Looking to enclose my compressor

[Joel Johnsonbaugh]

I am in the process of rearranging my shop; I have a craftsman oil less compressor that is rather loud. It used to be in the farthest corner from my house (attached 2 car garage shop) and will be moving into the closest corner. I would like to enclose it to dampen the sound (I can hardly hear myself think when it is going) but I am afraid that I will suffocate it. Everything I have read about sound proofing/deadening say to seal up the area you want to keep sound from escaping. Looking for any ideas anyone might have.

[Aaron Wingert]

You won't suffocate it, and simply building a closet around it will dampen the sound quite a bit. If you use a solid door and rock the closet inside and out you can probably cut the noise down to a tolerable level. I have an oilless craftsman as well, and it is unbearably loud. Also consider using resilient channel on the walls of the closet. My shop is moving to the basement and I'm leaving the compressor in the garage, and hard-piping air lines from the garage to the basement.

[Joel Johnsonbaugh]

I was thinking of building an enclosure that would be about the size of the compressor. Space for me is at a very high premium. I was going to build the enclosure free floating from the two walls in the corner with a sandwhich of plywood and foam or insulation to keep the noise in. I was going to weather strip the door to seal the sound in. Since the total inside volume of the encloser will only be approx 2x the size of the compressor, i then started wondering about starving the compressor. Do you also have the problem with the compressor sending vibrations though the slab and walls?

[David Prince]

You could put some of this behind the compressor in the corner to deaden the sound. Or at lease build four sides with the compressor in the inside and this foam on each of the side walls of your box. Leave the top open so you can access controls, pressure, and let it breathe.

[Joel Johnsonbaugh]

I worry what if i leave the top open i would be letting alot of sound out. It is an upright unit with the motor on top. Does any one know what kind of air flow it might need? Or possibly i could put a port on a side with baffles. Still in the design phase, just dont want to build it twice. I like the idea of the egg crate foam, maybe leave a 2 or so inch gap along the bottom with the egg crate foam linning the sides forcing the sound to go past all of the foam to get out.

[glenn bradley]

C&H oil-less here. Real noise-bucket. I built a simple box out of scrap. Lined the inside with egg-crate foam. Feet keep it about 3" off the ground to allow air in from below and it stands about 5" from the wall to allow air out and about. I stand it on a piece of carpet sample to kill reflection from the concrete (not shown in linked pic). The airflow allows it to run without getting hot and the noise reduction is surprisingly good.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...1&d=1235152964

[Aaron Wingert]

Do you also have the problem with the compressor sending vibrations though the slab and walls?

I know exactly what you're talking about. Mine shakes the whole garage, including the floor. It has worked great for a very long time, but I can say that it is my last oilless compressor due to the noise and vibration.

Remember, sound moves very effectively through solid materials (like plywood). The key to muffling sound is to minimize contact between solid surfaces. That's why I suggested resilient channel.

[Jamie Buxton]

You might find it better to buy an oiled compressor. You wouldn't have to spend the money to build the enclosure. You wouldn't have to worry about heat building up inside the enclosure. You wouldn't be sacrificing shop space to make the enclosure.

[Joel Johnsonbaugh]

building the enclosure shouldn't be to expensive as long as the foam isn't. The oiled compressors i have been around are still fairly loud and i can't imagine a new compressor of the same size being any less than 400-500.

[Thomas Allan]

I built an outside compressor booth and hard-piped it into my small garage-shop. It houses a stand up oil-less Porter Cable compessor.

The booth is elevated about 10" off of grade level for convenience, has 1 1/2" foam-board on inside walls for some sound-proofing, vent cut-outs on each side for intake and exhaust, easily accessible horizontal floor valve for lower 'through-floor' drainage, a 'hook-and-eye' style closing door, and a (hydraulic-type) vibration-damping hose before hard-piping enters the building.

I have two stations set up on the inside, one for regular air (shop blower and tire-filling and such), and one with F.R.L. setup for gun and stapler usage. Both stations (and booth itself) have separate regulators and hard-piped and valved drainage back to exterior. (Makes drainage as easy as a flip of the valve).

I have four drainage-points total, one below compressor, one below line going up and into building, and one below each air station. Several unions are run throughout system for ease of possible leak-tracing and repair.

No pics on hand, - - maybe I'll get a chance to take and post a few later today or tomorrow, snow and all.

[Thomas Allan]

Here's a few pics, and oh, I forgot to mention rubber grommets for feet are important vibration-dampers, too.

The second pic gives you a decent shot of the (hydraulic-rated) damper-hose, it's right above the vent.

Notice at the bottom of pic #3, I extended the drain line forward and down to so as not to even have to reach underneath.

Also, in pic #1 you can see one of the exterior drain lines exiting through the framed wall of the building.

[Dick Thomas]

I built an outside compressor booth and hard-piped it into my small garage-shop.
. . .

Your reply gave me a great idea: I'm in the planning stages for my shop, using a 3-car garage for 2 cars & a shop. I'm in a rural, mountain area, and had planned to build a 'shed' outside the garage for my emergency generator. Thanx to your comments, I'm now planning the shed to hold both generator & compressor. Not often we can come up with a great Twofer! May even try for a Threefer, by including the DC!!!

Thanx again!!!

[Thomas Allan]

Glad to hear it, Dick, and good luck with your shop. Remember to keep the voltage drop (line distance) in mind.

[Peter Bell]

Your reply gave me a great idea: I'm in the planning stages for my shop, using a 3-car garage for 2 cars & a shop. I'm in a rural, mountain area, and had planned to build a 'shed' outside the garage for my emergency generator. Thanx to your comments, I'm now planning the shed to hold both generator & compressor. Not often we can come up with a great Twofer! May even try for a Threefer, by including the DC!!!

Thanx again!!!

-----------------
I too live on acreage and have started a thread on workshop storage solutions. I never thought about leaving the compressor outside or other tools as well.

Sometimes you just have to think outside the square or in our case outside the shed.

Pete

[Chip Lindley]

Think Inside the Square! Is the compressor too large/heavy to hoist up into the attic crawl space? An auto drain would be needed. Otherwise, on/off switch and air connectors within easy reach downstairs! Would save space and be totally out of the way. Just a thought.