Reply To: Quiet mortising
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I like Ed’s sugestion of a pre-emptive screaming plunge router.
But seriously.
It might be useful to put your workbench feet onto rubber pads to help isolate the sound from the building structure. If the bench touches the wall move it a little bit away from it. That way the sound travels less effectively into and through the building structure. Think of the rubber underfloors that are sometimes used to stop sounds like lady’s heels from travelling from floor to floor through the floor in high-end apartments.
The only thing that deadens sound is mass. But sharp sounds like lady’s heels travel well through the structure if it transfers well into that structure. Any added wall finish is only likely to improve the quality of the sound in the room and be an unnecessary expense especially if your bench is not isolated.
You could dull the sound further by not using a claw hammer on a steel backed chisel, or using a rubber mallet instead of a wooden one on wood/plastic backed chisels
Also make sure any ducts, vents, or conduits between the basement and your neighbours are closed. As voids allow for sound to pass through.