an idea for making your own fan "gaskets"

[imported_crypt33]

i was intrigued (as a noob case modder) by the idea of using gaskets to help isolate your fans & maybe power supply to transmit less vibration to your case / cut down on noise...i was searching auto parts stores & wal mart for potential alternatives & found these little typing paper-sized sheets of "craft foam" in many different colors...0.33$ a sheet! this + a shard X-acto knife = gaskets?
does this seem as if it would work? my chief concern is that the gaskets may cause electrical problems (static, etc., i really have no idea), but they would only be touching the case & the fans & maybe the power supply...any obvious problems anyone can think of? this stuff may even be a decent material to put on the case sides/inside to slightly insulate from noise, dont know / will experimant perhaps - the price is certainly right...

 

[Mrvile]

I'm sure it would work, but the real question is, would it help? Do you actually hear your fan rattling or buzzing?

 

[imported_crypt33]

you got me brother im new at this...i was just reading some posts mentioning "fan gaskets" here yesterday to isolate vibration & such...it may be a bunch of hooey, but at least it would only cost me a little time + 0.33$ to find out it's effectiveness hehe
& yes, my fans do actually buzz/rattle surprisingly! it's pretty obnoxious...i know they are junky fans & that is the primary cause of the noise, but a 0.33$ "cure", even if it only quiets a little bit,is worth a little experimentation i suppose

 

[Kaspian]

To me fan gastkets dont do much if anything for you. I've tried them in the past. If your fans are making to much noice just replace them. The 60-80 mm fans are normally loud. And the ones that are quiet they just dont move enough air. Try replacing the fans with 92-120 mm and either get the ones that have low rpms or better yet get a fan controller. Right now I have 3 120mm fans and the cpu and vga fans. The only one that I can hear is the vga, which it will be my next replacement. Good luck.

 

[Saint Nick]

been there, done that. it helps... it depends on your fan, your case, your whole set up.

 

[imported_crypt33]

hmm..some dissenting opinions here...i do hope to replace my fans at some future point, but $$$ wise now is not the time...i am gonna try the craft foam 0.33$ solution cuz it's cheap & should be relatively easy...

 

[Cerb]

OK, let's say the foam works. How is the fan mounted? Check over at SPCR for some ideas. Mine isn't quite done yet (and won't work with poorly balanced fans, anyway), because I couldn't tie stretch magic if my life depended on it--gonna have to drop to a craft store and find something to fasten it with.

Anyway, if the fan is still mounted by screws, you've done almost nothing. You need a way to fasten the fan to the case, without it transmitting its vibrations.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Cerb
OK, let's say the foam works. How is the fan mounted? Check over at SPCR for some ideas. Mine isn't quite done yet (and won't work with poorly balanced fans, anyway), because I couldn't tie stretch magic if my life depended on it--gonna have to drop to a craft store and find something to fasten it with.

Anyway, if the fan is still mounted by screws, you've done almost nothing. You need a way to fasten the fan to the case, without it transmitting its vibrations.

He's right, if the fan is still mounted with screws it's not isloated.

 

[imported_crypt33]

i thought about the fact that seemingly the screws would prevent total isolation, but SOME isolation is better than NONE, right? all i can do is try it i suppose...im only out 0.33$ & a little time is all...im now trying to think of a way to isolate the screws...

 

[Zepper]

Some people use that double-sided foam "mounting" tape on their fans - just another ghetto rig to try. The nice thing about the mounting tape is that the screws are eliminated too. The only limitation might be powerful fans. I have one that draws over 3/4 Amp (means it's torquey) and puts out up to 120CFM - might be able to remove itself (eventually) from the grip of the tape. But then, there is an industrial-strength version of the tape and Radio Shack carries it...

.bh.

 

[Cerb]

PSA: don't use double-sided tape. It may come off, doesn't do that good of a job, and is a royal pain to clean up. The heavier stuff might stick, but then will be a pain if you ever want to remove it.

 

[Zepper]

I did say the foam tape is a ghetto rig, did I not? Not exactly a ringing endorsement. I'm starting to use the Sunbeam rubber pins (from jab-tech.com et al.) wherever possible. Eliminate the screws, and they do a good job. Only drawback is that they leave a small gap. I'll fill that with rope caulk if ever I get a whistle from the gap.

.bh.

 

[Cerb]

Yes, you did. But, foam tape is not worth it, even being cheap and simple. It's more trouble than it's worth.