# Just started the hobby, thrown back by the noise



## stefanvverk (Jul 17, 2016)

Hi all,

About six months back my interest in woodworking first began. Straight away I knew my first "big" tool was going to be a table saw. After some research and setting a budget I got myself a DeWalt DW745 two days ago.

After firing it up today, I'm not so sure about the woodworking hobby anymore. There's neighbors directly next to us on both sides of our small home here in Holland. My workspace was going to be a small shed in the back garden. All in all, perfect conditions to hear everything one does.

The table saw is making 95 dB noise, idle. Didn't buy wood yet so I don't know the noise level when actually cutting.

My question; are all table saws so loud? Do I just have to get used to the noise and hope the neighbors aren't bothered by it? Or did I make the wrong choice in buying the DeWalt?

Stefan

PS. I just realized I forgot to mention; yes.. I bought it over the internet. Here in Holland all shops sell low quality stuff like Bosch green or lower, so I couldn't go out and testdrive what I was buying. I wanted a quality one, so had to shop online.


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## johnedp34 (Jun 30, 2016)

Well you are not living in a flat!
Our US friends are used to triple garages and very large plots so good separation from neighbours and noise does not appear to be an issue, Perhaps agreeing with your neighbours that a certain time/day would be acceptable. You could try insulating your shed as well. 
I have always had a rule to only use noisy tools for no more than an hour in the morning. Never in the evenings. 
johnep


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Welcome to the forum, Stefan! Yes, woodworking tools are loud. Some are louder than others. Seems like the more portable a tool is the louder it gets. I have a PM 66 table saw and the only sound you can hear off of it is the wind created by the blade. You can whisper to someone else in the shop and hear just fine. But a router is a different story as is the shop vac and the dust collector or planer.

Can you insulate your shed? That would help a lot. We insulated our two-car garage and even with the planer running you can barely hear it out in the driveway and certainly can't hear it next door at our neighbor's house.


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## stefanvverk (Jul 17, 2016)

Thanks for the warm welcome and the quick replies!
Insulating the shed is possible, just a matter of getting it done. But, things like the doors/windows inside the doors, are not going to be able to get insulated. Won't much noise still escape through there?
Here's a picture of the shed we'll be building this week;









Can I insulate the table saw too? When I mind the airflow and the ventilation of the motor?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

As long as you keep descent hours I wouldn't worry about the noise. Many things are loud in life.


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## jspadaro (Mar 20, 2015)

That DW745 is nice and compact, but it also has a universal motor. Belt-driven induction motor table saws are a good bit quieter (and not so high-pitched). Still not quiet, for the record, but better.


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## subroc (Jan 3, 2015)

When you ran the saw, closed the doors and walked to your neighbors doorway or the side of their house did it still appear to be too loud? Courteous use of the saw at specific times meant to cause minimal hardship or disturbance will go a long way to neighborhood harmony. But, neighbors can't or shouldn't expect total silence. Living life makes noise. There is no way in the world I would get too crazy as it related to some saw usage. Trying to insulate the saw seems excessive to me.

In my neighborhood, most just ignore such things. I no longer have a dog, but most around me do. I ignore their barking dogs and they ignore my table saw.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

The shed you pictured is going to be very small for cutting any size wood. Fro your picture I am estimating that your shed is about 90" across the front and no more than that front to back. Remember that you have to have more than twice the space available as the length of the boards you will be cutting. Also the ceiling height should be higher than the length of boards.

George


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## stefanvverk (Jul 17, 2016)

@subroc,
That's exactly what I'll do when everything's setup. For now the shed is being delivered this week, after which we'll have to build it. Then I'll setup the table saw and see how noisy it really is. Just now, I started it indoors and blew my eardrums 
@George,
Thanks for your reply. I do admit, the commercial picture from the manifacturer doesn't do the shed any good  In real life it's 3 meters wide and 2,5 meters deep. About 115" x 100"
Hoping that'll be enough for starting up some small woodworking projects.


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Just wait until you crank up a router! :surprise2:


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## stefanvverk (Jul 17, 2016)

Hehe, I'm already looking forward to it.. :wink2:
Just curious, anyone know if the 95 dB from my DeWalt is normal? I can tell by all the replies that loud is normal, but even so that 95 dB-ish loud is normal?


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Most woodworking tools are no louder than lawn equipment. Mowers, weed eaters and blowers all make a lot noise. With lawn equipment, you can't close the doors or insulate. You will be surprised how much the volume falls when the door is closed. Of course, it's still loud inside, but the outside noise will be well buffered.


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## jspadaro (Mar 20, 2015)

Those universal motors really are screamers, though. The difference between a large universal and an induction motor is quite striking.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

stefanvverk said:


> @*subroc*,
> That's exactly what I'll do when everything's setup. For now the shed is being delivered this week, after which we'll have to build it. Then I'll setup the table saw and see how noisy it really is. Just now, I started it indoors and blew my eardrums
> @*George*,
> Thanks for your reply. I do admit, the commercial picture from the manifacturer doesn't do the shed any good  In real life it's 3 meters wide and 2,5 meters deep. About 115" x 100"
> Hoping that'll be enough for starting up some small woodworking projects.


You will be very limited on the size of wood that you can cut. If that 115" is inside measure than about 4 foot is as long a piece as ou can rip. If the saw is oriented the other direction than about 3 1/2 ft will be as long as you can rip. 

