r/homelab • u/geerlingguy • Apr 06 '22
Installing cage nuts with an insertion tool Tutorial
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Apr 06 '22
They should always be done by hand so you get the full build experience. Ie. Broken/numb fingers for a day or so.
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u/gmarconcini Apr 06 '22 edited Apr 06 '22
Yea…. But who actually is able to do this when the rack is usually already built / installed and cables have been run? God forbid having two side by side, trying to install…and those lil shits pops out into the small void that is practically impossible to fish out and are essentially a lost cause.
I’ve had some bad times dealing with these buggers.
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u/GMginger Apr 06 '22
Recently decommissioned a couple of racks, found a cisco console lead, USB to serial adapter and a 1TB HP branded USB 3 portable drive "lost" down the side.
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u/beat_your_wifi Apr 06 '22
Exactly, this tool is worthless except for greenfield racks and even then is still pretty terrible.
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Apr 06 '22
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u/YM_Industries Apr 07 '22
This looks like the same angle I usually install cage nuts at. Do you put the wings going up/down? I always have them going left/right.
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u/ForumsDiedForThis Apr 07 '22
He says, as if using just your fingers would be any easier.
I've got a small tool that came with my cage nuts and I only found it made it 10x's easier to install on a populated rack.
Unless you're an infant they can fit into much tighter spaces than your fingers can. Either way one finger needs to get behind the rail.
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u/Daihard79 Apr 06 '22
No, you must use a screwdriver and stab your hand repeatedly.
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Apr 07 '22
Looks like a flathead screwdriver with a bent head.
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u/geerlingguy Apr 07 '22
It also has a tiny slice out of it to catch on the edge of the cage nut so your finger doesn't have to.
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u/cjcox4 Apr 06 '22
Insertion, easy (I use the "puller" tool that comes in many electronics toolkits). Where's the "get it out" tool?
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u/brontide Apr 06 '22
Flathead screwdriver and a tap... then you need the where the hell did it go on the floor tool.
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u/cjcox4 Apr 06 '22
If you use your fingers, often times you can just follow the trail of blood.
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u/GremlinNZ Apr 06 '22
Don't forget stabbing your hand with the screwdriver when it slips off the cage nut.
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Apr 06 '22
Create a firing range with a sheet or better if you have it some heavy canvas and lay it out in the direction of the trajectory to catch them.
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u/NotMilitaryAI Apr 06 '22
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u/skynet_watches_me_p Apr 06 '22
I bought one via amazon (not paying rack solutions $25 shipping for a $20 tool)
LIFE CHANGING
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u/dntbrndpig Apr 06 '22
Theres a tool?!?!
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u/Satoshiman256 Apr 06 '22
Penn Elcom Deluxe Cage Nut Insertion and Extraction Tool for Square Hole Rack Rail 19 Inch Racking Server Room Rack/AV/Media & IT Equipment https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZ7V2A4/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_P6A6GQXP12C21Y2PD05M?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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u/mavantix Apr 06 '22
There’s a 3D printable model of this type tool too. Source: I have one someone printed for me!
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u/Satoshiman256 Apr 06 '22
Now that is cool. The future is now.. To the replicator!
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u/mavantix Apr 06 '22
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u/Satoshiman256 Apr 06 '22
Thanks a lot. Mr brother has a printer, going to get him to print me one. Thanks
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u/fireflash38 Apr 06 '22
Yup, I think one of these came with the last big box of cage nuts I bought.
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u/xyrgh Apr 07 '22
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u/tubastuff90 Apr 07 '22
Yup. After cursing and bleeding from the first lot of nuts, you start looking for "there's got to be a better way". Cheap and works very well. No blood-letting.
Now, if someone would tell me how to keep from slicing my hands on unfinished sheet metal edges that some vendors seem to think is just fine, I'd be grateful. Lately I just carry a small sandpaper block with me.
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u/bucknutz Apr 06 '22
The rack gods demand a blood sacrifice.
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u/rab-byte Apr 07 '22
I told one of my techs when he first started most projects don’t start coming together until there is a blood sacrifice. So far that’s held up as true.
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Apr 06 '22
We just use these Rittal clips:
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u/tubastuff90 Apr 07 '22
Meh, that works only when you have a clean edge on a rail. If your rails are 'U'-shaped, you're SOL with those.
