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Old 02-29-2020, 04:49 PM
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Default Phenolic Resin (lab countertop) Audio Racks

I once made an audio rack out of salvaged maple butcher block for shelves and small aluminum I-beams vertical posts. Problem is the old maple started to split because of past improper storage.


I need to rebuild the rack with new wood or use a different material.


I was thinking of trying phenolic resin or epoxy resin shelves/tops, the same thing used in lab tables and countertops.



I might be able to source some used from the local university property disposition warehouse that is open to the public on the cheap, but would have to cut it down.


Question is, would this be a good material to use?


Uncutable safely?


Too weak to hold a lag bolt which is how my old rack was held together?


It will not sound good as it will suck too much energy out?


I see that a few high-end racks use it as trimming or some special composite mix of their own that seems to be similar.


I've also read that some high-end loudspeaker makers use it in their enclosures for it's anti-resonance qualities.


I do not see anyone doing exactly what I have in mind, maybe this is a DIY question, just beating the bush to see what flies out.



Top 5 Materials To Consider For Your Lab Countertops




Are there any HPL (High Pressure Laminate ) audio rack shelves in use?




Last edited by Masterlu; 09-19-2021 at 12:15 PM.
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Old 03-01-2020, 03:54 PM
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I've worked professionally for years as a "bench scientist" at many different lab benches, including most of the 5 types listed in your link. I've also worked at lab benches with something like a slate material, as well. Most of the ones I've worked at were high-pressure laminate.

Personally, my thought is the phenolic resin material may prove to be too ringy to be suitable by itself as a material for audio racks, but I'm not sure. A good way to test this is to buy an $8 music box mechanism and play it on the material, and you will hear how loud it is. The loudness will be indicative of how ringy something is.

I've been doing some studies of these types of materials and how they impact or attenuate vibration, and I've found that plain old regular particle board is one of the best materials. My Sanus Euro II audio rack is particle board that has a hard coating, similar to a powder coating, and it works quite well in damping vibration. My guess is that a high-pressure laminate may work quite well, also.

Believe it or not, I think one of the best materials might be the laminated material that Ikea has used in their Expedit and Kallax shelf units and Lack tables. This material is a low to medium-density particle board with a laminate surface. It is very light but its also very stiff. In other words, stiff but low mass (or actually, density). My guess is its the closest one might be able to get to the laminated Tancast 8 that Rega uses for its latest turntables, which, knowing Roy Gandy, may likely be a superb material for audio rack shelves as well as turntable "plinths".
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Last edited by Puma Cat; 03-01-2020 at 04:00 PM.
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Old 03-01-2020, 04:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Puma Cat View Post
My guess is its the closest one might be able to get to the laminate materials that Rega uses for its latest turntables, which, knowing Roy Gandy, may likely be a superb material for audio rack shelves as well as turntable "plinths".

Yes, Rega uses Phenolic resin coating or laminate to sheath their low density MDF plinths...............but did you know?



https://www.av-connection.com/?PGr=13611
Quote:
Replacement platter for the Rega P1 og RP-1 turntable. Phenolic resin material.




I'm seeing Phenolic resin used in moderation in loudspeakers, turntables, platforms and shelves, could it be cost or too much of a good thing is overkill?


Puma Cat, about Phenolic resin perhaps ringing too much, that is something I may have to experiment with myself.

I was really hoping that the heavy lifting on this topic was already done, and all I had to do was copy and adapt it for my own use.

NOTE: The link provided above is not an endorsement, it is intended as a copyright acknowledgment of where I sourced the images and text from.

Last edited by kach22i; 03-01-2020 at 04:08 PM.
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Old 03-01-2020, 06:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kach22i View Post
Yes, Rega uses Phenolic resin coating or laminate to sheath their low density MDF plinths...............but did you know?

I'm seeing Phenolic resin used in moderation in loudspeakers, turntables, platforms and shelves, could it be cost or too much of a good thing is overkill?

