I'm building a box to hold a small compress. Purpose is to mask as
much of the compressor sound as possible. Of course, the compressor
will need to have air intake and output availability.

Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise
transmission but still allows air to pass through it?

Thanks

Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise

transmission but still allows air to pass through it?



Thanks

The real idea is "baffling", not restricted pass through. I am not saying it is a baffling question, I am saying build a box with baffles. You can line the baffles with foam rubber, carpet, ceiling tiles or any sound absorbent material.

You don't want to restrict airflow, just make the sound waves travel farther, change direction and crash into surfaces that can absorb them as they try to exit the box.

With a little planning you can make the path to outside like 100 feet in a very confined area by making a little maze of sorts. Making the sound change direction will really deaden it if there are surfaces to diffuse it vs bouncing it along.

One qualification, I have no real background in sound wave theory so this is just my intuited response.

On Tuesday, July 29, 2014 12:55:47 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I'm building a box to hold a small compress.

When I first read that line, I thought of injury.... a compress for a wound or ice pack on a sore muscle, etc. LOL.

Purpose is to mask as much of the compressor sound as possible. Of course, the compressor will need to have air intake and output availability. Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise transmission but still allows air to pass through it? Thanks

Cloth is a good sound barrier. Why not make a small 3-sided, w/overhang, room divider type barrier, with heavy cloth or some draping/shielding material, if that's applicable, see how that might work. I would hesitate boxing-in a compressor, maybe.

Sonny

wrote:
I'm building a box to hold a small compress. Purpose is to mask as
much of the compressor sound as possible. Of course, the compressor
will need to have air intake and output availability.

Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise
transmission but still allows air to pass through it?

Thanks
A compressor generates a lot of heat. I would go with baffles but it
needs to admit air for cooling.

--
 GW Ross 

 It is the journey that matters, in 
 the end. 

On Tuesday, July 29, 2014 10:55:47 AM UTC-7, wrote:
I'm building a box to hold a small compress[or].
Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise
transmission but still allows air to pass through it?

Anything that has different sound propogation than air will work.
I'd be tempted to start with coarse steel wool contained by screen
wire. Alas, low frequency noise will require some thickness of
filter to get any attenuation.

For best performance, use distance: put the compressor on the
roof, and run extra plumbing and wire length.

On 7/29/2014 2:57 PM, SonomaProducts.com wrote:


Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise

transmission but still allows air to pass through it?



Thanks

The real idea is "baffling", not restricted pass through. I am not saying it is a baffling question, I am saying build a box with baffles. You can line the baffles with foam rubber, carpet, ceiling tiles or any sound absorbent material.

You don't want to restrict airflow, just make the sound waves travel farther, change direction and crash into surfaces that can absorb them as they try to exit the box.

With a little planning you can make the path to outside like 100 feet in a very confined area by making a little maze of sorts. Making the sound change direction will really deaden it if there are surfaces to diffuse it vs bouncing it along.

One qualification, I have no real background in sound wave theory so this is just my intuited response.


Take a look he
http://home.comcast.net/~prestondrak...f_Workshop.htm

The Shop Vac enclosure demonstrates the baffle idea pretty well.

wrote in message ...

I'm building a box to hold a small compress. Purpose is to mask as
much of the compressor sound as possible. Of course, the compressor
will need to have air intake and output availability.

Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise
transmission but still allows air to pass through it?

Thanks

I have a large air compressor. It is in the attached garage. I piped it down
to my basement work shop. Cannot hear it run. WW

On Tue, 29 Jul 2014 13:47:00 -0700 (PDT), whit3rd
wrote:

On Tuesday, July 29, 2014 10:55:47 AM UTC-7, wrote:
I'm building a box to hold a small compress[or].
Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise
transmission but still allows air to pass through it?

Anything that has different sound propogation than air will work.
I'd be tempted to start with coarse steel wool contained by screen
wire. Alas, low frequency noise will require some thickness of
filter to get any attenuation.

For best performance, use distance: put the compressor on the
roof, and run extra plumbing and wire length.

The garage works well. I'd do something like that for dust, too,
except that it moves too much air (kinda the idea).

wrote in message
...
I'm building a box to hold a small compress. Purpose is to mask as
much of the compressor sound as possible. Of course, the compressor
will need to have air intake and output availability.

Can anybody recommend a filter or filter material that reduces noise
transmission but still allows air to pass through it?

Foam rubber open cell, like couch cushions, but this is a bad idea, unless
substantial extra forced ventilation is added. A squirrel cage blower of at
least 1/3 HP would be needed to keep the air inside from overheating. The
other ideas such as baffles will also not allow enough fresh air in to keep
things cool. Look up how many BTU's are produced per amp/volt of
electricity, then multiply that by how many amps your compressor is. Nearly
all of that electrical energy is turned into heat. With an overheated
enclosure, you risk burning out the motor, and seizing the compressor
itself.