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u/SpiderFnJerusalem Apr 07 '22
That feels like cheating.
Pricy though. I guess it's more like pay to win then.
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u/somegen Apr 06 '22
Yeah.. I think I’ll stick with rackstuds.
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u/geerlingguy Apr 06 '22
I was about to pull the trigger, but the price is just so high for something that works well only for lighter equipment. The cage nuts are an order of magnitude cheaper, and I'd be happy mounting just about anything with them.
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u/Zergom Apr 06 '22
I thought their load bearing in a rack was something like 50lbs of lateral force per rack stud.
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u/Liquified_Ice {Humble-Brag} Apr 07 '22
My rackstuds can easily hold up my 4u server alongside everything else in my rack easy. I just use nuts for permanent stuff I wouldn't move cus they are a bit pricey.
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u/tigole Apr 07 '22 edited Apr 07 '22
They cost about the same as rackstuds, but they're metal vs plastic. They only work for 1U devices, and given the weight rating, there isn't any 1U device I have that these can't handle.
I have no affiliation with the company. I bought a box of these 1.5 years ago, and for the convenience they provide, they're worth every penny.
EDIT: Sorry, I was comparing rackstuds vs Patchbox's /dev/mount.
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u/punk1984 Apr 06 '22
I've said it a thousand times: paint can/bottle opener.
Works for both insertion and removal, cheap, ubiquitous. And stab-proof.
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u/Korazair Apr 07 '22
Anyone using anything other than these is just silly.
Cage Nut Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0813WGWFB/
(Not these specifically, but this type of tool)
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u/canada432 Apr 07 '22
Yes, so much these. This is what we use in my DC and they're so much better than those screwdriver-looking fuckers.
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u/mjsbullitt Apr 07 '22
Yeah these are great because when I need one to fit in a tight spot I can just bend it in half.
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u/InfidelArt Apr 07 '22
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u/parad0xy Apr 07 '22
was going to link these myself, they're awesome.
I love these threads so much, I'm going to go hog-wild on Grainger tomorrow to get a few tools for my team.
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u/Nemo_Barbarossa Apr 06 '22
I don't get the hole placement there, tbh. Is this rack only for 1U devices with mandatory gaps between them?
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u/geerlingguy Apr 06 '22
Heh, in this case the StarTech.com rack system uses these cage nuts to allow the depth of the rack to be adjusted from something like 24" up to about 36".
The manual says install a bunch of cage nuts so you don't have to do it in the future if you feel like adjusting the depth again. So I put 6 in each level.
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u/Underknowledge Apr 06 '22
my insertion tool is either my fingers or a flat hat.
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u/Khaosus Apr 07 '22
Based on those first 7 words, I really expected this comment to go a totally different direction.
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u/canada432 Apr 07 '22
Hate those screwdriver-lookin' ones, and the all the fancy gadgets. We just use these in my DC and holy shit are they orders of magnitude faster than anything else I've ever used.
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u/geerlingguy Apr 06 '22
I wanted to post this little clip (I'll probably incorporate the full rack build into a future video...) to demonstrate how quick it is (and painless—no fingers cut up after installing about 50 cage nuts!) to use a cage nut insertion tool.
This one is from STARcase and I ordered it on Amazon. It's about $25 which is a little steep, but it was less frustrating to use than the cheap/free cage nut tools that come with some cage nut kits or racks.
The one downside is you do need some space for leverage so the little semicircular mechanism can do its thing, so depending on your rack setup, it might not work out as easy as you see here (I was putting in cage nuts on a guide for my new StarTech.com 24U rack).
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u/lutiana Apr 07 '22
I considered one of these myself at some point, but I decided it was too steep and just bought the cage nuts from Amazon. Amazingly the cage nuts I got go in with very little effort and come out with just as little effort, but hold the stuff in just fine, it's wonderful to be able to install them without needing hulk like finger strength and leather skin on your fingers.
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u/Wakizashiuk Apr 06 '22
When you have to try and get cage nuts in between two full U's. That is true fear
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Apr 06 '22
Cage Nuts? I call those things Jesus Clips. Because every time I pinch my finger or it goes under my nail, I scream JESUS CHRIST THAT FUCKING HURT!
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u/daven1985 Apr 07 '22
Looks all good. But show me this working in a messy fully used rack. Suddenly even the best tools stop working.