Puma Cat, about Phenolic resin perhaps ringing too much, that is something I may have to experiment with myself.

I was really hoping that the heavy lifting on this topic was already done, and all I had to do was copy and adapt it for my own use.

NOTE: The link provided above is not an endorsement, it is intended as a copyright acknowledgment of where I sourced the images and text from.
Sorry, as far as know, no one's using phenolic resin for audio rack shelves, so, no, I don't think the heavy lifting has been done on that, at least with respect to using it for audio rack shelves. Also, its a term for what I would guess to be a very broad range of materials, just as in the way that "polyurethane foam" is, so I would not expect that the phenolic resin lab benches are made anything like the Rega platter. I will say that the "phenolic resin" platter of my Michell gyro is actually reasonably quiet with the music box mechanism.

I know it doesn't sound "glamorous" or "high-end", but plain old particle board actually works quite well. If you want to go back to a maple rack, Butcher Block Acoustics has some very nice audio racks in maple or walnut that are reasonably priced.
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Old 03-01-2020, 06:39 PM
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A few years ago I had enough kitchen countertop Corian leftover from a job to make a flexi audio rack; so I did. I thought the corian would be great for an audio rack since it's so dense and heavy but I was not impressed with the results. It wasn't long before the rack got disassembled and I went back to plain old particle board.
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Old 03-01-2020, 06:50 PM
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Wilson has a phelonic resin formulation for their speaker cabinets. I have seen a video where Dave Wilson explains that he did not use aluminum for that application due to its tendency to ring. I'm no engineer, but it would seem to me that there are countless phelonic resin based formulations each of which may have differing suitabilities for a particular application.
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Old 03-01-2020, 07:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Macuser View Post
It wasn't long before the rack got disassembled and I went back to plain old particle board.
Funny how that works...
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Old 03-01-2020, 07:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jpgr4blu View Post
Wilson has a phelonic resin formulation for their speaker cabinets. I have seen a video where Dave Wilson explains that he did not use aluminum for that application due to its tendency to ring. I'm no engineer, but it would seem to me that there are countless phelonic resin based formulations each of which may have differing suitabilities for a particular application.
Yup...
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Old 03-04-2020, 08:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jpgr4blu View Post
Wilson has a phelonic resin formulation for their speaker cabinets. I have seen a video where Dave Wilson explains that he did not use aluminum for that application due to its tendency to ring. I'm no engineer, but it would seem to me that there are countless phelonic resin based formulations each of which may have differing suitabilities for a particular application.
Yep, and somewhere someone listed the cost of the sheets, and it was not cheap.


One thing for sure, no MDF for me, and no Corian, played with these materials before and not to my ear's liking.


If I go back to Butcher Block it's running the same direction I see everyone else running theirs, that may have been part of my problem. I think that I stressed the glue joints.
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Old 03-23-2020, 02:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kach22i View Post
I once made an audio rack out of salvaged maple butcher block for shelves and small aluminum I-beams vertical posts. Problem is the old maple started to split because of past improper storage.


I need to rebuild the rack with new wood or use a different material.


I was thinking of trying phenolic resin or epoxy resin shelves/tops, the same thing used in lab tables and countertops.



I might be able to source some used from the local university property disposition warehouse that is open to the public on the cheap, but would have to cut it down.


Question is, would this be a good material to use?


Uncutable safely?


Too weak to hold a lag bolt which is how my old rack was held together?


It will not sound good as it will suck too much energy out?


I see that a few high-end racks use it as trimming or some special composite mix of their own that seems to be similar.


I've also read that some high-end loudspeaker makers use it in their enclosures for it's anti-resonance qualities.


I do not see anyone doing exactly what I have in mind, maybe this is a DIY question, just beating the bush to see what flies out.



Top 5 Materials To Consider For Your Lab Countertops




Are there any HPL (High Pressure Laminate ) audio rack shelves in use?




I was contemplating the same idea (or ordering phenolic sheets) I was wondering if you ever tried making the rack?
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