Any tricks to make a DC quieter?

I have mine in a corner with a couple of 4' x4' ceiling insulation panels leaning against it.. helps some...

In the next shop, it will be outside, in an insulated box with a cooling and vent fans..

mac

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I don't see why you need to. Any tool connected to the DC makes a lot more noise then it does. Ted

He could put ALL his power tools outside when he relocates the DC; then the shop will be very, very QUIET!

Dave

I've been thinking of the closet idea. Thinking of fairly large opening near the top for exhaust of air sucked in, and maybe baffling that opening to better isolate sound.

Like this, maybe?

I leave the DC on between the intervals when I'm using other noisy tools. It's nice to have quiet sometime. Otherwise I keep having to walk over to the Dc, turn it off, go do something, then return to turn it back on. BTW, I'm considering a remote control.....

Bigpole wrote:

DC wise, obviously not the only way to go ... but you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

I put mine outside for two reasons:

2) Even though the bags collect most of the dust, they do leak some. Therefore I put the DC in a shed just outside the garage so that the extra-fine, extra-harmful dust goes outside.

The downside to having it outside is that I have to go outside to turn it on or off (I know, easily fixed), and that it does suck some of the warmer garage air out. Small price to pay for much less dust in the garage.

Hmmm. Wonder how my Home Owner's Association would feel about it....Oh wait, I think I know.

Just another reason to get out of a neighborhood rules by an HOA.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Yuck.

I can't imagine it, myself. I'll mow my lawn when, and if, I damn well feel like it. If I don't water it during August, it won't grow, so I don't have to mow it. Problem solved.

Granted, it's a bit ...crunchy...

Dave

That wuz me.

Lets see, your garage is probably about 6000cf, so 1200cfm is a complete change every 5 minutes. Some warmer air?

You can send it to my house. I think it would be less noise at your end.

Glad to help.

Just curious, and I've no tools to speak of, just working to get started, no dust collector, a totally amateur response - but I had planned to have a master switch feeding all of the (currently non-existent) power tools and figured I'd have a current relay to control the dust collector. Any reason why that wouldn't work? I've not researched it, but it seemed an obvious idea so I'm sure it's been done - unless I'm missing something obvious in my obvious idea. On when the tool's on, off (after delay) when it goes off.

Ricky

Ted.. you must have a REALLY loud bandsaw.. *g*

mac

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The problem with a remote is that like the one for the TV, you have to remember where in the hell you put it... I guess you could clip it to your belt or something...

My workbench is pretty much in the center of the shop, so I just mounted a box with remote switch in it on the bench in handy-reach position.... I gets to be pretty automatic to take a step or 2 and flip the switch...

An outlet box, switch and 3 feet of wire was a lot cheaper than a remote control unit too!

mac

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When I added the remote to my dust collector, it came with two handheld units. I velcroed one to the front of my bandsaw and the other to the overhead guard of my tablesaw. I can always find one of them handily.

My suggestion is to build a closet, that is what I'm going to do. My HOA wouldn't like it if I put my DC outside either.

The muffler must reduce air flow to dampen the sound. I used a sound level meter in my shop and got the following readings: DC - JET 1100 with Canister and Remote 1.5 HP

- At motor - 92 dB

- At duct where muffler would be - 88 dB

- Against lower bag - 114 dB

- Air leak at a 4" dust port - 92 dB

- Ear level at my lathe 15' away - 72 dB

If the velocity of air into the bag were reduced, then that would reduce the sound level "against the bag" significantly. So, if I were to get that muffler, then the quitest my DC would be is 92 dB, since the muffler would have zero effect on the sound generated by the motor. 92 dB is still loud, but the reading was taken at 6" away from the motor.

The muffler is advertised to reduce sound by 5-10 dB, and it probably will, but at the expense of air flow.

Not all tools are as loud as the DC. My bandsaw isn't that loud and my lathe only puts out 55dB at high speed.