See how a standard home lab server rack was transformed into a stunning tribute to the Saturn V rocket with a creative DIY paint job. A unique tech project.

I have a confession to make. I’m a nerd.

Actually, I’m a few different kinds of nerd. I’m a tech nerd, which is why I have a server rack in my house. It runs my media, stores my files, and lets me tinker with new software. It’s my little digital sandbox.

But I’m also a space nerd. I grew up fascinated by the Apollo missions. The sheer audacity of strapping humans to a controlled explosion and sending them to another world? It still blows my mind. And at the heart of that effort was the Saturn V, the most powerful rocket ever built.

For a long time, my server rack was just… a rack. A big, black, boring metal box tucked away in a corner. It was functional, sure, but it had zero personality. One day, I was looking at it and then saw a picture of the Saturn V, and a thought sparked.

They’re both tall, cylindrical things. They’re both packed with power. What if… what if I made my server rack look like a Saturn V?

The idea seemed a little crazy, but it wouldn’t leave me alone. So, I decided to just go for it.

From Black Box to Launch Tower

The project started with a standard server rack. Nothing special. The first step was the most important: the paint job.

The Saturn V has such an iconic look. It’s not just random black and white patches. Each section, each color block, corresponds to a different stage of the rocket—the S-IC, S-II, and S-IVB. I wanted to get it right.

So, I spent a good amount of time with masking tape and spray paint.

1. The Prep: First, I emptied the rack. You can’t paint around servers. I gave the whole thing a good cleaning and a light sanding to help the new paint stick.
2. The White Coat: The base of the rocket is mostly white, so I started there. Several thin coats of matte white spray paint gave me a nice, clean canvas to work with.
3. The Masking: This was the hard part. I used photos of the real Saturn V as a reference, carefully masking off the sections that would remain white. The lines had to be crisp and straight. It took a lot of patience and a lot of tape.
4. The Black Coat: With the white sections protected, I sprayed the rest of the rack with matte black. Again, a few light coats did the trick.

Peeling off the masking tape was probably the most satisfying part of the whole project. Seeing those clean, perfect lines appear was a huge relief. It was starting to look like a rocket.

It’s All in the Details

A simple paint job was a good start, but the Saturn V’s character comes from the little things. To really sell the look, I had to add the details.

• The “USA” Lettering: I used a stencil to paint the classic “U-S-A” down the side, just like on the real thing.
• The American Flag: A small, high-quality flag decal went on, right where it should be.
• The Roll Patterns: I even added the black roll patterns and umbilical connection points using black vinyl. These small geometric shapes make a massive difference.

Once I started loading the servers and networking gear back in, the whole thing came to life. The blinking LEDs of the servers almost look like the complex instrument panels of a mission control center. It’s no longer a boring box of computer parts; it’s my own personal launch tower.

It’s funny how a simple idea can totally transform something you see every day. My server rack is still a server rack. It still runs my media and stores my files. But now, it’s also a tribute to one of humanity’s greatest achievements. It’s a conversation starter. And every time I look at it, it makes me smile.

It just goes to show you don’t need a massive budget or some revolutionary idea to make something cool. Sometimes, all you need is a couple of cans of spray paint and a nerdy obsession.