Building noise???

AndyRV7 · #1 03-20-2009, 02:58 PM

Can any generalizations be made about the level and times of the noise you might make during a build? I am looking at a property to rent (in a gated community). It has a two car garage, and seems to fit a build, but I am wondering how much I am going to be bothering the neighbors. The houses are pretty close together (maybe 30 feet).

Is riveting the loudest part of the project? And how much time in relative terms does that skill take?

For what it is worth, the house is in Leesburg Florida, right near the airport. Anyone else building in that area? I am also wondering if that is a first-flight-friendly airport. I have a little more research to do before committing to anything. Like do they even have hangars available. But regardless of these answers, I am going to have to rent a similar house someplace, so the noise questions remain valid.

Thanks for the advice!

Andy

noelf · #2 03-20-2009, 03:07 PM

...riveting makes quite a racket, especially for neighbors that only want a quiet "life" and environment.

That said, nothing compares to the racket and shouting that you will utter if (when) you drill into your knee or crack a canopy...

N941WR · #3 03-20-2009, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noelf

...riveting makes quite a racket, especially for neighbors that only want a quiet "life" and environment.

That said, nothing compares to the racket and shouting that you will utter if (when) you drill into your knee or crack a canopy...

I was thinking the same thing.

Get a belt driven compressor and close the door when riveting and you will be fine.

alpinelakespilot2000 · #4 03-20-2009, 03:17 PM

An insulated garage door should help significantly. You might offend some neighbors without it.

Also, make sure you can aircondition your garage if you're going to have to have the door closed in the summer!

Don Jones · #5 03-20-2009, 03:19 PM

.....when I am going at it in the garage, the wife can hear it in the house, but she says it isn't disturbing at all. One night while banging away on the c-frame dimpling something, she was coming back from a walk and said she could hear that racket 1/2 mile away.

The DRDT-2 solved that one. I also had a sheriff pull up to the driveway and check me out one afternoon, I guess he was looking for whoever was firing those automatic weapons...

airguy · #6 03-20-2009, 03:36 PM

I was concerned about this as well, and I asked my next-door neighbor one day (after an extended riveting session) if the noise was bothering them. They said "What noise?" Our houses are about 30 feet apart as well. My neighbor on the other side is the crew chief for the B29 based here at the Midland CAF, and he'll come over for a beer once in a while when he hears me riveting, he says "It sounds like home."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Jones

I also had a sheriff pull up to the driveway and check me out one afternoon, I guess he was looking for whoever was firing those automatic weapons...

I had the local police pull into my driveway one day while I was spraying AKZO, somebody smelled it and thought I was cooking meth and called it in.

Don Jones · #7 03-20-2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by airguy

I was concerned about this as well, and I asked my next-door neighbor one day (after an extended riveting session) if the noise was bothering them. They said "What noise?" Our houses are about 30 feet apart as well. My neighbor on the other side is the crew chief for the B29 based here at the Midland CAF, and he'll come over for a beer once in a while when he hears me riveting, he says "It sounds like home."

I had the local police pull into my driveway one day while I was spraying AKZO, somebody smelled it and thought I was cooking meth and called it in.

My house is parked in the middle of 5 acres so I doubt they could smell anything from that distance. The noise on the other hand

Kyle Boatright · #8 03-20-2009, 04:08 PM

I built my airplane in a 2 car garage with an outside wall 20' from a neighbor's outside wall. I asked time and time again if the noise bothered them. They said as long as my garage door was closed, they couldn't hear any noise inside their house. They also said that if they were outside, they could hear a little noise, but nothing objectionable.

I found the key to building an airplane in a very close spaced neighborhood was to make sure all of the neighbors were aware that I was building an airplane and occasionally they might hear a little noise or catch a funny smell (primer, for instance). I made it very clear to them that if what I was doing ever bothered them, please let me know. And I followed up on that by touching base with them from time to time. I never had a complaint and I think it was in part due to being proactive.

Also, if a neighbor was having a BBQ or the kids were outside playing, I made sure to prime or paint at some other time.

roee · #9 03-20-2009, 04:59 PM

I've been building my airplane in the attached garage in my condo. My experience has been that the compressor can be heard from outside, and the rivet gun can be heard around the block. Do what you can to mitigate the noise: get a "quiet" oil-lubricated compressor, insulate your garage door and close gaps as much as practical, minimize the use of pneumatic tools when you have a choice (rivet squeezer vs. rivet gun, drill press vs. pneumatic drill), and limit yourself to doing the necessary noisy stuff in the middle of the day. But most important, as others have said, foster a good relationship with your neighbors so that they will willingly put up with it

AndyRV7 · #10 03-21-2009, 09:23 AM

Thanks for all the useful opinions. I think I know what I am up against now. I had my second tailwheel lesson today too, so that is helping demystify whether I can build the 7 I want. Thanks again.