I'm with others. Locate it outside, or somewhere where the noise will not
be an issue.
--
Jim in NC


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I'm with others. Locate it outside, or somewhere where the noise will not
be an issue.

I live in an apartment and do have a balcony, but relocating the
compressor out there is not really a viable option.

The compressor is a Senco PC1010 which is pretty small, so I may be
able to get away with rubber baffles and reasonably quiet fans to
input and output air flow. Hmmm, guess I have some things to consider.

On Wednesday, July 30, 2014 5:37:20 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I live in an apartment .... Hmmm, guess I have some things to consider.

In theaters, large thick curtains are used to dampen and prevent echo. Try installing some thick drapes, on 3 sides and over the compressor, to see how that works. Use some thick bath towels or bed blanket for the testing of the drape option. Use dining chairs for the towel/blanket props, and maybe a broom stick, across the tops of the chairs, for draping overhead. You can test this option at no cost.

If the test draping works reasonably well, purchase some thick (remnant! *cheap) fabric (or thick blankets, from Goodwill, Salvation Army) and make a room divider type drape over and around the compressor, leaving one side open (partially open?) for air circulation/ventilation.

Room dividers and workplace/work station (office setting) dividers work well for reducing sound/noise from adjacent areas or work stations.

Sonny

wrote in :

I'm with others. Locate it outside, or somewhere where the noise will
not be an issue.

I live in an apartment and do have a balcony, but relocating the
compressor out there is not really a viable option.

The compressor is a Senco PC1010 which is pretty small, so I may be
able to get away with rubber baffles and reasonably quiet fans to
input and output air flow. Hmmm, guess I have some things to consider.

Here's an idea... Air filters. They're designed to let air move through,
but tend to have soft surfaces and pleating which could dampen the noise.
Some designs have irregular shapes (and not just pleats or screens),
which might be better for sound dampening.

No idea if it'll do any good at all, but it seems similar enough to some
of the sound baffles I've seen to possibly work.

Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.

On 7/30/2014 5:37 AM, wrote:
I live in an apartment and do have a balcony, but relocating the
compressor out there is not really a viable option.

The compressor is a Senco PC1010 which is pretty small, so I may be
able to get away with rubber baffles and reasonably quiet fans to
input and output air flow. Hmmm, guess I have some things to consider.

Pretty much barking up a tree, Dave. All the well meaning ideas I've
seen thus far are unlikely to attenuate the sound of an air compressor,
running in an apartment, to any extent to give you satisfaction.

Based on experience as a recording engineer, studio owner and builder:

Reality of the situation, and the short explanation, is that in order to
attenuate the amplitude of sound waves through absorption (baffles,
gobi's, curtains, etc) the absorbing medium/material must be roughly
equal in thickness the offending frequency's wave lengths.

An example, at sea level and 68F, the wave length of 1130 Hz is approx 1'.

So, while relatively easy for higher frequencies, it is much less easily
obtainable for mid and low frequencies, all components of the
multi-frequency sound generated by an air compressor.

Best satisfaction will come, without spending a fortune and taking up a
good deal of living space, is to put it in another room, or closet in
another room, where the closet is not adjacent to where you want the
quieter operation, basically getting as many walls and doors between the
source and the desired quieter area.

That's takes care of you, but not necessarily the adjacent tenants.

There are other methods besides absorption, to attenuate sound, but they
would be prohibitive in cost for your application.

Short story, is that some of the ideas may work to an extent, but I
doubt seriously that they will provide the solution you are looking for.

--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://www.google.com/+eWoodShop
https://plus.google.com/+KarlCaillouet/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

wrote in message ...

The compressor is a Senco PC1010 which is pretty small, so I may be
able to get away with rubber baffles and reasonably quiet fans to
input and output air flow. Hmmm, guess I have some things to consider.

A plywood box lined with Rockwool, or perhaps denim, batt insulation, held
in place with wire cloth, that has indirect air intake and indirect air
outlets would work well... The insulation absorbs sound and the plywood
reflects it back into the insulation.

My club built a large one to accommodate a 2 bag 1.5 HP unit so we can use
it at our woodworking show.

John Grossbohlin wrote:
wrote in message ...

The compressor is a Senco PC1010 which is pretty small, so I may be
able to get away with rubber baffles and reasonably quiet fans to
input and output air flow. Hmmm, guess I have some things to consider.

A plywood box lined with Rockwool, or perhaps denim, batt insulation, held
in place with wire cloth, that has indirect air intake and indirect air
outlets would work well... The insulation absorbs sound and the plywood
reflects it back into the insulation.

My club built a large one to accommodate a 2 bag 1.5 HP unit so we can use
it at our woodworking show.


Sounds like you're talking about a dust collector and he's talking
compressor. Two different types of sound.

