Plywood - Aesthetics and Function
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Posted by BJ on August 13, 2006, 2:38 pm
Please log in for more thread options If you've read my post about moving copper service, you know I'm going to have copper phone lines and T1 PRI service added to my server room. I could slap any old piece of plywood on the wall behind my rack for mounting the blocks, media converters, etc, but my boss places a high value on making things look nice, and so do I. So I'd like my li'l piece of wood on the wall to be not only functional, but look really classy (or at least not be an eyesore). What are my choices? Should I just spray a piece of 3/4" plywood with black paint? White paint? Does it need to be fire-retardant? Should a piece of plywood mount a certain distance from cieling/floor/rack/anything like that? Are there guidelines for size? Could we build a simple hinged cover for it for looks (open on the top, bottom, and sides)? Should we? Or better yet, are there products designed to hide plywood-mounted stuff or make the whole thing look pretty? Thanks, BJ | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by DecaturTxCowboy on August 13, 2006, 7:11 pm
Please log in for more thread options BJ wrote: What I do is cut a full 8'x4' sheet of plywood to about 7'x4', that way it gives me clearance for molding along the bottom of the floor and ceiing tile supports at the top. Since its not going to be outside, you really don't need to prime the wood and paint one side with an off-white or any color that looks good with an oil base paint. If you use latex, you'll need to paint both sides as it will warp when it drys. I don't like using hinged coves as the usually isn't enough room to swing them open, rather hook a cover sheet from a support so that you can lift up and off. As for fire retardant paint, well...if there's a fire in the room, the plywood is the least of your worries. There already is enough stuff on a back board that will burn. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Al Dykes on August 13, 2006, 8:37 pm
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>If you've read my post about moving copper service, you know I'm going to
>have copper phone lines and T1 PRI service added to my server room. I could >slap any old piece of plywood on the wall behind my rack for mounting the >blocks, media converters, etc, but my boss places a high value on making >things look nice, and so do I. So I'd like my li'l piece of wood on the >wall to be not only functional, but look really classy (or at least not be >an eyesore). > >What are my choices? Should I just spray a piece of 3/4" plywood with >black paint? White paint? Does it need to be fire-retardant? Should a >piece of plywood mount a certain distance from cieling/floor/rack/anything >like that? Are there guidelines for size? Could we build a simple hinged >cover for it for looks (open on the top, bottom, and sides)? Should we? > >Or better yet, are there products designed to hide plywood-mounted stuff or >make the whole thing look pretty? > >Thanks, > >BJ You can get plywood with a veneer of genuine walnut or any other cabinet-grade wood you want. Put an oil finish on it and it will look like the fine cabinetry it was intended to to become. Google for hardwood lumber dealers in your area. On a more practical note, I just saw 3/4 "subfloor" partical board at Home Depot that looked good enough to make a table out of. Heavy as h**l. Cheap. Bring a couple large friends. -- a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m Don't blame me. I voted for Gore. A Proud signature since 2001 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by DLR on August 14, 2006, 9:05 am
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Al Dykes wrote: >> If you've read my post about moving copper service, you know I'm going to
>> have copper phone lines and T1 PRI service added to my server room. I could >> slap any old piece of plywood on the wall behind my rack for mounting the >> blocks, media converters, etc, but my boss places a high value on making >> things look nice, and so do I. So I'd like my li'l piece of wood on the >> wall to be not only functional, but look really classy (or at least not be >> an eyesore). >> >> What are my choices? Should I just spray a piece of 3/4" plywood with >> black paint? White paint? Does it need to be fire-retardant? Should a >> piece of plywood mount a certain distance from cieling/floor/rack/anything >> like that? Are there guidelines for size? Could we build a simple hinged >> cover for it for looks (open on the top, bottom, and sides)? Should we? >> >> Or better yet, are there products designed to hide plywood-mounted stuff or >> make the whole thing look pretty? >> > You can get plywood with a veneer of genuine walnut or any other
Home Depot and Lowes both tend to carry 3/4 birch which would look nice
> cabinet-grade wood you want. Put an oil finish on it and it will look > like the fine cabinetry it was intended to to become. Google for > hardwood lumber dealers in your area. > > On a more practical note, I just saw 3/4 "subfloor" partical board at > Home Depot that looked good enough to make a table out of. Heavy as > h**l. Cheap. Bring a couple large friends. > with a clear coat. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Dale Farmer on August 15, 2006, 10:58 pm
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BJ wrote: > If you've read my post about moving copper service, you know I'm going to
You can find plywood with nicer woods on the surface for
> have copper phone lines and T1 PRI service added to my server room. I could > slap any old piece of plywood on the wall behind my rack for mounting the > blocks, media converters, etc, but my boss places a high value on making > things look nice, and so do I. So I'd like my li'l piece of wood on the > wall to be not only functional, but look really classy (or at least not be > an eyesore). > > What are my choices? Should I just spray a piece of 3/4" plywood with > black paint? White paint? Does it need to be fire-retardant? Should a > piece of plywood mount a certain distance from cieling/floor/rack/anything > like that? Are there guidelines for size? Could we build a simple hinged > cover for it for looks (open on the top, bottom, and sides)? Should we? > > Or better yet, are there products designed to hide plywood-mounted stuff or > make the whole thing look pretty? > > Thanks, > > BJ > > appearances. If this is just for cables ( No electronics to generate heat in it) I'd go to the local unfinished furniture place and purchase a couple of kitchen cabinet doors and front faces. Build yourself a structure that runs floor to ceiling. Against the wall, any decent grade of plywood, 3/8s or 1/4 inch thick. Attach to each side of this a 2x4 to give you a space about 3.5 inches deep. This space is your wiring runway. Put a piano hinge along one edge, and build a 'door' with thicker plywood, say 3/4 inch thick. Put in a discreet latch to keep this 'door' closed. Put a wheel on the bottom of the plywood to take the weight of the stuff you will be attaching, the piano hinge is not that strong over time. Now attach a pair of 2x6s to the front edges of the 'door', and then attach your kitchen cabinet facing to them. Find some nice verneer to dress up the sides of this structure. Finish with some stain and polyurathane. Paint all the inside parts of the structure with an off white paint. A semigloss, so you can write on it and stick labels and so on. the way you use it is that cables come down from the ceiling and up from the floor in the rearmost space. The only time you need to open that up is to fish in new cables. Cables come out through the middle piece of plywood through holes that you drill that are at exactly the right spot for them. patch panels and so on are screwed to the front surface of the middle piece of plywood. Wire management loops and posts are only needed for your patch cables. The cabinet doors close over the whole mess to keep it out of sight, yet easily acessable. --Dale | |||||||||||||||||||
| Similar Threads | Posted |
| Plywood - Aesthetics and Function | August 13, 2006, 2:38 pm |
> black paint? White paint? Does it need to be fire-retardant? Should a
> piece of plywood mount a certain distance from cieling/floor/rack/anything
> like that? Are there guidelines for size? Could we build a simple hinged
> cover for it for looks (open on the top, bottom, and sides)? Should we?
>
> Or better yet, are there products designed to hide plywood-mounted stuff or
> make the whole thing look pretty?