Anti Vibration Pads (recomendation)

[mayday0017]

I will be putting my new compressor in place tomorrow and I've never owned a big compressor before. All of the ones I see in pictures online people have antivibration pads on and most manufactures seem to sell them. What is recomended for this, I am sure there is something cheaper then they $50-75 the retail pads cost... Looking for something that will be locally available...

Recomendations?

 

[larry_g]

Looking for something that will be locally available...

Recommendations?

Recommendations? Give us your location..

lg
no neat sig line

 

[1320stang]

I used hockey pucks.

 

[floyd]

I bought these:

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/appliances/laundry/4-piece-anti-vibration-pads-85260.html

They work fine

 

[mayday0017]

Houston TX

 

[jtbinvalrico]

+1 on hockey pucks......a few bucks total.

 

[LumpyMusic]

I used discs, cut out of old tires, UNDER the feet. Old shock absorber bushings ABOVE the feet -

Lumpy

You Played on Lawrence Welk?
Yes but no blue notes. Just blue hairs.

www.LumpyMusic.com

 

[PT Doc]

Horse stall mat.

 

[darkk]

Horse stall mat.

X2....$39.95 for a particle rubber mat 4'x6'x1" cut a small section for the compressor to stand on and make iso-pads for everything in the shop with the rest of it..

 

[Falcon67]

Tractor Supply stall mat pieces and scrap lumber:

I don't know about Houston, but around here they don't sell hockey pucks. No hockey games in this climate.

 

[pman13]

+1 for hockey pucks

 

[JakeKohl]

How about real isolation mounts for about $6ea?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#vibration-damping-sandwich-mounts/=hzrgg2

Magic. A few concrete anchors, nuts. Bam.

I used the 165lb rated ones (9376k26) but I would probably go up a little if ordering next time as they are a little soft and you can manually make the compressor swim around a little (possibly enough to make it tap the wall). Under normal running, however, they REALLY do a good job and the compressor doesn't wiggle much at all (and the floor feels nothing now). With the compressor on the original pallet on the floor (before the mounts), I could hear/feel the compressor running through the floor to my bedroom that is about 80 feet away (geesh, guess I left the compressor on). It's undetectable now.


DSC_3091 by Team Seacats, on Flickr

 

[Gary S]

My compressor came bolted to a small pallet. I never removed it. It still sits on the small wooden pallet today.

 

[mdbeck1]

...
I don't know about Houston, but around here they don't sell hockey pucks. No hockey games in this climate.

Not many hockey games here either so I hit the internet and ordered a dozen. They worked so well that my neighbor commented he wanted some and I sold him the rest for what I paid for the whole set.

I think I ended up paying $1.50 each with shipping.

 

[Davefr]

If you're not too hung up on "local" order this:

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRIT2?PMAKA=09415753&PMPXNO=1801137&cm_re=ItemDetail-_-ResultListing-_-SearchResults

I use this stuff and cut my own pads. It's excellent stuff. Machinery stays put and it dampens vibration.

 

[abstamaria]

Not directly in point but perhaps relevant. My garage "rock" band (mostly guys over 60) comes over to play sometimes, so I had to try to learn a bit about acoustic treatment. The consensus regarding drums is to place the kit on a rubber mat to decouple the drums from the floor. There are specialist mats for those purpose, but some just use 1" interlocking mats available at hardware stores.

Raising the drums on a wooden platform doesn't work as well as the damping and insulation properties of rubber is needed. Also a platform tends to act as a resonating member and adds its own sound to the mix, often emphasizing and making louder certain frequencies. That seems to say use rubber or similar but not a wooden pallet under a compressor.

I'm thinking of switching to an upright compressor, so appreciate the many good ideas posted above.

Andy

 

[pattenp]

How does a hockey puck work as an anti-vibration pad? The hockey pucks I've come across are hard as a rock. You might as well just put the compressor on wood blocks.

 

[metalmagpie]

Buy real machinery mounts. They aren't that expensive. I have a Champion compressor with 80 gallon vertical tank and bought 4 of these:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=5832313&PMAKA=325-6627

 

[BD1]

When you bolt it down with the isolators DO NOT tighten the nuts. Best just to double nut and leave loose. The anchor studs just keep it from walking. By tightening down solid the tank will crack at the feet by the weld. This comes from the installation manual.

 

[zuk123]

Hey Mayday,

I'm in Houston and have several different kinds for different weights and frequencies of vibration.

PM me, and I'll give you some.

zuk

 

[ilovevocs]

I paid through the face on whim for the ingersol rand "start up kit". It came with isolaters, oil, a 2' branded flex line, and an additional 2 year warranty for the pump. I can't remember what I paid but the when I saw the isolaters I felt like I was ripped off. It was one of those purchases I'll always regret.

 

[W-Cummins]

How does a hockey puck work as an anti-vibration pad? The hockey pucks I've come across are hard as a rock. You might as well just put the compressor on wood blocks.

