I have a 42 u Rack with doors what do I do ?

I am new to here. Heck I am new to this hobby. I have a 42u rack, what do I do? lol I will be getting this rack to my house on Saturday. I plan to build a really nice stealth box with it. Where do I go to get help with this awesome project? Well from you fine folks. I want to make this look as close to a working rack as possible. I plan to enclose the inside, add vent with filter for odor, use as green as possible lighting (I am a tree hugger). I want to add Led blinking IT looking lights to outside, as well as add a UPS to assure non interrupted fun.

So please help me brainstorm. I need your help to make my dream possible.

Delivery confirmed on Sat. First I need to figure out how tall I need my chamber to be? I have a little over 6 feet of height, 19 inches wide, 3.5 feet deep. i plan on adding a top chamber to store my plugs and carbon filter and exhaust fan. If I install a standard quiet bathroom fan, I will need at least a top chamber that is 12 inches all. This leaves me 5 feet to play with.

Need help here, do you all think 1 inches is enough for a filter, fan, and plugs? Math : 1 foot tall 19 inches wide 3.5 feet deep?798 square inches or 66 sq feet.

lol 1 foot of space, not 1 inch lol

interesting thought ..... I've done several cabinet designs/grows, and I'm an ex-IT guy .... never thought of using a 42u rack though (although .... new they cost $1K+, so no wonder). anywho .....

what style is the rack? removable sides? perforated front/back doors? open bottom? 5" hole(s) on top? (I'm thinking Dell racks)

my thoughts: create a false front using old server face plates on a fake front 'panel' behind the front door, do it up with solid and blinking LEDs (similate power, network and drive activity). seal up the rear panel from all light leaks (and/or create a false back as well if concerned .... would be funny to see with all the cabling in place + LEDs). use one of the side panels for the main access door. seal the interior from light leaks. use a single 4" can-fan attached to matching carbon filter and vent out the top hole. single 400w HID (or T-5 CFLs on the sides and a 125CFL/250wHID on top).... or if price isn't an object, go with new HIDs inside.

1" will not be enough for fan/filter/plugs. but spaced right around the interior, it will work out.

Thank you Eye candy. Cost is an issue, rack was a gift from the IT fairies lol. It is locking with one remove side. At least what I saw of it. I had to act quick to get this baby. The front and back are mesh. One door is locked and there is no key. But a quick call to dell, I should be able to take locks off and add new locks .(Best locks ever lol). Can fans seem so costly, and being a geek, I want to make this a custom job. I am going to use a bathroom fan I saw at the Home de pot. It is super silent and moves more air tan I will ever need. I want to build the do it your self carbon filter attached to the exhaust of the fan. I do not know how to link other threads, but it is the 2nd one under the Carbon section. The one with the car intake filter.

Lighting idea is good. I have been debating using a CFL/LED combo. I also am trying to figure out how to add a cam inside to do a still motion of the first grow, lol like a documentary lol I am a little stoned back on topic. After reading and reading here I am still up in the air about that. Heat could be an issue, I know it is when servers are in it. If only the APC fairy got me a rack cooling system .

love the IT fairies

the keys on a Dell rack are generic, you should be able to grab one from an IT friend, or maybe just post an "I need" thread, someone will have spares (I had 20 at last job, just sat in a drawer. we never locked the racks except for audits).

the small can-fan 2600 (something like this http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/itemdesc.asp?ic=AOCCF0026&eq=&Tp= not endorsing a site, just did a google for can fan 2600) is inexpensive and will fit perfect (also a good match to the bathfan output). I have built several home-made charcoal filters and they are easy as hell to build. but for $45, it's worth saving time/effort for materials (a 5gal bucket of activated carbon-i used to pick these up on ebay for $40/each .... that was 5yrs ago tho. I just buy the filters now)

heat WILL be your biggest issue (as it is in most cabinet grows). -re-reading mine, I meant using new LEDs (like the UFO or the combo you mentioned). LEDs would really lower the thermal load. mounting any ballasts externally will also help.

can't wait to see how the design turns out. take lots of good pics for us

How do I seal inside? It is a big open mess I need to figure out. I want to make sure once I seal, I will not have to revisit this again. I want to focus on the stealth and grow !!! What seeds should I be looking into for this. I have done small grows before, but never have had 4-5 foot height.

OK the IT fairies are being funny now. Can not get rack out of building. So I come to my 1st challenge. We are going to have to take casters off, but with only 2 guys, we can not carry the sucker until tomorrow, either dolly or man power. Scord some self's

Good luck with you project Jester420! Hope everything goes well. I'll be awaiting the pictures of your build.