Anyone built a compressor box?

[105.4]

Evening all.

I have a 150 litre compressor that I’d like to build a sound-deadening box for and I wondered if any of you fellas had ever built one and if you wished to impart any words of wisdom before I get started with the job?

My initial plan is to build a double skinned box, with acoustic sound deadening panels on the inside, some old carpet underlay between the two layers of the box, with the outside covered in old foam floor tiles and the box sitting on 6 / 8 legs.

Additionally I was planning on drilling a load of holes in the face of the front panel to aid cooling, installing an old car radiator fan over the air holes to help draw air into the box and installing a couple of decent sized computer fans at each end of the box to help with air flow.

Is there anything else that I’m missing?

What I don’t really want to go doing is putting in a while load of time / money / effort to build something that isn’t really effective.

Thanks in advance

[DVandrews]

I’ve installed my compressor in a sound deadened box made of office soundproof panels, these are aluminium panels with soundproofing material inside the panel. It requires a breather to allow air to enter the panelled area, It is pretty effective, deadening around 80% of the noise.

Dave

[105.4]

DVandrews said:

I’ve installed my compressor in a sound deadened box made of office soundproof panels, these are aluminium panels with soundproofing material inside the panel. It requires a breather to allow air to enter the panelled area, It is pretty effective, deadening around 80% of the noise.

Dave

Thanks for the insight.

I wanted to make sure before I went wasting my time building one.

Did you include baffles or just build a simple box ?

[Pastor Of Muppets]

Depends on just how much sound suppresion you are after but even a simple box made from 20mm plywood sheets with a layer of insulating foil stuck on it will make a noticeable reduction. Keep us updated on how it goes.

[105.4]

Pastor Of Muppets said:

Depends on just how much sound suppresion you are after but even a simple box made from 20mm plywood sheets with a layer of insulating foil stuck on it will make a noticeable reduction. Keep us updated on how it goes.

Will do

The main purpose of the job is to build something that is unlikely to ps off the neighbours.

I’ve already bought some slightly damaged furniture boards to build the box out of. It’s a job I hope to get started in the next few weeks.

[DVandrews]

105.4 said:

Thanks for the insight.

I wanted to make sure before I went wasting my time building one.

Did you include baffles or just build a simple box ?

Just a simple box with the air intake populated by some high density foam. The box is around 1.2mtrs high and 2 metres long (its a big compressor).

Dave

[105.4]

DVandrews said:

Just a simple box with the air intake populated by some high density foam. The box is around 1.2mtrs high and 2 metres long (its a big compressor).

Dave

Those dimensions sound familiar.

150 litre ?

[tapkaJohnD]

I made the mistake of buying a 'direct-drive' compressor, instead of a beklt driven one. They are known to be noisy.

I made a box for it from an old kitchen table, panelling the legs inside and out with hardboard, and packing the space between with newspaper. It's most effective, BUT as I rapidly found it needs positive ventilation as the heat inside rises quickly otherwise and the thermal cutout stops the pump. A small kitchen ventilator fan cures this and it'll run all day if needed. The fan is wired through the delay-off switch that similar fans in bathrooms and loos have, so that when it's switched off it continues to run for a period, that you can set as you wish. Mine is set to the max!

JOhn

[PhilF329]

I would just add, insulate the base area so that the compressor feet / base isn’t in direct contact with the floor surface

[normalbloke]

PhilF329 said:

I would just add, insulate the base area so that the compressor feet / base isn’t in direct contact with the floor surface

This. I fitted my compressor with heavy duty castors, but they had soft ish wheels. The different was night and day.

[alabbasi]

105.4 said:

The main purpose of the job is to build something that is unlikely to ps off the neighbours.

I was going to suggest sticking the compressor outside, on a wall that's furthest away from communal area of the house, but never mind :-)

[DVandrews]

PhilF329 said:

I would just add, insulate the base area so that the compressor feet / base isn’t in direct contact with the floor surface

Indeed, mine sits on cellular rubber pads.

Dave

[105.4]

DVandrews said:

PhilF329 said:

I would just add, insulate the base area so that the compressor feet / base isn’t in direct contact with the floor surface

Indeed, mine sits on cellular rubber pads.

Dave

I think Machine Mart sells universal rubber feet for not much money, (£12?). I was going to stick some of those on regardless, then build the compressor box on top of a couple of pallets cut to size.

I’m hoping to get started on this in the next few weeks. I might use this thread as a build / project thread for future reference for someone else wanting to do the same thing.

[tapkaJohnD]

Would pads under the compresser feet be necessary on a solid concrete floor?

I can't see - or rather hear! - that resonating to make noise worse.
JOhn

[105.4]

tapkaJohnD said:

Would pads under the compresser feet be necessary on a solid concrete floor?

I can't see - or rather hear! - that resonating to make noise worse.
JOhn

I’m quite concerned about pissing the neighbours off and them complaining to the council.

If it’s cheap and easy to do, I’m prepared to give it a try.

[Peanut Gallery]

Arm chair poster here, but I would look at trying to get the box more closed off, and taking the line from the compressor to the tank and routing this outside the box and cooling it there, just to try get heat out of the box. Furthermore, instead of straight holes through the side to allow cooling, would angled baffles not stop more noise?

Agree with other posters about isolating the feet from the floor, many options available.

[105.4]

Peanut Gallery said:

Arm chair poster here, but I would look at trying to get the box more closed off, and taking the line from the compressor to the tank and routing this outside the box and cooling it there, just to try get heat out of the box. Furthermore, instead of straight holes through the side to allow cooling, would angled baffles not stop more noise?

Agree with other posters about isolating the feet from the floor, many options available.

Good idea on trying to route as much of the pipe work outside the box as possible. I’ll certainly look into that.

I’d also considered adding baffles at each end, (I’ve seen a couple of YT vids where guys have done that). The concern with baffles is how much will it restrict airflow, plus I’m also fighting for room a bit as well.

My compressor is, (IIRC), 1650mm long, and I’ve only got a whisker over 2000mm to play with.

[PhilF329]

Pads are definitely needed on a concrete floor! I put mine in the garden at the end of a detached garage on slabs with a plywood case over a wooden frame insulated with celotex sheets and felt roof. Noise wasn’t too bad running - I thought it was worse starting, stopping and when I bled it. No problems with heat and I was spraying most of the time, but perhaps warmer summers recently! I would be very careful if you have an integral or attached garage or if it is attached to the neighbours property