Search for the best sound dampening material...

[bbqkimchi]

I would like to add a layer of sound dampening material similar to what's found inside Leopold keyboards.  I have searched GH and haven't found any references to a stock material that can be purchased and cut to size.  I found some options (though somewhat costly) at McMaster-Carr but want to know if someone in the keyboard community has already found a great material and vendor.

Thanks for your time.

bbqkimchi

[Rob27shred]

MK Ultra corp, https://mkultra.click/collections/frontpage makes awesome pre cut sound dampening pads made from foam that work very well. They also make foams for going in between the plate/PCB & PCB/case. I used the case foams twice now & was very pleased with the results. I have a 65% plate foam waiting fro my E6.5, but haven't tried one yet. Although I don't see it performing any worse than the case foams. Also there is always good old sorbothane which works the best for sound dampening IME, but is very expensive & does not come pre cut for KB building usage.

[bbqkimchi]

Thanks Rob, I sprung for some sorbothane in a 30 durometer. I intend to cut it to size for a custom numpad and this material looks perfect.  I don't intend for the material to support anything, but rather fill the void between the pcb and bottom case.  In your experience, does durometer value greatly impact the dampening capabilities?

[Rob27shred]

Thanks Rob, I sprung for some sorbothane in a 30 durometer. I intend to cut it to size for a custom numpad and this material looks perfect. I don't intend for the material to support anything, but rather fill the void between the pcb and bottom case.  In your experience, does durometer value greatly impact the dampening capabilities?

NP! IME yes the duro value can greatly effect the sound dampening capabilities. AFAIK the higher the duro, the denser the sorbothane mix, the more dense the mix, the less sound dampening ability. 30 duro is nice & soft so you're good with that. I believe the higher duro sheets are exponentially expensive & made for specific applications. The most important thing with sorbothane is the thickness, it works best when slightly compressed. So you want to find a thickness that compresses some, but not too much for it to work properly.

EDIT: I am in no way an expert on sorbothane & could be wrong about some things I stated here. So it would be highly appreciated if someone more knowledgeable about sorbothane than I am can please chime in!