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This is my first topic post. Important to me given where I live. Now I am still putting together the tools I need and I'm getting the feel for what I have. So to my question,

I live in an apartment (Not the best place for any wood work) the walls are thin and my neighbors don't like much noise. I'm not asking for any leg work or what do you use per say out of etiquet. What I guess I am asking is the tools that you use, Are they to noisy or an apartment? If they aren't is there any pointers in finding quieter tools?

Right now I have a power hand drill which is about the volume level of a vacuum cleaner which troubles no one, I have a dremel with an even lower volume level. The rest of my tools range between various files, rasps, sand papers, and hand saws, plus a yankee. I plan to get a lathe, a grinder, and a vice, since C clamps don't help much. I still am reading the post on tools needed for pipe making. I'm just wondering about noise output. Not specifics just what you feel your tools yeild sound wise.

I don't think lathes are especially loud, and used to use mine in an apartment. Table saw, chop saw, routers.... these are the bad boys for noise.

If you isolate your bench from the floor (like, get some of those rubber anti-fatigue mats, and put the bench on that, and hand some old carpet on the walls for noise baffling, I bet you can run a lathe and a drill press and a dremel with no complaints from neighbors.

Thank you, that was exactly what I was wondering. Now I have some ideas to make life happier for my neighbors.

I would agree with Sasquatch. A lathe or drill press shouldn't be too loud for an apartment as long as your only using them in the daytime.

Even a 1/4 hp or 1/3 hp, 1750 rpm TEFC motor for a buffer shouldn't make much noise if the rotor is decently balanced.

Hi

i have started my workshop on the kitchen balcony 3.5 m long and about 1.5 wide. Having in mind that this is my kitchen (and I have a wife ) I’ve wondering about the noise. So, the noise is not the BIGEST problem but the dust. I’ve started with hand drill, wise, dremel etc. but the moment of the truth comes when I’ve purchased a motor and sanding wheel. This is the loudest tool I have and the dust is a problem. As far as you are in apartment, I think first you must take care about the dust and the noise from the vacuum cleaner (usable solution for dust collection). Actually now in my newborn workshop I do not have any problems with noise as I am in a basement under a neighbor’s kitchen and they say that the loudest machine is the vacuum cleaner. Note, I am using lathe, sanding disks on motors – 3, buffing wheels and 2 dremels, and the vacuum cleaner is the loudest!

I agree with GBP - Dust is going to be the biggest issue and a shop vac or dust collector for dust control is likely to be the loudest piece of equipment.

Of all the tools in my workshop, the dust collector is by far the loudest. When I turn it on, I have to put on hearing protection because it's so loud. The grinder comes in a close second, but it's a more annoying noise since it's very high-pitched. The rest are very quiet, even the lathe.

The compressor is louder than all of them, but it's out in a shed, so it doesn't affect me in the workshop.

Thank you everyone for all the advice, I think I have a good idea how to set up shop now. I never expected so much help. The answers came as I had hoped, I didn't want specifics, and the answers were right on. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I know I have much to learn, but through determination I will learn in time.

This is my last month of working in an apartment. I will be glad to be away from the angry eyes of my neighbors lol. And especially glad to have a garage to myself in 30ish days!!

I agree that the band saw and drill press aren't too bad. I think the thing that gets me the most hate here is running the sanders for extended periods. I think the only reason I haven't been bitched out or chased by a mob with torches is I am very respectful of quiet times, starting after 10 am and not working past 9 pm. And I always smile when I see neighbors and say 'hi' in a very cheerful way

Hey Alan,

Glad to hear your getting a garage to work out of. I'll remember the part about smiling. I'm already polite as to times of days I make noise, so that shouldn't be a problem. Good luck in moving everything. Movings always a pain but can be something to look forward to as well. Take care.

~Aaron