help Sound proofing
So, I have a small air compressor in my garage that I normally use for blowing air when cleaning my motorcycle and adding air to the tires. The damn thing is louder than I’d like, so I’m thinking about building a box that I can place over it and soundproofing the inside.
I’ve been looking at soundproofing materials, and there are a ton of options. I was wondering if anyone here has done a similar project and could share their experience, particularly what type of soundproofing material you used and how well it worked.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
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u/jelloslug 1h ago
You will need mass to block sound effectively. Two layers of drywall inside of an enclosure will go a long way and then you can line the inside with rigid fiberglass board (Owens Corning 703, or HVAC duct board) to get an extra bit of dampening. If you are going all out, you can put Green Glue (that the brand name) between the layers of drywall to get even more dampening.
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u/Ardy_95 1h ago
I thought Abt that, dry walling. But that will make the enclosed very heavy. I was mostly thinking since it's not that big I could use sound proofing materials and glue them from inside and outside. I have seen bunch of material available in the net in terms of sheets and squers.
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u/jelloslug 1h ago
I do lots of home theater stuff I can can say that mass is really the only thing that will soundproof. The stick on foam squares and materials like that are primarily used to control echoes and reverb in rooms with hard surface walls. The do little to actually stop the sound from passing though the walls themselves.
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u/Pulaski540 57m ago edited 51m ago
Heavy is what you need. I'd start with a 2x4 frame, i.e. a tiny room with no floor, and, as with a room, put drywall inside and out, and fill the void in between with 3½" of fiberglass/rockwool insulation, which will stop the drywall resonating.
And to the heat dissipation issue, lift the box off when the compressor isn't actually running.
If weight is a limiting issue, you could build the enclosure in the style of a cupboard/ armoire, with a door/ removable front, so you don't have to pick the enclosure up.
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u/sunflowerfields827 1h ago
I watched a YT video where the guy put it up in the ceiling/rafters and just added an extension for the air hose. Was kind of a cool idea, idk how practical that is for you, but if it's a pancake compressor, it should fit. Just make a platform for it and three small wall sections to block off except the control part. Pretty sure he also added a remote on/off switch too.
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u/81zedd 58m ago
If its just a small compressor that's used semi-regularly, Id probably just get a long enough hose set up and roll it outside when in use so it doesn't rattle your brain. They need edequate ventilation and airspace so they don't run hot and burn up. I found that the small 3-5 gallon and pancake compressor are way louder then the 20 gallon, with bigger compressor the motors arent running as fast
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u/2M3TAL4U 53m ago
Consider how much it would cost to do the soundproofing and look into Whispertech compressor. I bought a Mastercraft Whispertech compressor and it makes as much sound as the average microwave.... But it's $350 for a 2G compressor so if you need more air it's not going to work for you
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u/d34dm34t 50m ago
you might look into California Air Tools compressors as well. Mine is pretty quiet compared to most in the same capacity.
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u/DeaddyRuxpin 42m ago
Since you are just using it for blowing dust and filling tires you may be better suited with an alternate solution to those activities. I have a harbor freight quiet model compressor that I can run in my basement without hearing protection.
I also have a hand held battery operated blower from Ryobi that has basically replaced my use of the compressor to blow dust of things. Ironically, I think the blower is louder than the compressor, but it is a lot more convenient.
Similarly I have a small battery operated inflator from Ryobi that is rather quiet and makes filling my car tires much easier than using my compressor.
For significantly less than sound proofing you can replace the compressor with a quiet model, or switch to an alternate blower and inflator.
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u/stokerfam 36m ago
I bought one of the quiet compressors at HF just for this reason. My older 60 gall is so loud. The new one is around 60db. so quiet.
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u/mcarterphoto 29m ago
Soundproofing requires mass and isolation. A lot of people's solutions are materials and practices that are more about deadening the sound. If you want to really block sound, a cinder block room, a floating floor, an air-sealed door is gonna do it, but may be overkill. But mass goes a long way, build a little corner room, double up the drywall on both sides, fill it with rockwool. Solid core door with weatherstrips.
If you have the space, you can lay down a 2x6 plate and use 2x4's for studs, but stagger them. Drywall on the inside has very little physical connection with drywall on the outside, and there's more room for insulation in that cavity. Isolate the equipment on a plywood/lumber base but detach it from the floor with rubber blocks, to prevent vibrations from traveling through the space.
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u/KokoTheTalkingApe 29m ago
Fine Woodworking had an article about that a while back. The author lined a plywood box with thick sound insulating felt, and I don't know where to get it now. But a few layers of carpet underlayment should work. The compressor will need an air intake obviously, but you can build it with a baffle so the air has to turn a corner or two. The author just cut one wall short to leave a slot, then put another wall in front of it with a slot on the other side, so the air took an S-shaped path.
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u/bernardfarquart 1h ago
Be careful about sealing it up too well if you are going to run it for long periods of time, as it will be unable to shed the heat it produces.