Peak Nerd Mode: My Mini Server Rack Project

I'm taking my nerdiness to the next level. The latest adventure? Designing and 3D printing a mini server rack to house a cluster of Raspberry Pi's, a Windows NUC, and a network switch with router. The goal isn’t just to have a cool piece of hardware sitting on my desk; it’s to finally dive headfirst into the world of sysadmin skills, networking, and server management. Everything I could need to build skills for my future. 

Why a server rack? Well, it’s compact, organized, and gives me the perfect excuse to tinker with Proxmox or Docker containers and maybe even dabble with a custom LLM one day. (A guy can dream, right?) Plus, let’s be real—there’s something satisfying about building a functional piece of tech entirely from scratch, starting with a CAD design in Fusion 360 and ending with my 3D printer humming away.

The idea here isn’t just to learn new things—it’s to push myself into realms of tech that I haven’t explored yet. I want to understand how networks function, teach myself to troubleshoot issues beyond what I normally am familiar with (stuff I can see and visualise, like seeing a schematic and mentally placing it over a real PCB for example), and run virtualized environments. Every new thing I figure out here will be another step closer to the kind of engineer I want to become.

Of course, my ThinkPad is right there with me as my trusty co-pilot for this adventure. (Seriously, there’s something comforting about knowing it can take a beating and keep on going.) With it by my side, I’m ready to turn this server rack project into a full-fledged nerd paradise.

Stay tuned for updates—because once this thing’s up and running, I’ll either have the ultimate home lab… or some spectacular failure stories. Either way, it’s going to be fun.