Z

Zeigh

I'm New Here
Hello,

In researching the logistics of building my first airplane, I have been imagining myself all along starting the project in my garage. Then it suddenly dawned on me that the noise generated by seemingly endless riveting with air power tools might cause noise complaints in my houses-packed-ontop-of-another suburban neighborhood. I have some great neighbors and suppose that I could schedule my activities when they aren't home, but this still seems like a huge issue that I haven't seen addressed anywhere else.

Does anyone have any comment on this?


Blue Skies,
Dr. Z.
 
Where are you going to rivet, in the front yard?

I did all my riveting in the basement and my wife she could barely hear it in the room above me.

If you are in the garage with the door open, they might hear it but it won't be that loud.

Some time back I remember reading a web site about some guy who was building in his apartment and his neighbors never knew it. Besides, you really don't spend that much time riveting.
 
As Bill R says, the actual time that you spend riveting is trivial. To minimize noise og building (and I wouldn't think it an issue anyway unless you are truly living on top of your neighbors) use an electric drill instead of an air drill and don't buy an oilless air compressor. I hear (no pun intended) that they are very loud compared to the cast iron oil filled compressors.
Bil Brooks
Ottawa, Canada
RV-6A finishing
 
N941WR,

Wow, this a great news then (and shows how naive I must be). I was thinking of the repetitive noise of power tools on metal work that I have personally encountered in the past. Then again, it was never on lightweight aluminum. I am sure that I can't be as stealth as the guy in his apartment, but at least I will still be able to be courteous to my neighbors.


Blue Skies,
Dr. Z.
 
Easy solution

A)Just go to the hearing protection section of the nearest Dick's and buy up some cheap little softie earplugs.

B) Hand them out to neighbors, and say it's just your appreciation and thought they might use them "sometime"...

C) Rivet on!!!
 
C-GRVT said:
As Bill R says, the actual time that you spend riveting is trivial. To minimize noise og building (and I wouldn't think it an issue anyway unless you are truly living on top of your neighbors) use an electric drill instead of an air drill and don't buy an oilless air compressor. I hear (no pun intended) that they are very loud compared to the cast iron oil filled compressors.
Bil Brooks
Ottawa, Canada
RV-6A finishing
Click to expand...

Bil is Exactly right.

I had a neighbor who was crazy from chronic pain and every little noise was the end of the world. But even you will enjoy a quiet work environment more, and it allows you to hear the music and cell phone. Use an eletric drill for everything possible (really is better than most air drills anyway) and don't skimp on it. Get a small powerful one with a Li Ion battery and a spare battery to charge while one is in use. Use an oiled compressor with sound proofing around it. Actual time spent riviting is a very small percentage (especially with a QB kit).
 
I agree with what was said above

You obviously are a good neighbor and the folks around you appreciate your consideration. I lived in Laguna Hills, California in a zero distance between one side of the house to the edge of the lot - the side with the garage. I spent seven years in there building the RV-6A. I never had a single complaint. I only used the compressor (a dry one at that) for operating the rivet gun and the die grinder. I used the electric drill most of the time and I squeezed all of the rivets I could with a hand squeezed. You don't let the compressor run when you don't need it and the compressor only runs when the pressure in the tank drops. I stopped any compressor operations after 10 pm and I kept the door closed at night. I don't think you will have a problem.

Bob Axsom
 
Love my Air Drill

I am building in a small well insulated shop - 18' x 20'. I have an 80 gallon air compressor so it does not run often, and it is a two stage so it does not have to run fast when it does run. I use my air drill regularly but squeeze all the rivets I can get to rather than buck them. No complaints from the neighbours who are fairly close to my shop.

I have a small 1/4" air drill and I love it. I wonder why I didn't buy one years ago. I would never go back to an electric drill.
 
During the day I may rivet with the garage door open but after 5 its usually closed and never after 9pm. I had a neighbor across the street that used to practice his golf swing in his garage. Hitting golf balls into a tarp hung from the rafters. That was louder and more annoying than my activities. Currently my next door neighbor is toying with drums, now that is loud, with or without the door closed. Bottom line is I don't think you'll find it as bad as you might imagine.
 
I've posted this before, but if you live in a tight neighborhood, your best policy is to start the project and show it to all of your neighbors. Tell 'em there may be some noise, but if it EVER bothers them, to let you know and you'll stop whatever you're doing until you can find a way to do it more quietly.

Tell them that you'll keep the garage door closed when you're doing anything loud. And DO keep the door closed when you're doing loud things.

