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The loud noises that come from power tools in wood shops can be a nuisance and a danger to anyone in the general area.Noise inside the wood shop is far worse than cutting wood on the outside. The echo effect inside a building causes the noise to bounce off of the walls and makes the noise come from many different directions at once. This really puts the strain on your ear drums if you are not wearing ear protection. Different power tools can generate very high pitch frequencies due to their power speeds and this is the danger of hearing loss.

There are some solutions to preventing the loud noises that are emitted from the use of power tools in the wood shop. Some are fairly cheap to apply and other applications can be costly, but beneficial to making your wood shop hearing friendly. Everything from noise baffles to shielding can help reduce noise.

TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR WOOD SHOP HEARING FRIENDLY:

1) If the walls of your shop are covered by plywood sheeting on the inside. You can eliminate loud sounds by simply installing blue board over the ply wood sheeting. It is the same blue board that is installed on the outside of houses before siding is put on. It can reduce the loud noise considerably, by reducing the echo effect in the shop. You can still put up sheets of peg board inside with out raising the noise levels back up and the blue board helps absorb much of the noise.

2) The use of 6x10 partitions around your work area can reduce sounds that may emit to others around you when operating loud wood shop machines. By just placing them between you and others it can reduce noise too. The partitions are easy to make and are cost friendly to boot. You can use old carpet out of the home to make the partitions and the material works great in reducing noise.

3) Install false ceilings in your shop. You may think it is ridiculous to do this, but think of all the noise that bounces of the inside top of the wood shop. The false ceiling absorbs much of the noise in the way the blue board on the walls do, thus cutting down on the noise.

4) All these things are great for loud noise reduction, but they are not the safest for the individual that is operating the machinery inside the shop. There are only a few things you can do to reduce loud noise in a wood shop and it is up to the individual to protect themselves from loud noises. Wear your ear protection and safety glasses. Wear that respirator while inside the shop. You are responsible and accountable for your own safety and if you fail to do these things on a regular basis, you could very well loose your hearing over a period of time. Once your hearing is gone, there is no getting it back. Work smart and safe and have fun!

Learn more about this author, Rex Coker.
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