Started woodworking and my ears have been ringing every night.

We started making chairs and tables last week and my ears kept ringing every night up until Thursday. We still got a lot of other projects to work on and I think I really need to ask you guys what my hubby and I should wear for hearing protection?

Foamies? Earmuffs? Moldables? Custom filtered? I did my research but I just can't decide.

 

Wear the ones that are most comfortable

 

I use ear plugs, (any type will do). On top of which I use heavy ear muffs too, (so I get double protection). And as an additional safety, I use acrylic glasses too - Because eyes and ears, if ever damaged, aren't easy to repair... So better be safe then sorry.

Really can't afford to take any chances.



I use these whenever I am having fun with firearms, or working with metal.





If I don't use such heavy protection for my ears, I would get headaches later. And on a few occasions they got so bad, that I ended up vomiting. But after ear plugs plus ear muffs, no more problems.

One darma-queen neighbor often complains about the noise I keep making at odd hours. But I say that she is only making stuff up, and is just pretending to be a victim, (some women really enjoy playing the damsel in distress card in front of others) - Because I swear I can't hear a thing while I work on my projects...

 

The municipal workers and farmers here use the sort that look like headfones. In fact almost everyone here uses that sort. The Bride and I use those little foam-plastic things.
Just use something, hearing is a precious thing to have.

 

For general use, non impact noise I use -33 decibel rated foam earplugs. They work for air nailers and lawn mowers too. If normal conversation is around 60 db, then they can handle up to 93 db. My stihl blower is 70 db from 10 yards away. I bought a decibel meter for cheap fun and information. I wish I had used it during my loud rockroll period.

 

Honestly, I don’t use anything. I chainsaw, use the brush cutter and tractor often, as well as machines in the workshop. I have such an overproduction of dark sticky wax in my ears that I syringe them every 6 months or I start going deaf. It is amazing all the overtones that I can hear in the chainsaw just after I clean my ears.

 

Thanks for sharing! You should save that wax! Lost wax casting for jewelry, or even mold making for garden pots comes to mind. I have a hat that I use wax on for waterproofing! I see possibilities....

 

S-H,,, Is that a Mini or AR ?? What in the world are you using a deer slug for ? That will blow them out the back door !

 

No that's not a mini AR. It's a big 12 gage gas operated piston repeater, (with an incredibly fast rate of firing) - It's a class of weapon which is nicknamed "the street sweeper"... Best for competition shooting also. It's from the nation of Turkey, (Maverick series of shotguns). Unbelievably accurate, same class as Benelli shotguns from Italy, (a favorite of US Marines).

Yes I only use dear slugs, magnum buckshot, or the double impact mega ball round (my favorite) - But it's a clean gun, clean as in it's never taken the life of any innocent animal - I think hunting is most unkind and barbaric. Which only belongs in the past, (in the times of the great depression, when putting food on the table was a challenge). So today, hunting just doesn't make any sense...

I basically keep this weapon for it's anti-material capabilities. So it makes for an incredible home defense aid. It's super loud too, that's why I use such heavy ear protection. Because once your ears get damaged, then you're done, (restoring hearing is almost impossible). So we must do whatever is in our power, to keep that from happening.

 

I know right! That's why I'm thinking of buying custom fitted earplugs.

 

Doubling down with hearing protection is a wise thing to do.

I think there's a scientific basis about women being more sensitive to noise.

"Females as a group have greater hearing sensitivity, greater susceptibility to noise exposure at high frequencies, shorter latencies in their auditory brain-stem responses, more spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs), and stronger click-evoked otoa- coustic emissions than males as a group." SOURCE

 

Custom fitted ones are great. But not really cheap in comparison to the regular ones available in hardware stores. So I'd advise to always make several pairs, because like it or not, earplugs are always getting lost. And it's so annoying when we can't find them at the right time...

I and this neighbor of mine have been at war since the last few years. So this is just (one of many) my way to get back at her...

 

I'm thinking of getting these earplugs from Big Ear. But they are pretty expensive... I'm a bit of a cheapskate if you haven't noticed. LOL! That's why I started my fruits and veggies garden.

 

LOL! Is she a full-blown Karen?

 

Another thing I'd suggest is a powerful strobe light. Place it somewhere which is always in your line of sight. Then connect it to your doorbell and/or phone - So that you can always be alerted when you have earmuffs on.

Anyhow custom earplugs were always a pain. So I bought a box of 20 regular earplugs. On top of which I put on earmuffs also. So this gives me very good protection.

Totally!!!