So you’re in your rack room searching for a set of headphones. Or you have some plugged into equipment, but no place to store them, so they dangle onto the floor. Sound familiar? 
Chief Engineer William Harrison at FM station WETA in Washington, D.C., developed a solution and shares it with Workbench readers.
We’ve received so many positive comments about the “do-it-yourself” construction projects we’ve published, and William’s submission is definitely worth considering.
In addition to these photos of the construction, William included a parts list to construct 10 headphone rack hooks. They’re are designed to screw into a standard broadcast-type equipment rack, accepting 10-32 rack screws.
William’s pictures make the project easy, and the finished quality is impressive. Follow along with the pictures and descriptions. Send your tips
Click on the photo to toggle between step-by-step pictures of the installation process.
Materials List (10 Hooks)
William spent $50.93 to build 10 of these hooks, or about five bucks each. You can lower the cost to under $3 by using standard nuts and washers instead of the knurled thumb nut and self-retaining washer.
18-8 Stainless Steel Threaded Rod, 10-32 Thread Size, 4 Inches Long
www.mcmaster.com/95412A450/
$12.12 per pack of 10; $12.12 total
Black Phenolic Plastic Ball Knob, with 10-32 Threaded Hole, 11/16-inch Diameter Head
www.mcmaster.com/6046K11/
$1.03 each; $10.30 total
High-Temperature Silicone Rubber Tubing for Air & Water, Soft, Durometer 50A, 3/16-inch ID, 3/8-inch OD, Opaque Black
www.mcmaster.com/5236K852/
$1.95 per foot; $5.85 total (cut into 3-inch pieces)
Self-Retaining Washer for Number 10 and M5 Size, 0.277-inch ID, 1/2-inch OD, 0.052–0.072-inch-thick
www.mcmaster.com/91755A141-91755A384/
$14.65 per pack of 100; $14.65 total
Brass Flanged Knurled-Head Thumb Nut, 10-32 Thread Size
www.mcmaster.com/92741A140/
$8.01 per pack of 10; $8.01 total
Workbench submissions are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Email johnpbisset@gmail.com.
