Air compressor room noise suppression

[jlcustomz]

Figured I'd mention a few things I did at work when it was decided air compressor would be put in workshop area away from offices.
This isn't paint shop . so just a weenie homestore vertical replaced the old monster unit the building had. Built 2x4 wall against wood wall covering steel building wall. Some ventilation out the back and small. approx 4' wide and 4' deep x 8' tall size. 3/4" home depot pine plywood for exterior . Put a leftover composite framed flush fiberglass insulated prehung door unit 3/0 x 6/8 inswing sill . but swinging out. kerf weatherstrip.

inside of walls got 2 to 3 layers of 1/2" soundboard from lowes. Low cost and effective vibration dampener. door got layer of leftover urethane foamboard & layer soundboard. door then completely covered with Amazon 12 x 12 waffle foam and front half of inside walls covered with it to absorb air sounds.

Then the most effective part for not hearing far away inside offices. Made plywood base for compressor with 1/2" soundboard and leftover foamboard to set on concrete floor. Leftover foam was used in places due to Lowes not having enough soundboard.

Difference is night and day. Just the floor separator only stopped all the rumble noise that was still transmitting into distant offices. With door closed, compressor running. average moderate working noises make it hard to hear a few feet away and I'd say a very low talking level 20" away if actually quiet in shop, like when everybody else gets to leave and I don't.

Again this is for a weenie vertical compressor that isn't for paint shop use. if someone needs to do a long blowing crap off session, I can just open door for a while to reduce heat. Would have built room 2 to 4 times bigger with more backside ventilation if for paintshop compressor...

My company changed locations in 2000 and decided not to spend the $ or space on a real paint booth. Haven't sprayed SPI paint here in a few years and mostly occasional waterbourne spraying with turbine unit after clearing a large area and many times staying late so the [kids} will be out my way. Havent contributed anything here lately, so hopefully this can help someone..

 

[MJM]

Figured I'd mention a few things I did at work when it was decided air compressor would be put in workshop area away from offices.
This isn't paint shop . so just a weenie homestore vertical replaced the old monster unit the building had. Built 2x4 wall against wood wall covering steel building wall. Some ventilation out the back and small. approx 4' wide and 4' deep x 8' tall size. 3/4" home depot pine plywood for exterior . Put a leftover composite framed flush fiberglass insulated prehung door unit 3/0 x 6/8 inswing sill . but swinging out. kerf weatherstrip.

inside of walls got 2 to 3 layers of 1/2" soundboard from lowes. Low cost and effective vibration dampener. door got layer of leftover urethane foamboard & layer soundboard. door then completely covered with Amazon 12 x 12 waffle foam and front half of inside walls covered with it to absorb air sounds.

Then the most effective part for not hearing far away inside offices. Made plywood base for compressor with 1/2" soundboard and leftover foamboard to set on concrete floor. Leftover foam was used in places due to Lowes not having enough soundboard.

Difference is night and day. Just the floor separator only stopped all the rumble noise that was still transmitting into distant offices. With door closed, compressor running. average moderate working noises make it hard to hear a few feet away and I'd say a very low talking level 20" away if actually quiet in shop, like when everybody else gets to leave and I don't.

Again this is for a weenie vertical compressor that isn't for paint shop use. if someone needs to do a long blowing crap off session, I can just open door for a while to reduce heat. Would have built room 2 to 4 times bigger with more backside ventilation if for paintshop compressor...

My company changed locations in 2000 and decided not to spend the $ or space on a real paint booth. Haven't sprayed SPI paint here in a few years and mostly occasional waterbourne spraying with turbine unit after clearing a large area and many times staying late so the [kids} will be out my way. Havent contributed anything here lately, so hopefully this can help someone..

I bet there is a remarkable difference is reduced sound with what you have done. I highlighted the 12"x12" waffle foam because I used it to muffle sound in an area of my car. This is the same type of foam that is used on sound recording studio walls. It really does make a huge difference, and in my case, no additional weight was an added bonus. Though some will argue that an ounce is added weight.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[jlcustomz]

I bet there is a remarkable difference is reduced sound with what you have done. I highlighted the 12"x12" waffle foam because I used it to muffle sound in an area of my car. This is the same type of foam that is used on sound recording studio walls. It really does make a huge difference, and in my case, no additional weight was an added bonus. Though some will argue that an ounce is added weight.

Thanks for sharing.

hadn't thought about the waffle foam for a vehicle.. I doubt it would do much of anything for the typical hot rod exhaust drone type vibration noises , but it should lower the airwave volume, making talking or listening to stereo better similar to covering interior of a van with house carpet.
I got a wood bulkhead area covered in thin carpet and the big headliner in company transit van I should probably consider that on. Maybe I could actually use the Garmin bluetooth connect for phone calls. Where'd you use the stuff in your car?

 

[MJM]

hadn't thought about the waffle foam for a vehicle.. I doubt it would do much of anything for the typical hot rod exhaust drone type vibration noises , but it should lower the airwave volume, making talking or listening to stereo better similar to covering interior of a van with house carpet.
I got a wood bulkhead area covered in thin carpet and the big headliner in company transit van I should probably consider that on. Maybe I could actually use the Garmin bluetooth connect for phone calls. Where'd you use the stuff in your car?

I used the sound foam in a cavity to suppress any noise that passes through it, such as...... road noise from the rear tires, and exhaust drone. In my hippie days, I was a percussionist (drummer) for about 30 years. A tuning trick drummers would do is place pillows in the base drum. The size of the pillows and number of pillows would affect the overall density sound of the bass drum. No pillows = a high pitched ringing sound. Pillows = a no ringing thud.
Basically the sound didn't travel very far at all. Later on I found I could control the amount of ringing using electrical tape placed on the drum skin.

Anyway, here's some pictures of the installation. I should have done a before and after sound recording. The difference is huge.

Open rear deck of Barracuda.

 

[jlcustomz]

I used the sound foam in a cavity to suppress any noise that passes through it, such as...... road noise from the rear tires, and exhaust drone. In my hippie days, I was a percussionist (drummer) for about 30 years. A tuning trick drummers would do is place pillows in the base drum. The size of the pillows and number of pillows would affect the overall density sound of the bass drum. No pillows = a high pitched ringing sound. Pillows = a no ringing thud.
Basically the sound didn't travel very far at all. Later on I found I could control the amount of ringing using electrical tape placed on the drum skin.

Anyway, here's some pictures of the installation. I should have done a before and after sound recording. The difference is huge.

Open rear deck of Barracuda.
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Guess electric tape was your early dynamat.. I applied peel and seal stuff in my el camino years ago to floorpans. roofskins, and doorskins. Heavy and didn't help much. May try some waffling in smugglers box area behind seat someday along with what you call J pipes on the exhaust for the drone thing. I think a bit of my drone sound comes from the smugglers box area. which the bed caps off. probably a drum effect of sound.
thanks