just needed to swap things around.

Bigger rack

There were some challenges. I found out that the modem would not quite fit between the sides of a shelf so I just turned it upside down. The shelves are only half the depth of the rack and I needed another at the back to stop the modem falling off.

I have the power strip hanging off some screws in a blank panel at the back. I reinforced that with some wood. Sometimes you can just improvise and it is easier than designing a new model. I can now just unplug a couple of cables and move the whole thing if necessary. You may notice a change of colour on one shelf where I ran out of filament and just swapped to the other reel I had. I had bought a pack of screws for this on ebay and this expansion used up the last of them. The whole thing probably cost about £20. If I want more network devices I will need a switch as I am using all the modem ports.

Failed shelf

I do not get many failed prints, but the ends of this shelf were not sticking to the bed. I cleaned that to try again. You can see how the shelf is largely hollow and so are most models so you are not using as much filament as you might expect.

Train whistle

I have not printed too much else recently, but I browse the library and find the odd item that looks fun. This is a train whistle that sounds like an old steam train.

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These cable clips tidy up my Ikea Jerker desk.

I will try to find time to design some of my own models, but there are so many out there already to cover many needs. Some of the designers are amazing. I can see how they get obsessed with this hobby.

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