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Thread: Quieting sheetmetal machines

  1. #1
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    Quieting sheetmetal machines

    For no reason in specific I’ve decided it times to find a way to quiet down some of the machines in my workshop. I feel that my bandsaw (MM20) is needlessly loud, though it’s not due to anything mechanical that I am aware of.

    I started this process so far by filling up the bottom of the main column with playsand, (poured into a plastic bag and sealed off). Knocking on the bottom of the column produces a nice dead thump. Next I will be lining the saw with CLD on all sheetmetal panels. Apparently even 25% coverage should reduce or eliminate the ringing produced by these panels when they are knocked on.

    I also plan to line the interior of my jointer/planer and tablesaw. These machines are pretty acceptably loud but I’d like to see if I can knock them down a touch.

    Perhaps it will do nothing, but perhaps it will do something. I’ve been spoiled by the few full cast iron machines that I have, but my understanding is that weldments can also be made exceptionally quiet.

    Ive seen various approaches taken: granite epoxy is one, filling with pea gravel or sand is another, also filling with grout that doesn’t shrink and finally filling with silicone.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  2. #2
    What about cutting a hole or holes in the frame and filling with Great Stuff foam or something like that? Probably deaden just as well, without adding any weight.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

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    I happened on to some sheet magnet material. Not super strong but, has plenty of grip when in 1 foot square pieces for example. I stuck sheets of this to the inside of my jointer's cabinet, tablesaw and other machines with good result. CLD would undoubtedly do an even better job. I used the sand in a plastic bag trick on an old contractor saw and it moved the performance of that machine up a tier as well as deaden a lot of noise.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


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  4. #4
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    What is CLD? Not a 3-letter acronym I’m familiar with.
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  5. #5
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    Constrained Layer Damper.

    Erik, my understanding is that a damper has to have mass, so a foam probably won't do much.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  6. #6
    no subsititute for mass.

    General jointer and bandsaw sound rinky dink compared to my old stuff. I lined the bandsaw with Dux seal long ago, never did the base figured id make a new one. Stuff comes in pugs or did I think about 5 lbs in a pug. Used it for other stuff as well. Dont remember which supplier it came from nearly 40 years ago but want to do it to some of my older stuff with 1/4" thick bases. They are quiet enough but could be more so, bang on stuff and listen for a tone. We also used stuff called Bituminus felt but its not right for the machines.

  7. #7
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    Hotrodders use stuff like this on the floors. https://www.amazon.com/Kilmat-Deaden...7CPP8W6GJWTV5M

    I bought a lathe that had been set in machine setting grout. It almost took dynamite to get it out of the pedestals so I could reset the machine. Miserable crap!
    Last edited by Richard Coers; 09-07-2020 at 4:17 PM.

  8. #8
    Plus one, on the mass thing. Sound is nothing more than our ears sensing movement. Make it harder for things to move and they make less sound. Foam has some ability to change acoustic properties, like resonance, but it doesn't really absorb energy as much as redirecting it.

  9. #9
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    The self adhering ice & water shield that roofers use works well to deaden sheet metal panels. It's quite dense & can be applied in multiple layers. If you buy it by the roll it's pretty cheap.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post
    Constrained Layer Damper.

    Erik, my understanding is that a damper has to have mass, so a foam probably won't do much.
    Gotcha’. The sand idea makes sense. Just thinking out loud: What if you poured a bunch of lead shot into the hollow frame? Not to the top, but maybe a third full? Basically, a dead-blow hammer for your bandsaw.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

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    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Loza View Post
    Gotcha’. The sand idea makes sense. Just thinking out loud: What if you poured a bunch of lead shot into the hollow frame? Not to the top, but maybe a third full? Basically, a dead-blow hammer for your bandsaw.

    Erik
    So when you swing that band saw, it'll really pack a punch

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Loza View Post
    Gotcha’. The sand idea makes sense. Just thinking out loud: What if you poured a bunch of lead shot into the hollow frame? Not to the top, but maybe a third full? Basically, a dead-blow hammer for your bandsaw.

    Erik
    That would probably work really well.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  13. #13
    3M and others make sound deadening tape. Lots of up scale appliances use it. Same machine, only with sound deadening tape sells for a couple hundred dollars more, because it sounds sturdier. Wish the rear door on my wife's Suzuki had some in it

  14. #14
    go to home depot or a wholesaler better and buy 5 lb pugs of Duct seal. I did this 39 years ago to my first general bandsaw, with an audio back ground I couldn't stand the noise. This took the reverb time away.

    Bandsaw is the same now as it was then, This stuff will do corners your other stuff wont. you can put it on 1/16 or 3/4 or whatever you choose you cant with the other stick on tape or roofers stuff.

    13.00 for 5 lbs, Buy as many as you want to add

    Or just sell it and buy a 50 year old Wadkin.

    P1870270A.jpg Capture.jpg
    Last edited by Warren Lake; 09-07-2020 at 11:48 PM.

  15. #15
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    Narrowly missed a nice Zimmermann saw recently....
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

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