Yep as dampeners the hockey pucks are not much use. I guess they would protect the floor from damage though. They would probably make nice floor glides if you wanted to push your compressor across the floor or ice

Buy real machinery mounts. They aren't that expensive. I have a Champion compressor with 80 gallon vertical tank and bought 4 of these:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=5832313&PMAKA=325-6627

I have a lot of stuff mounted on these ( and larger sizes ) and their quality is good. They are not up to Royal machine mounts quality but they don't cost like them either! At under $7 each for 4 or more you can't beat them....

William....

 

[LumpyMusic]

Buy real machinery mounts. They aren't that expensive. I have a Champion compressor with 80 gallon vertical tank and bought 4 of these:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=5832313&PMAKA=325-6627

I would not feel safe with a foot of that design. The compressor is not anchored to the floor with those. Walk, tip, bump, blammo.


Lumpy

You sang all those car commercials?
You got it, Toyota.
www.LumpyMusic.com

 

[beelsr]

My compressor came bolted to a small pallet. I never removed it. It still sits on the small wooden pallet today.

Mine lived like that for 8-9 years before I broke down and ordered some AV pads from someone here a few years back.

The pallet was nice because of portability.

 

[Shop Specialties]

Mine is not bolted to floor just a truck mud flap cut up, worked great for 5 years so far.

 

[PCO6]

I used 2 hockey pucks for each foot. I used a 3" hole saw to cut a 3/4" dense rubber pad that I sandwiched between the 2 pucks. I then lagged each foot to the floor and snugged them up - not too tight.

 

[green.bubbly]

Has anyone ever tried old valve springs? Not sure how much weight they would support?

 

[Jamie V]

The title of this thread should be "low cost isolators" anything will work better then putting it on the floor.

The "best" option doesent mean it is the cheapest option.

I wouldn't use anything but this style

 

[Shadowdog500]

The title of this thread should be "low cost isolators" anything will work better then putting it on the floor.

The "best" option doesent mean it is the cheapest option.

I wouldn't use anything but this style

Who makes that style, and where do you get them?

Chris

 

[Kevin54]

I would not feel safe with a foot of that design. The compressor is not anchored to the floor with those. Walk, tip, bump, blammo.


Lumpy

You sang all those car commercials?
You got it, Toyota.
www.LumpyMusic.com

A compressor DOES NOT have to be bolted to the floor. With a piece of rubber under the feet it will not walk, tip, or go bump in the night. If your compressor does do it though, then you had better be looking for another one that is better balanced.

The whole compressor feet thing has been beat to death before. Some choose to bolt theirs down and that is all fine. The isolation pads are to keep it from walking on concrete and to absorb what little vibration there is. At my shop we have mills, drills, lathes, large CNC's and none are bolted down. They all sit on isolation pads. Ours amount to nothing more than a piece of hardwood with a rubber material on top an bottom. It is bought in in a large sheet then bandsawed to the size needed. If the machine needs leveled, then two go under each foot with shims in between to level.

My compressor has been sitting in the same spot since day one sitting on four of those style of pads and has never moved at all. And it is not bolted down. I have what is very similar to what McMaster Carr shows http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-vibration-damping-pads/=i071j0

 

[piston farmer]

Old conveyor belt works great too, but then hey i work in a grain elevator

 

[fireguy]

Motor mounts from 55-56 Chevy small block works good. I have mounted several small compressors with them. They are available at most parts houses.

 

[enrare]

This style of mount is what I have been considering since my floor is sloped and uneven. How well do these grip? My concrete floor has a smooth finish and the compressor tends to wiggle around on my current old hard rubber pads. I would like to avoid installing mounting studs in the floor.

Buy real machinery mounts. They aren't that expensive. I have a Champion compressor with 80 gallon vertical tank and bought 4 of these:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=5832313&PMAKA=325-6627

 

[boosteddsm92]

Horse stall mat.

+1, this is what I used also. Lots of mat leftover for other stuff!

I would not feel safe with a foot of that design. The compressor is not anchored to the floor with those. Walk, tip, bump, blammo.


Lumpy

You would have to hit my compressor HARD for it tip over, I'm talking hit it w/a car or something. Tipping it over is the last thing I'm worred about.

 

[Steevo]

Who makes that style, and where do you get them?

Chris

Graingers has those, as well as about 250 other styles.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/fl.../ecatalog/N-9tv?Ndr=basedimid10071&sst=subset

 

[Jamie V]

Who makes that style, and where do you get them?

Chris

Grainger. They are about $18 each. I've never bolted mine to the floor and the compressor hasn't moved a 1/4" in 10 yrs.

 

[Doctor_Ink]

Another +1 on the hockey pucks.

 

[PT Doc]

I decided to not raise compressor on specialized tall vibration posts simply for the reason that it would now be taller a maybe a bit more tipsy. I felt that hokey pucks were too hard and too small. I cut a horse stall mat into 24"x24" prices and placed 2 under the 600 pounder. No plans to bolt it down. 24 sq ft was $35. Plenty for other uses that I never thought of.