One way to get compressed air quieter is to change to a belt-driven
compressor instead of a direct drive one. I've had both and the noise
is much louder with a direct drive.

--
 GW Ross 

 It is the journey that matters, in 
 the end. 

John Grossbohlin wrote:
wrote in message ...

The compressor is a Senco PC1010 which is pretty small, so I may be
able to get away with rubber baffles and reasonably quiet fans to
input and output air flow. Hmmm, guess I have some things to
consider.

A plywood box lined with Rockwool, or perhaps denim, batt insulation,
held in place with wire cloth, that has indirect air intake and
indirect air outlets would work well... The insulation absorbs sound
and the plywood reflects it back into the insulation.

My club built a large one to accommodate a 2 bag 1.5 HP unit so we
can use it at our woodworking show.

Lots of varying suggestions here - and not all of them are really based on
experience or knowledge. So - I'll step up and offer a suggestion that is
not based on experience or knowledge either. But... it's worth you doing a
google search on how these guys make quiet compressors these days. There's
a ton of infomation out there on that. Even those nasty oiless compressors
are very quiet today. DAGS Dave - there is a ton of information out there.
It's not worth trying to post a few links - you'd be better spending an
evening looking on your own. The manner in which these manufacturers
achieve quiet today is a lot more simple than what's been put forward in
this thread to date.

--

-Mike-

On 7/30/2014 1:03 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
But... it's worth you doing a
google search on how these guys make quiet compressors these days. There's
a ton of infomation out there on that. Even those nasty oiless compressors
are very quiet today.

Apparently the one Dave has, the Senco 1010?, is advertised as "ultra
quiet", but that does not appear to be sufficient from his request.

--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://www.google.com/+eWoodShop
https://plus.google.com/+KarlCaillouet/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

Swingman wrote:
On 7/30/2014 1:03 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
But... it's worth you doing a
google search on how these guys make quiet compressors these days.
There's a ton of infomation out there on that. Even those nasty
oiless compressors are very quiet today.

Apparently the one Dave has, the Senco 1010?, is advertised as "ultra
quiet", but that does not appear to be sufficient from his request.

Could well be - but then that may point to an level of quiet that Dave can't
really achieve. Don't really know what he's looking for.

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote:

Could well be - but then that may point to an level of quiet that
Dave can't really achieve. Don't really know what he's looking for.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Pretty basic rules of appartment living.

He wants to run his air compressor without it ****ing off the
neighbors.

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote

Pretty basic rules of appartment living.

He wants to run his air compressor without it ****ing off the neighbors.

If that is the case, transmitted vibration through the floors is the
larger problem. In that case, setting the compressor on a piece of plywood
on top of a couch cushion is definitely the way to go. Even better, instead
of plywood, something with really high mass, like a piece of marble or
granite countertop.
--
Jim in NC


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On 7/30/2014 2:47 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Mike Marlow" wrote:

Could well be - but then that may point to an level of quiet that
Dave can't really achieve. Don't really know what he's looking for.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Pretty basic rules of appartment living.

He wants to run his air compressor without it ****ing off the
neighbors.

Lew




Like the other power tools are not going to be noisy? I have often
wondered how that worked. Maybe his compressor is way noisier.

On Wed, 30 Jul 2014 13:34:31 -0500, Swingman wrote:
Apparently the one Dave has, the Senco 1010?, is advertised as "ultra
quiet", but that does not appear to be sufficient from his request.

Well, "quiet" in a usable workshop and "quiet" in an apartment are two
different things.

The Senco PC1010 *is* the quietest one I could find for use with a
brad nailer. And by my saying that, it means there's not a great
amount of noise to filter which suggests that a great amount of
baffling probably isn't necessary either.

For the time being I've been running the compressor for short periods
of ten minutes at a time. But, it's getting tiresome, especially with
the running time it takes to build up suitable pressure. I'd like to
be able to run it for longer periods, so I'm trying to figure a way to
do that and also do the responsible neighbour stuff. I may end up
having to settle for just running it on several inches of foam rubber
to curtail that vibration and leave it at that... Guess I'll have to
play with it a bit.

On Wed, 30 Jul 2014 22:33:26 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
Like the other power tools are not going to be noisy? I have often
wondered how that worked. Maybe his compressor is way noisier.

For short durations of noisy stuff, I use my balcony. For other longer
durations of really noisy stuff, I go over to a friend's place. I sold
my tablesaw really cheaply to him over ten years ago, advantage being
that I get to go over and use it when needed. That's his backyard
patio where I built the garden trestle table.

It's a pain having to go all the way over there, but it's damned
better than not having the option at all.

wrote in message ...

On Wed, 30 Jul 2014 22:33:26 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
Like the other power tools are not going to be noisy? I have often
wondered how that worked. Maybe his compressor is way noisier.

