quieting a garage?

[JHines]

I will be ordering my tail kit soon, and I might be starting on it in an attached two-car garage. I already have an oil-lubed compressor which is easily tolerable from the neighbor's yard. I have a DRDT-2 on order for dimpling. So the only really loud noise I have to deal with is riveting.

The rear wall and one side wall of the garage are insulated and are separated from any neighbors by the "mass" of the house. The other side wall (exterior wall) is not insulated (2x4 studs 16" O.C. with 5/8" drywall) and is near a neighbor (maybe 25' siding-to-siding). The front wall is not insulated (again, studs/drywall), and is about 25' from the street. It doesn't face any neighbors. The two doors in the front wall are one-layer metal sectionals with some rigid foam insulation (about 3/4" thick).

I am thinking about using a material like 1/2" thick carpet padding. It seems fairly dense and flexible. The idea would be to hang it like a curtain next to the uninsulated side wall, maybe standing it off a bit (to avoid mechanical transmission). I could also possibly hang it the same way on the inside of the front wall (inside the garage doors).

Any opinions on whether this would do any good? I've seen some info on the Web about noise reduction, but it's mostly geared towards musicians, so they advocate some rather expensive/complex solutions.

[N941WR]

Jonathan,

Don't worry about it right now. After you work on your tail kit, go and ask your neighbors and wife what they think of the noise. If they take issue with it, then simply run to Lowe's and buy some insulation and drywall.

My basement walls were not insulated for the first year and a half of my project and my neighbors never noticed it. Lucky for me the ceiling was so Nora wasn't bothered by the riveting.

When I decided to insulate and drywall my basement, it was to keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, not because of the noise. Even then, it only took me two days to do it.

Besides, the riveting is such a small part of building.

IMHO, it is more important to make your shop comfortable so you don't mind spending time in there. That includes temperature control, humidity (very important down here), lighting, and music. (Beer cooler is optional and is not recommended due to the quality impact it might have. See my thread on trashed parts. (Just kidding, I never RWI'ed!))

[Bugsy]

Getting the DTRT dimpler will save the noisiest process in my mind. Banging my c-frame makes more noise than the rivet gun. When your right next to the gun it seems noisy but in the next room it isnt bad. Have someone go outside and rivet against your steel plate and have them tell you how noisy it is before going through alot of work and expense.

Welcome to the fraternity

[JHines]

Originally Posted by N941WR

Jonathan,

<SNIP>

(Beer cooler is optional and is not recommended due to the quality impact it might have. See my thread on trashed parts. (Just kidding, I never RWI'ed!))

RWI, is that a new offense? What is the field test for that? Close your eyes and touch your bucking bar to your flush set, sir

P.S. no wife, so as long as the neighbors don't beat me down I'm good to go.

[Kyle Boatright]

Unless you leave the garage door or a window open, the noise from your workshop shouldn't bother the neighbors.

The house where I built my RV was separated from my neighbor's house by 20 feet. The closest neighbor said he could hear me riveting if he was standing outside his house, but he couldn't hear it or the compressor from inside.

I verified this several times by turning on the compressor, going outside the shop, and closing the garage door. The compressor noise was barely noticable when I was standing 20' directly in front of the garage door.

[Greg Arehart]

Agreed. Unless you are riveting on your garage door, then noise is unlikely to be an issue (I have a son who is a drummer, and that is much more of an issue than riveting!). Even riveting in my garage with the door open, the neighbors don't hear it unless they are outside.

greg

[craigvince]

Try to find a pneumatic squeezer, or just use a hand squeezer. I found that 90% of my empennage rivets were squeezed, not bucked. I set my own curfew of 9pm for bucking rivets.

[AZChandler]

the compressor is the loadest noise in my opinion... I have an Oiled POS, though new...

[DaX]

My oiled compressor is loud (not as bad as an oil-less), but meerly a hum when heard running from outside with the shop doors shut (shop has NO insulated walls). I plumbed my drain through the wall and outside, so when I drain the compressor at the end of the night, there is a 2-5 minute period of hissing. This is probably the loudest part of my build to those outside the shop.

Like others said, riveting is a small part of the project. Back riveting has proved to be the loudest riveting task to me. No complaints yet from neighbors.

[Geico266]

Noise? The sound of a riveting gun is music to my ears.


It is really thoughtful of you to be so considerate of your neighbors. I wish my neighbor could read this! Want to move to Nebraska?