I want to build a soundproof enclosure for my tumbler

[gwalchmai]

Good morning, friends. As many of you know, I am afflicted with the reloading disease. One aspect of this condition is the desire to have the shiniest brass in town. To this end I have acquired and use a Thumler's Tumbler, a marvelous machine originally designed to tumble and polish rocks. However, it also works very well on brass. I generally run it overnight in my garage, which is fine, but it's a little loud if you're in the garage, and we can hear it a little in the kitchen.

Previously, I fabricated a small five-sided box to fit over my vibratory tumbler. I made it out of 3/4" MDF, and it works quite well, but it's too small for the Thumler, and over the years and moves it's become beat-up, shopworn, and "fuzzy", as MDF is prone to do.

So my questions to the hive are:

- Can you recommend a superior product than MDF? I like MDF's ability to insulate noise, but it's heavy, difficult to work and fasten, and melts on contact with water. I painted the old box which helped a lot, and if I use MDF again I'll use some sort of sealer. The box's inner dimensions will be approximately 14" on each side, so I may make a 15" OD cube for simplicity.

- Do you think it may be worthwhile to make a cube of 1/2" plywood and line it with acoustic insulation, like a loudspeaker? I fiddled with this idea using a cardboard box and foam insulation but I wasn't happy with the acoustics or the durability, so I'm a bit skeptical. However, 1/2" plywood, caulked at all the seams, might work, and it would be lighter.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[MO Fugga]

Plywood, sure. Got any egg crate foam from an old gun case laying around? Glue it to the inside.

I run my tumbler outside. Can't hear it at all.

You could also try an old cooler.

Edited December 9, 2020 by MO Fugga

[Swampfox762]

I like the idea of the plywood box thingie.  How about double sided aluminum attic insulation??  Might have to make the box a bit bigger.

[Huaco Kid]

A styrofoam ice chest?

 

[Cougar_ml]

plywood box for strength, and line the inside with roofers lead.  

Can also put it on rubber feet to isolate it from the ground.

 

Or if your budget is bigger, they make some sound deadening panels out of plywood with a layer of lead in them if I remember correctly.  There are also other sound deadening panel types in the acoustics market.

[Historian]

Give it room to breath as it may heat up inside that box or cooler. 

 

[GT4494]

Open core foam rubber would be a better noise insulator.  This and put a high cfm fan in the wall of the box to keep all cool!

[DrB]

You might want to try some acoustical foam, something like this to line the box.

https://www.amazon.com/Foam-Panels-Absorption-Pyramid-Treatment/dp/B07FZHFWXW/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=acoustic+foam&qid=1607732400&sr=8-4

Edited December 12, 2020 by DrB

[Jack Ryan]

Just put it out on the porch and lay a plastic laundry tub over it.

[gwalchmai]

26 minutes ago, Jack Ryan said:

Just put it out on the porch and lay a plastic laundry tub over it.

Where's the fun in that?

Best brass tumbler idea I've seen was the guy who filled a "homer bucket" with brass, steel  pins, and water, sealed it up and put it in his mother-in-law's trunk.

[pittpa]

How about an old top door freezer


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[Eric]

I use one of these:

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/18-lb-vibratory-bowl-with-liquid-drain-hose-96923.html

This thing is huge an gobbles up an enormous amount of brass. It is powerful, yet very quiet and very reasonably priced. It will do wet or dry. I can't hear it running on the other side of a closed interior door.