For short durations of noisy stuff, I use my balcony. For other longer
durations of really noisy stuff, I go over to a friend's place. I sold
my tablesaw really cheaply to him over ten years ago, advantage being
that I get to go over and use it when needed. That's his backyard
patio where I built the garden trestle table.

It's a pain having to go all the way over there, but it's damned
better than not having the option at all.

This situation reminds me of a song Roger McGuinn wrote about his brother in
law (my aunt's husband). "If it's free it cost too much." In the case of
the BIL if he ever did anything for you or gave you something you ended up
paying it back 10 times over fulfilling requests from the BIL. In this case,
your friend got to provide space, electric, blades, and quiet over the
course of 10 years for the privilege of a deal on the table saw. ;~)

John

On 2014-07-30, Morgans wrote:


"Lew Hodgett" wrote

Pretty basic rules of appartment living.

He wants to run his air compressor without it ****ing off the neighbors.

If that is the case, transmitted vibration through the floors is the
larger problem. In that case, setting the compressor on a piece of plywood
on top of a couch cushion is definitely the way to go. Even better, instead
of plywood, something with really high mass, like a piece of marble or
granite countertop.

I've also seen people hang things from bungie cords to accomplish that.

--
Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! Is it 1974? What's
at for SUPPER? Can I spend
gmail.com my COLLEGE FUND in one
wild afternoon??

On 7/31/2014 1:35 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 30 Jul 2014 22:33:26 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
Like the other power tools are not going to be noisy? I have often
wondered how that worked. Maybe his compressor is way noisier.

For short durations of noisy stuff, I use my balcony. For other longer
durations of really noisy stuff, I go over to a friend's place. I sold
my tablesaw really cheaply to him over ten years ago, advantage being
that I get to go over and use it when needed. That's his backyard
patio where I built the garden trestle table.

It's a pain having to go all the way over there, but it's damned
better than not having the option at all.



Well there you go! Question answered. LOL

On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 02:23:53 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 30 Jul 2014 13:34:31 -0500, Swingman wrote:
Apparently the one Dave has, the Senco 1010?, is advertised as "ultra
quiet", but that does not appear to be sufficient from his request.

Well, "quiet" in a usable workshop and "quiet" in an apartment are two
different things.

The Senco PC1010 *is* the quietest one I could find for use with a
brad nailer. And by my saying that, it means there's not a great
amount of noise to filter which suggests that a great amount of
baffling probably isn't necessary either.

For the time being I've been running the compressor for short periods
of ten minutes at a time. But, it's getting tiresome, especially with
the running time it takes to build up suitable pressure. I'd like to
be able to run it for longer periods, so I'm trying to figure a way to
do that and also do the responsible neighbour stuff. I may end up
having to settle for just running it on several inches of foam rubber
to curtail that vibration and leave it at that... Guess I'll have to
play with it a bit.

Not a direct answer to your question Dave, but have you considered
CO2 bottles?

www.powertank.com

basilisk

On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 10:13:34 -0500, basilisk
Not a direct answer to your question Dave, but have you considered
CO2 bottles?

I am aware of them, just didn't give them much thought to be honest.

On Tuesday, July 29, 2014 6:58:06 PM UTC-7, Morgans wrote:
wrote in message

...

I'm building a box to hold a small compress[or]


other ideas such as baffles will also not allow enough fresh air in to keep
things cool. Look up how many BTU's are produced per amp/volt of
electricity, then multiply that by how many amps your compressor is. Nearly
all of that electrical energy is turned into heat.

That's too optimistic: MORE heat is liberated than the electric power, because
compression changes the heat capacity of the air. and the air temperature
rises. When you release the gas, it gets cooler than ambient (this is a kind
of open-end refrigeration cycle). That's why the compressor cylinder always
has heatsink fins.

On 2014-07-31, whit3rd wrote:
On Tuesday, July 29, 2014 6:58:06 PM UTC-7, Morgans wrote:
...

I'm building a box to hold a small compress[or]

other ideas such as baffles will also not allow enough fresh air in
to keep things cool. Look up how many BTU's are produced per
amp/volt of electricity, then multiply that by how many amps your
compressor is.

In theory you'll have to take the power factor into account, since you
want to know real Watts (vs. the imaginary component that's included
in the Volt Amps value).

Nearly all of that electrical energy is turned into heat.

That's too optimistic: MORE heat is liberated than the electric
power, because compression changes the heat capacity of the air. and
the air temperature rises. When you release the gas, it gets cooler
than ambient (this is a kind of open-end refrigeration cycle).

Yup. Assuming the air expands outside the enclosure, in addition to
dissapating the electrical power, you're also pumping heat from
outside the enclosure to inside the enclosure.

--
Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! We just joined the
at civil hair patrol!
gmail.com