What size KWS Rack should I print for my homelab?

Most people start with the 6U cube and add a 3U or 6U extension kit later; the frame grows in 3U steps up to 30U and every part stays in use. Size it after you know what goes in it: a NAS takes the heavy-duty shelf at the bottom, a switch, a Raspberry Pi mount or a mini PC each take 1U to 2U.

Which screws, nuts and inserts does the rack need?

Per frame section: 16 M6 × 8 mm and 24 M6 × 10 mm socket head screws with 40 M6 nyloc nuts (10 mm across flats, 6 mm tall). 12 M5 brass heat-set inserts per U (8 mm long, 7 or 7.5 mm OD, the type for 3D printing). Optional 10 × 5 mm magnets, 14 per 6U leg. M5 × 10 mm pan head screws mount the panels.

Which filament should I use for a 3D-printed server rack?

PETG. PLA softens next to running equipment and creeps under load. Print structural parts for strength, more walls rather than more infill; KWS prints it with Bambu Studio's 0.20mm Strength profile.

Does standard 10-inch rack equipment fit?

Yes. The frame follows the 10-inch rack standard: 260 mm front mount spacing, 244 mm rear, 258 mm inner and 288 mm outer rail spacing, 44.45 mm per U.

How are the acrylic side plates made?

Download the DXF for your height from the Plates step and have 3 mm cast acrylic laser cut. The generator uses a pitch measured on a printed 18U frame, 44.333 mm per U, minus a 1 mm clearance, because printed PETG frames come out about 0.26 % shorter than the drawing.

Can I build the rack without heat-set inserts?

Yes. A nut-based frame variant on MakerWorld uses M5 nuts instead of brass inserts; everything else stays the same.

KWS Rack v.2: a 3D-printed 10-inch homelab rack

A modular, heavy-duty 10-inch server rack you print yourself, designed by KWS and shared on MakerWorld. Four magnetic legs bolted into a ring with M6 screws and nyloc nuts, a heavy-duty shelf that takes a full NAS, 3U or 6U extension kits from 3U to 30U, optional 3 mm acrylic side and top plates. True 10-inch standard: switches, Raspberry Pi mounts, mini PCs and patch panels fit. More than 5,000 people have printed it.

This page is interactive and needs JavaScript: a 3D configurator, the hardware list per size, the build guide animated on the model and the DXF generator for the acrylic plates.

Hardware per size

Size	M5 inserts	M6×8	M6×10	M5×10	Nuts	Magnets
3U	36	16	24	~24	40	23
6U	72	16	24	~48	40	63
9U	108	32	48	~72	80	79
12U	144	32	48	~96	80	119
15U	180	48	72	~120	120	135
18U	216	48	72	~144	120	175