Ok, I have just about got the space the wood shop will fill finished (last wall goes up Sat morning) so that means I will be putting the tools in tier semi perminate homes. Now the one that has me concerned is the large (say over kill) compressor that my dad decided he could not live without (you can take the mechanic out of the repair center but you cant make him give up his air tools) So the question is how do I attach this large stand up Air compressor. It is meant to be bolted to the floor (it is a LARGE stand up tank about 5′ tall with the compressor on the top) the bottom has feet with holes in them to be bolted to the ground. Ok so I can drill into the concrete and epoxy bolts in, sounds good and all but belive it or not the thing vibrates like made when it runs and sounds like a freight train is crashing into the house.
Is tier someway to put some sort of pad to take some of the vibration out of this? For that matter is it really vibrating or is it just the noise making it feel like it is? And how do I tell?
Doug
Replies
It's probably vibrating some, but my guess is that it's got more bark than bite, so to speak. My recollection is that these things are normally bolted solidly to a concrete slab, but don't take my word for it. If you can locate a manual for the beast (online, maybe), you should see what it has to say.
If it turns out that you do want to have some kind of isolation, go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ and type "vibration isolators" in the search box. They're surprisingly inexpensive. Even if isolators aren't required, installing them anyway may help prevent the whole place from shaking.
-Steve
it won't vibrate as much when you bolt it down. No need to get fancy with epoxy, just use some home depot (hate that place) variety redhead anchor bolts. I like having a 60 gallon compressor, and the oil bath motor is a lot quieter and longer-lived than the oil-less. Don't overthink it, just bolt it down, wire it, plumb it and use it!
Vibration isolaters are available and will help a lot with the noise. Try searching for "mason 4C978A". Got a set at grainger's for a 60 gallon vertical tank.
Doug , why don't you try setting it down on some thick insertion rubber sheet first? Just because the feet have holes this does not mean they require to be bolted down.
Surely the thing doesn't vibrate so much that it can walk off? And if it is vibrating , why? Is it direct drive? If not direct drive check out the pulleys and belt(s). Undue vibration is usually indicative of something being out of whack....
Hi Doug,
If space is a consideration is there any possibility of putting it in another room and running piping into the woodshop? Just an idea.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
When I received my Quincy 5HP 60 gallon tank compressor I made some vibration isolation blocks. I used the thick rubber pads I received from TP Tools and glued them to a square block of 2x6 wood. I drilled a recessed hole in the blocks for a 1/2" carriage bolt then glued a rubber anti-vibration pad to the bottom of the block. I then bolted the blocks to the compressor feet. I think they work well and the compressor stays in place without bolting it to the floor.
http://www.tptools.com/p/712,89_Rubber-Mounting-Blocks.html
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/productIndex.shtml?operator=keywordSearch&search_type=keyword&QueryString=4c973&submit.x=13&submit.y=6
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
Hi Doug,
I've got a compressor very similar in size to the one in question.
I bolted mine to the floor using common sleeve anchors and thick rubber " corks " that were available at my local hardware store.They were about 3/4" thick and about 3" diameter and fairly solid with just a little give. I had to drill out the center to accept the bolts. When tightening them down don't let the compressor feet go clear to the floor but keep them in the air about a 1/4" or so.
These type compressors are top heavy. I would STRONGLY recommend bolting it down. The rubber helps a lot with noise and excess rattling.
Paul
ps This was all recommended for installation by my owners manual
Edited 10/27/2007 1:52 pm ET by colebearanimals
Hockey pucks.
Great idea !!! ...and easier than cutting up an old tire or doormat....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
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Doug Meyer,
Mine is still on the shipping pallet it arrived over 20 years ago on..
the compressor isn't real quiet but none of the noise comes from it not being bolted down..
Frenchy's right. I should have explained in a little more detail. The isolation pads won't make the compressor quieter, but rather the " stuff " around it.
When I first installed mine I bolted it directly to the floor ( concrete slab ). When it first turned on I could feel the floor vibrate anywhere in my 2,000 sf shop. Plus things I had stored around it and stuff on my desk would buzz and vibrate. Just kind of a nuisance. Once I put the pads under it, much, much better.
But as a previous poster put it. Put it outside if possible. Better scenario yet.
Paul
Yeah I figure the things need to be bolted because it is top heavy, As for the anti vibration this is not about the noise I really doubt if it would make it much quiter. I just wonder if I am really feeling the things (vibrating on concrete) or if it is just the noise I am "Feeling"
Doug
Mine came with rubber/steel isolation pads, and instructions to leave the bolts loose (using two bolts on each stud to lock them in place), so that the compressor isn't tightly coupled to the floor.
We have occasional earthquakes here, and with the compressor being a extremely top-heacy as it is, I wouldn't think of not bolting it to the floor.
Ultimately, the best solution is to do what I did: install it outside. I don't have to listen to it, it doesn't use valuable shop space, and yes, no vibration.
Alas this is Michigan, if I installed it out doors I would need to enclose it and the way the house is set up (and the location of the shop) does not really allow for this with out making the house look really bad.
Doug
Is the attic an option?
Cool, doubles as a rodent / bat deterrent!
Is the attic an option?P.S. I have often wondered if it would not be better to absorb the vibration than to "isolate it." What about building a box and filling it with sand, then bolting through the sand to a top plate?
Edited 10/29/2007 9:49 pm ET by byhammerandhand
relocation to a warmer climate not an option?
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