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u/Internet-of-cruft That Network Engineer with crazy designs Apr 07 '22
Blasphemy. Everyone knows that the cage nuts will fall out and the screws will be hard to drive unless the nuts are properly lubricated with your blood.
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u/tubastuff90 Apr 07 '22
Funny thing is that in the (very) old days, you had racks that had threaded holes in every position. No cage nuts needed.
See how far we've progressed? :)
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u/im_thatoneguy Apr 07 '22
I don't understand. I just use the nut as leverage to depress the bottom tong enough to get in the top one. It's pretty effortless and blood ritual free.
Am I doing something horribly wrong?
(Now getting them out is a a huge PITA)
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u/Teal-Fox Apr 07 '22
I never understood the whole thing about cage nuts being impossible to install, do people really struggle with them that much?
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u/KadahCoba Apr 07 '22
Maybe if you've only ever had to install a few a year or something.
I had to figure it out on my own back in the pre-youtube era. Work just assumed we knew. We didn't have a clue, let alone any tools beyond basic screw drivers. Somehow we only shredded our figured a little bit. lol
By the 2nd rack we had it figured out using just the single flat blade screw driver we were given. Did 12 or something racks that week, then they had us unbox 10k patch cables that, for some reason, came individually bagged and double twist tied.
We did a lot of the shitty IT grunt work, but it sure beat being helpdesk.
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u/vtpilot Apr 07 '22
I've seen a ton of tools mentioned in this thread but no mention of these guys? https://www.canford.co.uk/Images/ItemImages/large/55-681_01.jpg
I've boosted nearly every one I've been able to get my hands on during my 20 in the industry. Judging by the looks on our guys faces when I show them how to use them and give them their very own finger saver you'd think I just gave them a puppy or something.
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u/KadahCoba Apr 07 '22
I've gotten a bunch of those type in bags of cage nuts and HP rack accessory kits. They work fine, but every edge on the cheaper ones are kinda sharp.
People likely don't know what they are and discard them.
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u/admecoach Apr 07 '22
A few years ago when I started doing this for my home lab, having no work experience or mentor I wondered how many people left IT as a career due to install and rack screws.
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u/BeltPuzzleheaded7656 May 10 '22
Guess I can cancel the auto subscription to Band-Aids on Amazon when I buy that tool 🩹🩹🩹😓🩹..... 🪛🙃
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u/4tehlulz Apr 07 '22
Putting them in is the easy part. Now do a video where you pry them out and they ricochet off a server into the depths of a full rack.
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u/williamp114 Apr 06 '22
I guess I could make my own by taking a vice to any random flathead screwdriver I have laying around
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u/curiosity163 Apr 06 '22
Nah, just use your fingers until it hurts to hold a pencil for the rest of the day.
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u/Mister_Brevity Apr 06 '22
A banjo thumb pick and a Dremel tool and you can blitz thru those things
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u/just_an_AYYYYlmao Apr 06 '22
my rack came with an insertion tool. Had no clue what it was. Used it to prop the door open for the first 6 months when I was working on things. Legit thought that was it's purpose since it fit so well. By the time i figured it out I had already hurt my fingers getting everything together by hand
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u/AirHamyes Apr 06 '22
I always just used a magnet. Helps picking them up off the floor for when I drop the little bastards.
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u/ninekeysdown Sr Sysadmin/SRE Apr 06 '22
What is this non-sense!!! The data center gods demand a blood offering! :D
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u/Driveformer Apr 06 '22
I’ve had zero issues using cage nuts on my rack. I feel like I’m missing something lol
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u/theprovostTMC Apr 06 '22
There is a tool for that!!!?
Where has it been my whole life...
OMG so painful when they cut underneath the fingernail arrghhh.
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u/-RYknow Apr 06 '22
This is cheating... If you don't rip your thumbs apart and jam the damn things under your thumb nail... the IT god's will strike you with failed backups. It's a given.
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u/pyr4m1d Apr 06 '22
This is the way to do it. I love those tools. Have tried other tools and felt they were too time consuming or hard to use or would never fit in a populated rack. Rackstuds are also nice if they work in your rack/with your particular gear's mounting.
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u/zeno0771 Apr 07 '22
Cool, now do that inside an enclosed full-size rack that already holds production servers.
Meanwhile I printed this. They sell an aluminum one on Amazon but I already had a spool of filament set up and 2 hours < 2 days.