My house was 20' from my neighbors. I never even had one complaint. Honestly, with the garage door closed, the noise level from my shop was barely noticable in the driveway, and certainly not something any neighbor could have heard unless his/her windows were open.

My biggest fear was bothering my neighbors when I primed and painted. I worked hard to do that when their kids were inside, and never had a problem with that either.
 
Welcome to VAF!!!

Tons of good tips here. Was no issue for me too. Built tail in small NYC studio. Run compressor when people were mostly at work. Lots of hand squeezing. Took couple days off during the week. Manageable. When I was moving out neighbors were very surprised - you built THIS??? HERE???
 
N941WR said:
Some time back I remember reading a web site about some guy who was building in his apartment and his neighbors never knew it. Besides, you really don't spend that much time riveting.
Click to expand...

That may have been me. I built my tail and wings for the RV-6A in a two-bedroom apartment in Ann Arbor. The building was cement construction with apartment interior walls of wood. I could start my air compressor in the living room and stand in the common hallway outside and barely hear it. I checked with my neighbors anyway and they were surprised that I was doing anything. The apartment management didn't mind as long as I was not using hazardous chemicals (I prosealed outside) or damaging anything.

When I was building the fuselage after moving to my house in Flagstaff, I caused more of a stir when I dragged the fuselage outside to fit the wings and main gear. Even then, no neighbors were bothered but it seemed like every neighbor in the subdivision stopped by to see what that was in my driveway.
 
I've only had one complaint in the entire time that we've been building, first my neighbor's -8, and now my -7A. and that came from a guy whose wife went to bed early each night, and her window faced *directly* into the garage (if you had designed a parabolic dish to send sound to her window, you couldn't have done better). The guy showed up one night about 8 while we were riveting just about the last major piece on the airframe that needed any significant riveting (forward fuselage top deck). He wasn't happy at first, because he'd been listening to his wife complain about the noise for *5 years* (two airplanes) before he said anything. After talking to him for a bit and explaining what we were doing, and promising to watch the noise level after 8 from then on, he actually got pretty interested in the project!

Just use your common sense...we shut down the noisy stuff after 9 p.m., even on weekends; the compressor is in the back, in one of those plastic "deck storage boxes", so it's considerably quieter; and the times when you're actually pounding rivets (as opposed to squeezing them, etc.) is actually not very much.

Watch things like dimpling, too...banging on that sheet metal with a C-frame can be *noisy*...and I imagine it would be like Chinese water torture for neighbors: bang BANG BANG...silence...bang BANG BANG...silence silence...bang...BANG BANG!

Plenty of people work on cars, motorcycles, etc., play music, have parties, whatever...don't stop what YOU want to do, just be courteous and, when they get curious or interested, be enthusiastic and invite them in to see/watch/help.

You *will* get lots of people who stop by to check it out...I've assumed the title of "the airplane guy" from my neighbor...lots of visitors, including all sorts of people walking dogs (met some nice folks from the neighborhood), the UPS guy, the FEDEX guy, the mailman, the Sheriff's officers, the meter reader dude, etc. Even the ice cream truck guy in the summer has been following the project!

Rivet on!

Steve
 
I'm building in the living room of a semidetached house, with the neighbours' living room adjacent to it. The neighbours say they don't hear me at all. I have a DRDT-2 for silent dimpling and my (oiled) compressor is in the kitchen (next room) and protected: http://rv8.linta.de/2010/04/compressor-anti-noise-measures.html. Like the others said, much of the work is silent anyhow. Yesterday I deburred and dimpled the rudder skeleton, and cut elevator stiffeners (using snips, not a band saw). No noise involved, and I could enjoy Bach's Bandenburg Concertos.
 
i showed pics of my wing progress to my neighbor, he said he had no idea all that was going on next door, he hasn't heard a peep
 
flion said:
That may have been me. I built my tail and wings for the RV-6A in a two-bedroom apartment in Ann Arbor...
Click to expand...

Patrick, Yep that was you. I lost the web site and always wondered if "that guy" ever finished. Sounds like you are close with the -10.
 
Chandler

Hey Zeigh,

I also live in Chandler. (Stellar airpark) If you don't set 3000 rivets between 0100 and 0500 you should be fine.

The biggest problem you'll have is police response to reports of possible automatic weapon fire. Depending on where you live in Chandler, you could been seen as competition for the local gangs.:eek:

If you are with Chandler Fire, there is a FF that works part time as an A&P at Stellar. He's thinking about building too.
 
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