Official Luthiers Forum!

I've worked around jet engines for the last 10 years and can say it's been worth it to wear foam plugs and muffs - my hearing is normal. It's hard to look cool with a pair of muffs on but no one is going to notice the plugs when you're imitating "insert favorite rock god here".

Also - don't forget your eye protection, a good respirator and gloves when needed. You may look like Darth Vader (or Pat's picture above ) working in your shop but it's better than losing an eye, finger, ect. or losing your sense of taste and smell. (wood dust can do weird things - Yeesh!)

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

Hua? what did you say?


Oh! I use the little foam plugs cause I get them fee from work. Also they are good to plug tuner hols with when spraying finish

Thanks guys for reminding me to go get a new set of muffs. I'm pretty lucky that I never really did like real loud music to start with and have only a small effect from over 15years of racing motorcycles.

Rob,

When I can hear someone else's music (ipod etc.) I take the time to approach them and attempt to explain how the ear works and the damage they could be doing to their ears. Although, I know most will just ignore me some of them do listen and remark they did not understand how the ear works or the long term damage the sound can create. Recently I was at an Emergency room with a Nephew and I could hear music from a headset that was across the room (over 15 feet). Did my speech while the young man looked board but at the end he said he didn’t know those facts. All the while his Grandmother was smiling and then thanked me when I was done.

In essence I ask if they know what a whip is. Then I explain how a whip makes its sound when snapped. I continue by describing the cochlea as a coiled whip with irreplaceable hairs that receive all the different frequencies that we hear. Going back to the whip example provides a relationship of incoming sound and movement of the whip in our ear. If the sound is too great it creates a similar snapping on the cochlea that breaks some of the permanent hairs off. I make sure they understand that the hairs are permanently lost and can no longer register that frequency. If the pattern continues you lose more and more of your permanent hearing and you always find out a bit too late to effectively help.

Sorry to be boring but some of the kids are receptive to listening to what adults say and most have never heard it explained in this manner. The whip example is something they can relate to a bit more than just being told to turn down the music.

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

Lance, if you find your $12 ear muffs are just uncomfortable or cumbersome enough that you tend to not always put them on when you should, I would urge you to spend as much money and time as necessary to find something that works so well for you that you almost look forward to putting them on. How often do we spend considerable sums of time and money shopping for and buying a tool or machine that we don't REALLY need (T.A.S.)? How much is a really good plane or chisel or tablesaw worth to you? Now, ask yourself, how much is your hearing worth to you?

I shudder to think of how careless people are with something so precious as their hearing - especially people for whom music (which, by the way, requires hearing, Beethoven notwithstanding) is so important! I don't mean that in a judgemental or scolding way... it's just sad and kinda bizarre when you think about it. If you don't protect your hearing, you won't even know what your guitars sound like!

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I tend to 'just' use muffs, although I prefer to use a combo of both if it's going to be a lot of noise for a long time; I'm quite seriously considering shelling out on a set of professional fitted buds to also use at gigs.

As for headphones on iPods, it very much depends on the headphone design; I've got semi-open sennheisers that you can hear even when the volume's at a very reasonable (low) level. Poor design. If I can hear someone's in-ear bud music, I worry. My favourites are Shure in-ear buds, because the quality is fantastic, they block out outside noise, meaning I can enjoy my music at safe (low) volumes (say a third or less of maximum iPod volume) and still heal the finer details. Totally unsafe for cycling and the like, though.

Well, all I can say is that I wish I had started using them 30 years ago! Being around power tools,
inside and outside, for most of my life, has taken a toll on my hearing. I don’t know what you
would call it, but, if I’m trying to listen to somebody, and there is a loud noise in the background,
I can’t understand what that person is saying. Everything sort of blends together into a big swirl
of noisy mush! However, if I have ear plugs in (given the same scenario) its much easier to hear
what they are saying. Go figure!

Now, I do the whole ball of wax! Eye, Ear, mouth, and nose!

So, for those of you who haven’t done it yet! Take the good advise in this thread, and don your
ear, eye, and nose protection. It will really pay off down the road!

I’m even considering the old standard “CUP” cause you never know, that board you got on the
jointer, may just fly back, striking just below the belt!

Robert

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Everything has beauty, But, not everyone see's it!

Todd, you know what they say,

“Great minds run along the same channels, or fools think alike" Take your pick!

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Everything has beauty, But, not everyone see's it!

Okay,after spending my youth in rock bands and spending 30 + years in construction.I never wore ear protection until the last couple of years.I now have to wear a hearing aid in each ear.So protect yourself.Mow the what? Take out the What?
                James W B

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

[QUOTE=ToddStock] I wore plugs and helmet for the last 20 of my 30 years of military flying career, and would have escaped noticeable hearing loss were it not for my eight years of time in Chinooks (bone conduction is a bit of a problem at cockpit sound pressures associated with 135 dB). I now have nice 20-30 dB spikes at all the fashionable frequencies for pilots courtesy of the CH-47's forward transmission and APU.[/QUOTE]

Hey, you weren't with the 160 SOAR were you? I used to work with some of those guys. I never rode in a Chinook but the MH53's would vibrate the heck out of you. Nothing was as loud as being in an AC130 when firing the 105 rounds. Did you get any disability from the VA for your hearing loss? I'll find out in 4 more years when I retire!   

Cheers!

John

I went to the VA when I first decided to get the aids. They tested my hearing twice, and the second time around the woman who ran it said she didn't see how I could walk around in traffic with hearing like that. Still, despite being definitely service related, they refused to give me any help: they don't consider a 40-60 dB loss to be a handicap. I realize that that was just the first round of the game, and I'm supposed to get a lawyer or write my congressman or something, but I was just so disgusted that I went off and bought the dang things myself. I hate playing bureaucraic games.

Alan, the VA isn't an easy place to negotiate, especially now. You have to break a certain percentage to get assistance, then another one to get money. And their math is worse than a 1st grader's. On paper I'm 80% disabled, they pay me for less than 60%. and with everything that's going on, they are in the deny mode.
There are people that you can to help you go through the process. The fastest line to someone in your area that can help is probably to stop by a VFW and ask someone. If they don't know, they will know who to talk to that does know. Good luck.

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Aoibeann

I keep meaning to point out that there is another important reason to wear your hearing protectors when using any power tool: they will keep you from hearing the sort of language you're likely to use when you hurt yourself or mess up the expensive wood. Nobody should have to listen to that sort of talk.