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Floor/Ceiling vibrations and shocks dampening

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Building Q&A / FAQ' started by Mr Burns, Jan 1, 2009.

  1. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    I had an unpleasant conversation with my neighbor the other day. Apparently the ceiling is shaking downstairs when I use the simforcegt clone that I made. I can't feel the floor shaking at all unless I lay flat on it when somebody else is testing the driving. But I suppose lamps and such would be shaking on the ceiling under me.

    The vibrations seem to be constant (as from the vertical movement for example - road feel - very small but intense), and then the shock sort of movements when switching gears, going over bumps, offroad etc. (very hard). I think it's a constant vibration in the ceiling with the heavy shocks going through as well. I tried using some huge pillows under the corners and it seems to cut down some, but of course not enough and it's not a good solution anyway.

    Does anybody know of any way to solve this kind of problem? Maybe it needs some combination of vibration absorbtion and shock absorbtion material? Springs? :sos: Is there a way to measure the frequency (HZ) of the vibrations and shocks to try to find a fitting material?
  2. Ringorumble

    Ringorumble Active Member

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    I tried a lot of different things when i had a scm the first time, nothing really helped (washmachine rubber plates were the last) so if my neighbour is complainig the next time i go out and buy a hard mattress, should fix everthing ...
    All the small things just work in theory , but not in a flat which normally live people with different ears and feelings about noise or whatever.
  3. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    You mean a mattress that is used in beds?

  4. Ringorumble

    Ringorumble Active Member

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    Yepp
  5. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    Yes... I asked the vibrationmount.com people if they have a solution, there might be something but who knows what extreme costs. Bed mattress, no idea until somebody actually tries it out.
    I might have to maybe move down to the 1st floor (basement) :eek: . I doubt anybody enjoys a vibrating ceiling. :no:

    So people with apartments, beware, you'll have problems.

  6. Fahim

    Fahim Member

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    Dear sirs,

    Please see photo.

    I have caster wheel on my simulator. When I had buttkicker the frame would viberate but these wheel with big rubber tyre stopped alot of it... because less point of contact on floor so less viberation.

    Cost of really good ones that will take alot of weight is around £80 english pounds.

    I have posted a picture of mine in DIY motion simulator building thread: in the Dampers thread.
    It raises the height of the frame to like a real car height!

    When I get my actuators and motion setup, maybe that will be the real test!

    But the matress idea sounds very interesting aswell.

    Kind Regards.

    Attached Files:

  7. Ringorumble

    Ringorumble Active Member

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    I had wheels like fahim, spikes etc, all in all its still vibrating ! Michael Haertsch or Mike haertsch is using a matress and said everything is cureed with it under the scm. Get a hard foam one, place your whole rig on it and this should do the trick
  8. Fahim

    Fahim Member

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    Dear Ringrumble,

    Maybe if we can get clear foam matress which they would sell on ebay, you can decerate them.


    If matress is the way to stop viberation fully then this is the way to go.
    Maybe can decerate it like picture of a road or something.


    See photo attached.

    Kind regards.

    Attached Files:

  9. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    I have to check out Michael Haertsch setup. I put a bed mattress under the whole thing (soft but with springs in it) and a glass of water next to it on the floor. Without the mattress the water is going bezerk, with it it only moves a little. So it might work indeed. The problem is that the whole cockpit is sinking into the mattress, must try out different things. I will check with my neighbor later if she still gets vibrations, I will post the results.

  10. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    Haha, good idea, would make it less weird.

  11. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    Well, my final verdict on the mattress solution is that it doesn't work. While it does seem to absorbe most of the vibrations, all the mattresses have the sinking feeling and the whole cockpit shakes a lot more. This includes the ones with foam. I will wait on the vibrationmount people to see what their opinion is.
  12. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    Attached Files:

  13. Ringorumble

    Ringorumble Active Member

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    Could work, but of course i wouldt put my rig direct on a matress since it sinks, i would use a wooden plate like the guys with the tennis balls use, so it wouldnt sink
  14. bvillersjr

    bvillersjr Active Member

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    I am going to be testing with some different durometer rubbers this week. If I find anything that makes any kind of major improvement, I'll post back.
  15. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    Yes, a big wooden plank should work, it would still be wobbly tought, that's the biggest problem. Same with the tennis balls I think.
  16. Ringorumble

    Ringorumble Active Member

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    try it ;)
  17. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    I tried a box spring (bed base, the part that goes on the bed frame and on which the mattress goes) with a wooden plank on it and it still sends all the vibration through. I also tried 6 pieces of foam (the kind used in boxes on tv sets and electronics), huge pieces used in warehouses to put between rows of machine parts (2 Width, 4 Length , 3 Height or so) and no results. Even tried those under the box spring, nothing.

    I will try the soft mattress (which seemed to work better) with the wooden plank on it but one of the rs232-usb cables died during the testing process and I have to wait to get new ones.

    I doubt the tennis ball solution will work, there's just too much vibration.
  18. bvillersjr

    bvillersjr Active Member

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    Mr. Burns, any update on this?

    FYI, my testing has been delayed an additional week, because I have decided to re-design my actuator arms and am awaiting some different durometer rubber pads to arrive which will be built into the actuator arms.
  19. Mr Burns

    Mr Burns New Member

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    Well, I found a SOFT mattress, maybe 4 thick at a garbage of a furniture store. Asked the people and they let me take it. Since the usb cable commited suicide yesterday I ordered some online but got some from a local electronics store just to test(that I will return since they sell them for $39 each :thbd:).

    Put a big wooden plank on top of it and the simulator stuff on top of the plank then told my neighbor to call me if she can still feel and see vibrations. After about 15 minutes she called and asked if it's running b/c she couldn't feel anything (it was running), so I think it works. She said she'll call if she can hear/feel it. Drove around grass and stuff for an hour or so and she didn't so I assume it works. I can feel vibrations on the floor if I lay on it, but if I put a glass of water on it the water doesn't move too much (without the mattress some gets spilled). So I would say that a soft mattress with a wooden plank on top works. Maybe 8 thick to be 100% sure and some of the dampening on the actuator arms (some rubber dampers that can compress instead connecting the actuator arms straight to the base). This depends on the building on what's between the floors I assume, i will look for a thicker one just in case.

    All the stuff needs to be rearranged , monitor needs to go higher, pedals need to be mounted in place since they slide on the wood, but it's a small price to pay for having this issue resolved. I will report back if my neighbor reports that her ceiling is going crazy on her after I drive around more. Now there's somewhere to fall down from too :eek: .

    Something hard under it will not work. It needs to be soft. Best is of course to be in a basement somewhere. But if there's no alternative this seems to work.
  20. tronicgr

    tronicgr

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    Hey, just a question...

    Are you home is made from wood? Or you have wooden floor?

    :lol:

    Nice to hear that you found solution though...



    Regards, Thanos