How to reduce noise and vibration of a scroll saw to work in an apartment?

[Ash]

Hi all,

Hope all is well with you guys.

Here I am again with a question:) and need your valuable advises and suggestions. I know this is the best place to ask for the same. So I am a few months old in the world of scroll saw and thoroughly enjoying every bit of it. I want to know how to reduce noise and vibrations of a scroll saw. I live in an apartment and I have neighbors all around. I am planning to buy a scroll saw but i want to be sure that it will not disturb my neighbors. please share your experience with the same and let me know if I can manage a scroll say in my apartment.

waiting for your replies.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Ash 

[Rockytime]

Hi Ash. I cannot help with your question as I do not live in an apartment and noise is not a problem for me. However, you should get lots of help from others here. Also posting your question on either General Scrolling or the question department may get you more response.

[teachnlearn]

Our family has lived in apartments for 20 years. I do have a scroll saw and used it in a corner apartment. Sound travels by conduction via waves. Scroll saws are shop tools are do make quite a bit of noise. One question for the board would be who's brand seems to be quiet. I have an old Craftsman and its a noisy beast. We have lived with neighbors, that are inconsiderate and make as much noise with the kids and stomping on our ceiling. Have researched a lot on noise control, though there are DIY ways they are not as effective as the professional products that are pricey.

The first idea is to isolate the noise of the machine which has a vibration through the table to the floor, the other would be the transmission by air. Using a thick rubber padding under the machine will help, another under the cart and table will help more. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rubber+floor+tiles&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-a0049-win10-dsk00-nomod-us000-gatwy-feature-SEARC&tag=amz-mkt-fox-us-20

This can be put together flooring mats or professional stuff.  The second area is transmission by air. One would be making a booth with plywood and covering with foam or old blankets, quilts. Another would be a PVC booth and hanging blankets, quilts. https://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Spray-Booth-for-Around-70/  This booth is a DIY project that folks have done in workshops and homes for crafts and spray paint booths using clamps to help hang plastic. Another is to dampen noise transmission through walls by hanging quilts. Ceilings are tougher.

The DIY works, but by no means as well as the professional products. These are specially designed foams, and systems to build a second wall and sound insulate it from the main wall and ceiling. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=soundproofing+store  

and https://www.soundproofstore.com/

If you go the DIY route you will want to limit your cutting hours to times others are out or will accept a set amount of noise during the day. The professional products will really cut noise but gets expensive. One way to cut that is to build a scroll saw booth with pro products. The sound field is vast enough there are engineers that do just that as a job so this is just a very basic primer.  RJF

[teachnlearn]

By the way there are also sound products for cars that come as sheets for the floor, roof, trunk, hood, doors. Just check soundproofing automobile or car. RJF

 

An added idea, mix DIY and some pro products. Haven't seen this, but it will be more expensive than DIY, but more noise reduction and less expensive than going total professional products. RJF

Edited March 4, 2019 by teachnlearn
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[amazingkevin]

I scrolled daily in an apartment building and infront of the A.C. intake with a pleated paper filter to catch dust.Zero dust was what happened this way in the rest of the house.I did the rubber scroll saw leg stand pads and no one complained at all. Welcome friend!!!

[John B]

I don''t live in an apartment, but have had some experience with sound deadening. First as mentioned above isolate the cause from any surrounding structures by use of rubber feet or pad. Second I would build a box to cover the rear, sides and top of the machine and line the inside of the box with egg cartons. I did this for my compressor and it cut the sound dramatically. Rather than fix the saw to a bench or existing unit that is fitted to walls etc use a separate stand that only contacts the floor.
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