I Have No Way To Work. Tooling Is Too Loud.

[zbean]

The suggestions for deadening sounds from the table/platform sound spot on. Not sure how it would affect your speed but a brass or lead mallet might be considerably quieter. Especially if you get to where that's the noisiest part of your operation.

[SmokeCigars]

I've been thinking about turning a leather mallet on my lathe. I've seen it done where you turn a handle, then run a threaded rod through a bunch of scrap leather and crank it down really tight with a big washer and nut. You can then turn it into a nice mallet head. I think that would be much more quiet than the noise a poly mallet creates.

[oltoot]

If there is such a place where you live, try a stone monument company that makes grave markers. Often they have pieces around that have been rejected. I work on a simple grave marker stone that has color irregularities all over and must have slipped by the graders a few times on its way from the quarry to the end point. It is 18x36 x 10. I have it inlet into a larger plywood surface, on a piece of rubber belting and use up to 3# mauls and they just go tunk tunk

[oltoot]

If you want to try making a maul, put the rough pieces on the bolt wet and crank it down, squeezingthe water out, let it dry, then turn it or . BTW, rawhide, not plain leather is the customary material for the striking surface and generally speaking, the heavier the striking tool you use (mallet, maul, pipe wrench LOL) the less bounce and thus the least noise.

[Havamal]

Another suggetion for a slab...

Try your local hardware box store (Lowes, Home Depot, etc...) They do not sell slabs, but they do have peices in thier displays for counter tops. I went in and was talking to the guy that ran the counter dept and he told me that when they get new displays the old ones are dismantled and the slabs are tossed or stored. I got 2 real nice slabs of granite that are 24"x24" and 3" think for free, they were just going to throw them away!

[Northmount]

Supporting a 1" or there abouts thick piece of granite, marble or quartz at only the 4 corners will eventually result in a crack and breaking the piece. So I would use the piece of carpet idea. Stone masons mark a line by chiseling lightly across the surface where they want to "cut", then rap the mark sharply several times along the mark. And it falls apart. Sometimes internal cracks cause it to break where not wanted. So hidden internal cracks in an unsupported area of a thin slab will eventually break.

The 3 or 4 inch thick stuff will take a lot of pounding with no problems.

Tom

[Blakebcg]

I just got a 14 by 17 slab of granite. It's HEAVY. Hope the desk doesn't break! Definitely is quieter though, I have pieces of a yoga matt under the slab so it softens the noise even more.

[digdug18]

I'm looking at buying this: http://www.grizzly.com/products/18-x-24-x-3-Granite-Surface-Plate-No-Ledge/G9654

It's a surface plate, that one is 154lbs. Forget about shipping it, I'm going to buy it in person. I've tried one that a friend of mine has, it makes no sound at all when you hit it with a mallet, it's solid.

[dirtclod]

I'm looking at buying this: http://www.grizzly.c...-No-Ledge/G9654

It's a surface plate, that one is 154lbs. Forget about shipping it, I'm going to buy it in person. I've tried one that a friend of mine has, it makes no sound at all when you hit it with a mallet, it's solid.

Look on Enco i got a smaller one a year or so ago and the shipping was free. It weights 70 pounds, something that you move around without any trouble by your self. I really don't think you need one that big, you only work on a small part of the stone anyway. Plus they have cupons on things to.

[Dangerous Beans]

I got this for nothing and cleaned it up, added a strap for tools and fixed my clam to it.

There is a 1/4 inch thick disc of rubber under it and when I hammer, it's stealth hammering!!!

it absorbs all the shock and most of the noise, with a slab of marble on top it's even better.

It's like a tactical silencer for hammers.