Anti-vibration machine mounts

[Larry Spitz]

We have some relatively heavy iron in our school's machine room: A 300mm jointer, a sliding table crosscut saw that can take a full sheet of ply, a

600mm thickness planer, etc. The floor is concrete. The crosscut saw can be bolted to the floor but isn't currently. All of the other machinery sits directly on the floor.

When several machines are running at once, it can be quite loud in the machine room and also in the adjacent bench room and office. I am considering putting the machines on noise deadening mounts.

I would appreciate hearing of others experience doing this. How effective are the mounts? What type have you used? Is there any downside to putting the machines on anti-vibration mounts?

Cheers,

Larry

-- Centre for Fine Woodworking Nelson, New Zealand

[Lew Hodgett]

RE: Subject

Since you are in NZ, do a Google for "vibration isolators" and see who is close to home.

You will need to know the weight of the equipment you want to isolate to select the correct isolators.

Have fun.

Lew

[Bob S.]

Larry,

This may show up twice (having a bit of a newsgroup problem...) but hockey pucks can be used. Sand both side with some coarse grit paper and give those a try.

Bob S.

[Jay R]

As a former shipboard engineer I spent a lot of time on this trying to reduce ship (submarine) noise.

The biggest problem is the hard contact with the floor.

Try breaking that with different materials.

I think something as simple as a single piece of rubber sheet under the feet will make a huge difference.

There are some heavy rubber materials that would make a big difference, even small pieces of carpet under the feet qould be a start although they might slide a bit. Not sure you want to be chasing that sheet goods saw across the shop.

If you have an industrial hardware supplier down there you could start with them.

There are manufactured mounts available but they will be pricey.

You coupld also try a laminate of diferent materials such as a couple pieces of rubber sandwiched over a piece of MDF. Not sure if you call it by the same name or not. It is a brown pressed material. Old trade name was Masonite.

[David G. Nagel]

Larry;

I don't know that status of the legal industry in Nelson but in the States, if I were in the same situation, I would be very careful of amateur installations. In an educational environment with minor children involved (you don't say this but I make the assumption) the legal industry would love you. Especially if (when) a kid gets hurt, even if the mounts are not at fault. You have made modifications to the equipment not authorized by the manufacturer.

It's a hell of an environment where you have to make these considerations. In the interim I would advise some sort of hearing protection just in case. My hearing is poor after working in a very noisy factory for 30 years.

Keep us advised of what you do.

Dave Nagel St. Louis, MO USA

BTW: I am not a lawyer and don't play one on TV.

[C & E]

Agreed! Contact the manufacturer for their product and if they have none let them make a recommendation. And then, save their letter!

[Jack Stein]

I'd get an old auto tire and whack off some appropriate size pieces with a sawzall. Or probably just as good is just glue on some hunks of inner tubes if you can find any. That will probably work.

[Joe Brophy]

I have made heavy duty "levelers" using hockey pucks as the foot that rests on the floor of the shop, held to the machine by a 3/8" bolt and self locking nut, with large flat washers and a similar nut holding the puck on the end of the bolt, the washers spreading the weight load over as large of surface area of the puck as possible.

If the machine uses a v-belt drive to transfer power from the motor to the machine, I usually replace these with composite link belts, most often going with the "Power-Twist" link belt system from Fenner Industries. Supposed to be quieter and more efficient than the v-belts, plus they don't stretch out over time, I can hear the difference in the noise level. If the machine has a significant amount of sheet metal covering it that is held on by sheet metal screws I will often use rubber grommets or small strips of rubber cut from an old inner tube as a "noise dampener" between the sheet metal and the frame of the machine. If the machine has a lot of wasted spaces in the base of the inside machine frame I will sometimes spray some "ready-foam" in these areas to absorb noise as well. If you set up the machine and bolt it down, or put it on big levelers then run it and listen to what area of the running machine is producing the unwanted noise and utilize the above mentioned techniques or ones you invent for your specific situation you can reduce power equipment noise in most cases by up to 50%!! Fan safety guards can also generate a lot of unnecessary noise as well. Good Luck! regards, Joe.