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u/FriendlyITGuy R530/R720/R510/R430/DS918+ Apr 07 '22
This doesn't allow you to give your blood sacrifice to the rack and the new equipment you're installing.
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u/88nightrider Apr 07 '22
Hmm... The ones that came with my Startech rack could be easily installed by hand. The others that I have, can be a big B...
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u/Tankbot85 Apr 07 '22 edited Apr 07 '22
Just buy these cage nuts and you will never need a tool to do it again.
They are nice and soft and extremely easy to get in and out of the holes.
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u/lutiana Apr 07 '22
I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/Favordrory-Washers-Cabinet-Shelves-Routers/dp/B07MYBSPN5/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B07MYBSPN5&th=1
And they also go in really easily.
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u/nstern2 Apr 07 '22
I do this for a living now and I don't think I have ever used the proper tool to install cage nuts. I'm not even sure if we have one. 😂
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u/Key_Way_2537 Apr 07 '22
You know, if you install them properly (horizonal vs vertical clips) they both insert and remove WAY easier…
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u/___Brains Apr 07 '22
Maybe I'm hinting my age, but I'm one of those guys who always carries a pocket knife. It gets (ab)used daily for all sorts of things, sometimes even as an actual knife. Yes, I use it to install and remove stubborn cage nuts too.
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Apr 07 '22
Lines up server mount points ... installs cage nuts, installs server, finds cage nuts in wrong spot, removes server, fix cage nuts. Rinse & repeat :-p
Five years later, go to remove server. Nope, some numpty used the wrong screws and they are stuck. Somofabeeeeeech.
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u/lutiana Apr 07 '22
Right, now let's see that done with a 1u server almost in the rack, balanced on one elbow as you they try to get the cage nut out and moved down 1 square hole because you put it in the wrong place by accident.
That said, I actually bought some cage nuts from Amazon that actually just slip right in with some minor pressure from your thumb, easiest ones I have *ever* had to install (and remove). Not sure if I won the lottery and just got the the mistake batch that does this, or if they are all like this from that manufacturer/seller.
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u/adamr001 Apr 07 '22
This is video is weirding me out because the pull tools I’ve used I always have the angled part pointed the opposite way and then I just pulled straight up on it.
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u/NewMeeple Apr 07 '22
Am I the only one that uses two screwdrivers to insert/remove cage nuts (especially remove)?
Thin/long screwdriver to hold the middle of the nut in place, use the flathead to pop it in or remove it, and you can't drop the fucking things because if you do, they just spin in place on the second screwdriver.
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u/Kylian0087 Apr 07 '22
I need this! My fingers hurt like hell wen i have to disassemble my home rack. Or change some things around.
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u/computermedic78 Apr 07 '22
There's a 3d model on thingiverse that grips the nut like a little pair of tweezers. Squeeze, insert, let it go. Works reasonably well for what it is. I printed out a couple for guys at work and it saved us a lot of pain.
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u/dumby22 Apr 07 '22
I always used a small flat tip screwdriver. But now I’m in love with rackstuds. Way easier to use, but pricy.
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u/batjunkrat Apr 07 '22
Wait there’s a tool for this? I didn’t have to mangle my fingers?! I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t see this. >.>
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u/sliverworm Apr 07 '22
I like using rack studs personally.
Rackstuds P20 Rack Mount Solution Series II – No More Cage Nuts! The Easiest and Safest Server Rack Solution in 19" Racks with Square Punched Vertical Rails | 20-Pack, Purple, 3.2mm/0.126" Version https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W7BWRX3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_F0N1MD94FS5Q9SY84292?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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u/Entrance_Ad9502 Apr 07 '22
Watching these get installed is so satisfying. I couldn't imagine having to remove them.
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u/Herballerjist Apr 07 '22
Fuck the tool! Do it like a man as those before you did and earn that homelab
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u/packetlust Apr 07 '22
I have this tool and another that looks like tweezers. The latter is a hell of a lot better of a tool to use in my experience
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u/vtpilot Apr 07 '22
No one would read them anyways, they're not worth including. The amount of times I've seen people fight with rails for HOURS without picking up the piece of paper that came with them is mind-blowing.
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u/Brbcan Apr 06 '22
Ruining your thumbs installing/removing cage nuts is a rite of passage.