Another Soundproofing Option


Jonathon Carrell

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I recently went back (Waaaaay back) and listened to episode 3 of WoodTalk when the subject of soundproofing and noise control came up.  While there were some good suggestions on the show (and in some other threads here), most of them are geared towards trying to keep the noise confined within the shop. 

Another step that might prove helpful is to try to dampen those pesky dBs at their source (i.e. the machines producing them).  There's products from the automotive industry that very effective in reducing ambient road noise from tires, exhaust, engine, wind, etc.  One such product is Dynamat which comes in a peal and stick application.  You could  line the machine cabinets with dynamat to reduce noise generated from the motors and vibration they generate.

I haven't tested this, but I'm willing to bet it would make a noticeable difference. 

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1 hour ago, Jonathon Carrell said:

I recently went back (Waaaaay back) and listened to episode 3 of WoodTalk when the subject of soundproofing and noise control came up.  While there were some good suggestions on the show (and in some other threads here), most of them are geared towards trying to keep the noise confined within the shop. 

Another step that might prove helpful is to try to dampen those pesky dBs at their source (i.e. the machines producing them).  There's products from the automotive industry that very effective in reducing ambient road noise from tires, exhaust, engine, wind, etc.  One such product is Dynamat which comes in a peal and stick application.  You could  line the machine cabinets with dynamat to reduce noise generated from the motors and vibration they generate.

I haven't tested this, but I'm willing to bet it would make a noticeable difference. 

Problem is most of the pesky annoying noise comes from the blade vibrating as it cuts the wood or blades contacting the wood. Sound proofing the cabinet would only work to reduce the sound from the blade inside the cabinet and the quietest part of the machine .... the motor. An induction motor doesn't generate a whole lot of noise unless bearings are bad. On saws with an induction motor this might help but again you have the blade that is outside the cabinet.

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My jointer has two large panels on the base that are removed to assemble, service and adjust things like the motor, belts and magswitch.  The are louvered for cooling which is nice but, act as transducers for machine noise which is not so nice.  We end up with scrap sheet magnet at work and I stuck a few slabs of magnet on these panels (inside).  Not sound-proofing per se but, it did cut down the tympani-like effect of those large flat areas. 

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I've used this with good results: SR500 Industrial Sound Damping, got the idea from David Marks. I've also used Dynamat which costs more but is easier to apply if you don't have the machine apart. Both are good on sheet metal parts, especially large panels.

I don't know where you buy the Silent Running, when I got it they were selling direct. They have a dealer locator on their site but it appears there isn't a source within 500 miles of me. Maybe you could call them and get them to ship you some if there's not a dealer in your area.

As pointed out, most machine noise is generated by the cutting action and no amount of sound damping on the tool will help with that. I have Byrd heads on my planer and jointer and they're remarkable for noise reduction(among other things). Industrial table saw blades are designed to reduce noise so that helps a bit.

But there isn't anything that's going to quieten down a universal motor or the sound from a router bit cutting at 20K RPM. That's where rock wool and RC-1 channel come into play.

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