George


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## jspadaro (Mar 20, 2015)

Of course, with a little jobsite saw like that, he can simply take it outside the shed to make cuts on larger pieces. I don't see the issue, aside from the noise of course.


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## stefanvverk (Jul 17, 2016)

Any idea where I can get my hands on one of those induction motors @jspadaro?


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## jspadaro (Mar 20, 2015)

Unfortunately, you can't just slap an induction motor on your DW745. The DW745 has direct drive intended for the universal motor it runs with.

The induction motors are generally on larger belt-driven table saws. In fact, the reason a jobsite saw has a universal motor like yours does is that they're so much more compact. So you would have to buy a different table saw. 

Honestly, given how it looks like you'll end up using it, I would stick with the dewalt if you can, since it's such a much better saw to bring out into your yard if your neighbors will permit it.


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Just a thought...

I have a 3 hp cabinet saw and the DeWalt DW745. Regardless of which one I use, I hardly ever run the saw more than 5-10 minutes. I work out of a one car garage so I have to plan my work. Even at a house I was installing cabinets in, I only ran the DW long enough to rip trim, etc. Not a long continuous noise.


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## stefanvverk (Jul 17, 2016)

Yeah, you're right about that. I shouldn't forget there's more to woodworking than ripping on a table saw.
Once the shed is in place, I'll look at insulation and take the test as it is. Like others in here said; we don't have a barking dog of loud music, so a little noise somewhere before 9 PM should be just fine.

Still wondering if 95 dB at idle is normal for any table saw.. Can you guys confirm that please?


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## sbrader (Aug 27, 2015)

stefanvverk said:


> Still wondering if 95 dB at idle is normal for any table saw.. Can you guys confirm that please?


A 95 dB measurement by itself is not enough information. Where was this measured; in a confined space, outdoors? How far away did you measure? Was it A Weighted or C Weighted? Putting the saw in anything other than an anechoic chamber with a proper test microphone is not going to tell the whole story. 

That said, I don't think 95 dB is probably that far out of line for that saw in an enclosed space.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I ran a DB test*

I tested all my saws from RAS to table saws and the highest rating I got was 89 DB ripping wood. 95 sounds like it's a bit high. Here's a different study:
http://bdk.force.com/FAQ/PKB_Article?id=kA0C0000000CfoyKAC&brand=DeWALT&group=&model=%22DW745%22&type=&terms=&returl=%2Fapex%2Fpkb_search%3Fbrand%3DDeWALT%26mode%3D1%26model%3D%2522DW745%2522%26sortby%3D0%26terms%3D

Here's a thread on power tool noise levels:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f32/simple-quiet-dust-collection-setup-138114/


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## ducbsa (Jul 6, 2014)

I use ear muffs when I use my table saw, etc. I'm 68 and don't need hearing aids and want to stay that way.


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## jspadaro (Mar 20, 2015)

I had a DW745, and it was pretty loud. I don't have a decibel meter unfortunately, but I'm honestly not terribly surprised. It's a good little saw though, and probably the best choice for this situation.

OP, like you and others said, how much will you really be using it anyway? What kind of woodworking are you getting into?

If you're mostly using the table saw to cut down lumber and then using hand tools and so forth, I'd think your setup will work fine.


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## Shop_Rat (Dec 22, 2015)

The link below is a study in sound attenuation of a typical construction grade table saw. Though it is not specifically conducted on a Dewalt brand saw, it is a universal motor type machine. I did not read the entire paper, but the first graph does indicate an almost 100 dB sound level. So, yes, your saw noise appears to be typical of the design. 

http://www.sandv.com/downloads/0406spru.pdf

Happy reading.


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## stefanvverk (Jul 17, 2016)

Thank you all for your replies and advice. The shed has been build now, so I can begin thinking about the setup of my (very) little shop.
I fancy a mitre saw in addition to the table saw. Thinking it'll give me easier 45 degree cuts and I'll be able to pick one that's quieter than my table saw; looking at the Makita LS0815FL right now.
I've got a Makita cordless Driver/Drill and I love it. Here in Holland, Makita is one of the better brands we can buy easily. Does anyone have experience with this mitre saw from Makita?

To answer one of the questions asked here; I'm planning to build small furniture (tables and such), simple storage solutions (boxes), maybe a small cabinet, and so on. Nothing big or majorly demanding on the tools I have.

A link to the mitre saw;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-LS0815FL-240-Slide-Compound-Mitre/dp/B00KL8K3V2


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## ducbsa (Jul 6, 2014)

The reviews on that saw are mixed, so your results may vary. My neighbor, who has a framing and gilding business, uses an Incra miter gauge for his miter cuts, rather than a miter saw. His hand carved frame pricing goes to above $400/foot for some designs, so he needs extremely tight miters for demanding customers!


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

I have had excellent performance from Makita tools. I have an old power miter saw I've used for over 30 years. (Purchased before compound miter saws were readily available)


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## fenestrane (Mar 10, 2015)

I have this saw, and people regularly ask me "What the hell are you doing in the garage that makes this much noise?"


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

You could always make something nice for your neighbor. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive, but just a little something to let them know that you're thinking about their peace and quiet and if they still complain buy a real loud motorcycle and rev it up early in the morning*..

*No, no, don't do that.. Be nice, but your neighbors have to be a bit realistic too. It really is a two way street.


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