Organizing Raspberry Pis and SSDs with a clever 3D printed rack design
If you’ve ever found yourself with a growing collection of Raspberry Pis and SSDs from past projects, you’ll understand the challenge of keeping all that gear organized. That’s exactly why I wanted to share my experience building a 3d printed home lab — a neat, compact way to house all these bits and pieces in one place.
I used a design by Michael Clements called Lab Rax (you can check out his work here: https://www.the-diy-life.com/author/mklementsme-com/). It’s an elegant rack system you can print on a 3D printer like the A1-mini, and it fits perfectly for my needs.
Why a 3d Printed Home Lab?
Having multiple Raspberry Pis around is great for tinkering and learning. But over time, they tend to get scattered or piled up, and the SSDs from previous projects just add to the clutter. The 3d printed home lab rack gives everything a dedicated spot, making it easier to manage cables, power, and access.
For power, the Pis are fed by a Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch. PoE is really handy because it powers the Pis through the same cable that provides network connectivity — that cuts back on the number of adapters and cables I need. The SSDs run off a 12V power brick, giving stable power to keep my drives spinning safely.
Building the Rack: What to Expect
The design is straightforward, but it does require some patience and a decent 3D printer. The A1-mini handled it well, producing clean parts that snapped together nicely. This DIY lab setup is great for hobbyists who enjoy the process of assembling and customizing their gear.
The Lab Rax design is modular, so you can add or remove sections depending on how many devices you want to accommodate. It supports around 10-inch units, perfect for the Pis and typical SSD sizes.
Tips for Managing Your 3d Printed Home Lab
- Cable management: Use zip ties or Velcro straps to keep cables neat and out of the way.
- Cooling: Raspberry Pis can get warm, so consider airflow or small fans if you stack many devices.
- Power setup: Double-check voltage requirements and ensure your power supplies aren’t overloaded.
Why I Recommend a 3d Printed Home Lab
It’s a simple solution to a common problem for tech enthusiasts who build and experiment with small servers or DIY projects. Instead of a cluttered desk, you get a clean setup that’s both functional and satisfying to put together.
If you’re curious about 3D printing or Raspberry Pi, this project serves as a practical introduction that shows how these technologies can come together in a very useful way.
For more on Raspberry Pi and home lab power setups, check out the official Raspberry Pi documentation here: https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/ and learn more about Power over Ethernet technology from IEEE: https://standards.ieee.org/standard/802_3af-2003.html.
Building your own 3d printed home lab can be a rewarding project that keeps your gear tidy and ready for whatever tech experiment you want to try next.