New shop is loud!!!

[phil harold]

Our boss built us a new shop 32x45x12
Compared to the old shop 20x30x10 it is deafening
So very loud, even the air cleaner is loud
Any tricks to dampen the sound in here ?

[Charlie Hinton]

How is the shop constructed?

[Kevin Jenness]

Loud spaces are often related to flat rigid surfaces.. You may find some relief as you fill the walls with lumber racks and shelving and let the shavings pile up on the floor. If it persists, you could consult an acoustical engineer about hanging sound baffles from the ceiling- doubtless there are spare funds in the construction budget.

I was involved in a couple of sound booth projects that made use of (quite expensive) "flutterboard", t&g wood panels with milled fins of various heights attached to walls and ceilings- not practical for a shop but you get the idea.

I am currently finishing a guest bedroom in my house lined with drywall and hardwood flooring. The acoustical quality of the room was drastically altered by removing the furniture for the project.

[Jim Becker]

The same thing that "loud restaurants need to do has to be done in the shop...reduce reflections and have sound absorbent materials/panels in place to help lower the din.

[James Biddle]

I'd start with a question...what is the source of the noise? Give us more information so people here can help, is it with airplanes landing overhead, air cleaner, or one certain tool running?

[phil harold]

I'd start with a question...what is the source of the noise? Give us more information so people here can help, is it with airplanes landing overhead, air cleaner, or one certain tool running?the air cleaner is loud
the skill saw is loud
saw stop contactor table saw is badd
the 1.5hp delta dust collector is loud
air compressor is deafening

building is sticked framed 2x6, insulated, osb sheating inside and out
metal siding and roof
ceiling is sheetrock

Lumber racks are full and cover half the wall space

ceiling baffles?
How do thos get installed?!?

[Matt Mattingley]

One shop I worked in was so loud the owner was required provide the employees disposable earplugs. Some employees opted to double up and purchase their own pair of earmuffs. I’m not sure if this was part of the requirement or not, but the owner also did yearly ear testing. A Portable ear testing truck came in and tested three employees at a time(10min/ea). The ear truck was there for almost a day.

The owner put up block walls to separate the louder noise areas. He put the air compressor in a Block wall room. He hung mass load vinyl strips on any of the forklift doors and put insulated garage doors. Some machines were put on their own footings 10 feet below the concrete floor that had a lot of vibration in them. The ceiling and some of the walls were outfitted with dense Rockwool board.

A Independent company walked around at lunchtime and found that just the air leaks from compressed air to be a huge culprit. Once a month the maintenance department had to walk around on lunch hour, tag and document any air leaks to be fixed with a work order.

[Charlie Hinton]

Thanks for describing the new shop.
Since the same machines were moved into a larger space I think it's interesting the environment is so much louder.
You know how the old shop was constructed and the machines were arranged, what's different in the new shop ?
If the old shop was a metal building with the commercial soft faced exposed insulation that might explain it.

[phil harold]

Thanks for describing the new shop.
Since the same machines were moved into a larger space I think it's interesting the environment is so much louder.
You know how the old shop was constructed and the machines were arranged, what's different in the new shop ?
If the old shop was a metal building with the commercial soft faced exposed insulation that might explain it.
Pretty much the same construction except the ceiling was 9’ or 10’

[Robert Engel]

Wait till some dust accumulates????

[Martin Wasner]

One shop I worked in was so loud the owner was required provide the employees disposable earplugs.

Pretty sure that's an osha requirement just about anywhere an employee wishes.

[Martin Wasner]

My new shop is significantly louder than the old one. Higher ceilings, more square footage. Things just echo more.

I wear ear protection basically all day, every single day. It's a loud job no matter how you look at it. Get three or four guys working it makes a lot of racket. There's very few operations that I feel don't warrant ear plugs or muffs.

[Charlie Hinton]

A acoustical ceiling tile is probably the least expensive place to start.
Heavy rubber anti-fatigue mats and runners would deaden a concrete floor with the added benefit of saving your feet/knees.

[Gary Ragatz]

Several years ago, I made a "noise shield" for a stationary air compressor. Cut 4 2'x6' sheets of 1/4" plywood, hinged pairs of them on the long side so they would stand up on their own and lined one side with some "egg-crate" foam material. Set the shields up to sort of enclose the compressor - cut the noise considerably. Sorry I don't have pics - we moved recently and the compressor got left behind.

Something similar might help you out with your compressor and dust collector, if they're stationary - if you're moving them around, it would be clumsy. I suppose you could also attach panels like that to your ceiling to change the acoustics in the shop.

The foam I used was just a mattress topper - you can get them for a full size bed (~ 4'x6') for about $15, so not a big investment if you want to experiment.

[Steve Middleton]

Approaching if from a different angle.....Drop some tarps or foam insulation or even a blanket at 6-8 foot intervals from the top, crossways probably 4 feet drop................Would cut reverberation dramatically. I added a shop vac filter to the input of my 60 gallon compressor and it dramatically cut the noise! Lost all the high frequency partials and much more bearable! I spent many years in the music industry, dif capacities, and reverb is both a blessing and a curse:)

[Bill Dufour]

Put a car muffler on the input to the compressor. I use a oil bath air cleaner for the intake on my compressor. It helps quiet the shrill intake whistle and I figur ethe oi lis good for the valves.
All but the air cleaner require ear protection regardless of environment. They are just too loud and will damage hearing if you are within 50-100 feet. when they are running in the same building.
Be careful with any acoustic foam or fabric. Many of the home made ones are fire death traps that will void insurance if there is a fire. Fire proof materials cost more. Dust coated fire proof stuff will burn or at least the dust will.
Bil lD.

[Tom Bain]

Two Words: Hand Tools. :D