How I Used Foam and a Concrete Paver for 3D Printing in Silence

Inspired by Stefan Hermann over at CNC Kitchen, a year ago I purchased a concrete paver to help dampen the noise from my 3D printer (a Prusa Mini+.)

But I wasn’t satisfied with the results from the paver alone, and I decided to run with his idea of using foam to add additional dampening. However, I was struggling to find the right foam. They all seemed too soft or too small.

Eventually, came across this 16×16″ pre-cut upholstery foam on Amazon and it lines up with my 16×16″ concrete paver quite nicely.

I have yet to measure the dB difference, but anecdotally, it feels like the noise levels have gone down by at least 50%. A couple years ago, my 3D printer was loud enough that I would only print when I wasn’t home and now it doesn’t bother me at all.

(I’m sure my neighbors appreciate it as well.)