I want to box in a noisy shop vac (from Ridgid) to minimize its noise
to _very_ low. I have come across many designs like that in books and
in this newsgroup, and I believe boxing in a shop vac should cut down
the noise significantly. I have a couple questions though:

- How quiet should I expect to get from boxing it in? Will it be
quiet enough that I can use it at 6:00 o'clock in the morning on my
boat (parked on my driveway) inside the boat cover? Please note that I
live in a 1/4 acre property and my neighbor's house is practically next
to my driveway. What's the dB level that I can cut down to anyway?

- Will the motor run hotter than it should if it is enclosed inside a
box with air vent on the side of the box? How much room I should leave
on top of the motor to allow enough cooling? I am asking this because
I need to run it with my sander to sand the boat deck flat, and this
may take longer than 10 minutes; therefore, I am afraid of overheating
the motor.

Yes, this is not a strictly woodworking question. But I figure people
into woodworking should be the expert in this area.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan