From the "SUCCESS!!!" Comes in Many Flavors Dept...
![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/?action=dlattach;attach=1084964;image)
1) So... after some small amount of misery and self-mutilation, I finally got a semi-successful print after pretty much completely rebuilding the hotend and performing open-heart
molestation surgery on my 3DP. Looks a little fuzzy around the edges, but it did at least complete the print.
2) For a change, removing the supports did not fight me at all; they pulled out easily and in one piece. I was quite surprised by this, given how deep inside the piece they extend.
C) Print quality is
"Ehhhh..." at best; calling it a successful print is probably pushing it. Most of the fuzzies will go away with a little fire tho...
4) Okay... make that a lot of fire. And a zip-tie.
![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif)
But still... good enough for Proof-of-Concept on my muffler tailpiece.
5) Money shot...? Taking measurements. Qa-plahh! Okay...
6) Side By Side with stock unit. Well, it did work as intended; I was able to fit the tailpiece on the PSU, and overall appearance is as intended. A successful print would tidy up the look of the PSU without adding appreciable length with a stock IEC cord; however 90° cords are right out. And left out. They're just... OUT.
The data: (SMH made a complete dog's breakfast of the
"Tables" function, so just a quick screencap from an online generator
![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/?action=dlattach;attach=1021934;image)
)
Installed, the tailpiece does make a noticeable reduction in the perceived noise level with it sitting on the desktop. The higher-pitched elements are reduced quite a bit; but it is still somewhat distracting in a quiet workspace.
It took several runs to get any meaningful data; I was starting just as the city was waking up and even with the kids sent back upstairs for half an hour, ambient noise varied 5-7dB as the noise of traffic and devices running in the house varied. Eventually I got a good run with muffler both on and off; measured at back of unit, front of unit, and 1 meter level with unit; then out of curiosity, again at 1 meter with a cloth dropped over the front of the PSU to muffle the inlet area.
And the takeaway...
While my tailpiece does tidy up the look of the unit (and I do have plans to make a similar front piece) and makes a 3-5dB difference in noise measured at the back of the unit, the single most effective noise abatement attack was to throw the thing under my desk. ![Banging Head |O](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/bangheadonwall.gif)
We'll see what difference, if any, adding the frontpiece makes; as muffling the inlet area did make a noticeable and measurable difference with the unit on the desktop.
mnem
*back into the suck*