[GravY]

***images not showing up, somthing up with Imageshack.. if not fixed by tomorrow I'll re-upload.***

I dont drill and can make a new pair of foamies in 3-4min and have them in a listening..

this was my write up awhile back..

I have changed the tube from the rubber to just using the more rigid tube found with the stock foamie, and I also use the other end of the plug and just shave off a bit of the end as they are slightly too big for my ear without doing so..

Utility Knife or Scissors
Scratch Awl
Rubber tips
Ear Plugs - Ear FX MAX Style




I take the rubber tip and cut away the outter shell leaving just the post.



Take the ear Plug and cut the top off to fit over the post.



Push the Scratch Awl through the center of your cut Ear Plug and move it all the way to the end, pull on the plug to tear the hole alittle larger so it slides onto the post more easily, but not really necessary.



Slide the post onto the Scratch Awl and holding with your thumbs (or owever you feel the need to do it) and slide the ear plug over the post. I held the post with my finger and turned the ear plug a few times so it would start to expand and then set it aside and went on to the next..




After a few minutes it should expand out over the post, this type of plug holds on tight to the post so there is no real worry of it coming off when you remove the headphones from your ears.

 

[jSatch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GravY The seal is amazing as most of you already know.

Ditto GravY, well stated.

 

[jSatch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feddup Just like machining the more you hurry the higher your waste percentage will be. I hadn't thought of how little time I'd have to work before they begin to soften. My first pair is drying now and, not too surprisingly, they're not exactly a work of art. With time I'll get the time involved down. If it were to take an hour to produce a couple of pairs it would soon make the $ a piece shure foamies seem more attractive.

Been there, done that.

Take your time. Don't try to make a dozen pairs until after you make one really good pair. Some sort of a Zen thing, I guess. Get to just the optimal size and shape that fits you best (this may be different for each ear!). Remember, you are making custom earplugs, for you.

I've had a few toss aways in the beginning. Now, I'd be disappointed to have one.

The motivation of this thread is to learn for your own, and others, mistakes and successes. Hopefully the next guys will say "Hey I've got big (or small, or average) ear canals, I think these plugs might be a good place to start." The basic techniques should be pretty well ironed out, and new mods incorporated along the way with help from you and other Head-Fi'ers. Mods for different phones (tube diameters, hole sizes, etc) also brought to light.

Like you said earlier, it's not like making a violin.

Now that would be frustrating.

 

[feddup]

So far my results are pretty bleak. In the machine shop we say "the scrap guy's gotta eat". Frozen foam is a new deal for me so the marginal results shouldn't be surprising. I've got a few more sets to try and I'm slowing it down and thinking more. There's no hurry. 5 sets cost me $3 so I'm not stressing. I never considered it but after looking at the foamies I've been using for two weeks I may have one canal bigger than the other. This is truly a weird hobby!

 

[jSatch]

These urethane plugs don't stay frozen long. I work with 1 at a time (with the other still in the freezer), and quickly.

I start with a small bit for a starter hole. You should be able to push this in a good ways without even turning on the drill, and then get it all the way through with a couple quick squeezes of the trigger. Then follow through with the larger bit. I don't try to over-drill them. Pretty simple and works every time.

As your plugs were in bizarre shapes, maybe a problem there. As we say at my job, always follow these two simple rules for good results: 1) Begin with good starting material. 2) If you don't have good starting material, go back to #1.

Another problem may be that these particular plugs may not be the best fit for you, even though they work well for me. You might want to take a look at the Ear Plug Store, or some other earplug site, for other choices.

My left and right ear canals are also different.

Good luck. As GravY said, the seal from these "is amazing". Hope you can get it to work out.

 

[Irregular Joe]

Well, I finally took the plunge (both figuratively and literally) and soaked a pair of the orange foamies and froze them for about 18 hours. The results were very disappointing - after drilling, cutting, and constructing my plugs, I had in front of me 2 foamies that completely lost its compression time. Am I doing something wrong here? My guess is that they were soaking for way too long (it must've been 1-1.5 hours, because one of the two didn't initially "inflate" with water).

UPDATE: I guess I just didn't let them dry for long enough, as they seem to compress well, now.

 

[simplemind]

After trying the drill method several frustrating times, I simply flattened the plug (end to end) with my fingers and used a rotary leather punch ( http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/...ow-punch/BCY16 )and it worked just fine. You won't believe how quick and easy it is.

It's not a perfect hole, but good enough to fit the ER tube and stay put.

 

[Irregular Joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplemind After trying the drill method several frustrating times, I simply flattened the plug (end to end) with my fingers and used a rotary leather punch ( http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/...ow-punch/BCY16 )and it worked just fine. You won't believe how quick and easy it is. It's not a perfect hole, but good enough to fit the ER tube and stay put.

Thanks for your input; I'll have to check to see if my dad has a hole punch... (I don't really want to spend money on one)

 

[simplemind]

Re: the rotary hole punch, mine is not quite as elegant as the one I referenced however it functions exactly the same way. I think I got it Tandy Leather many moons ago. I would bet that Harbor Freight has one for $0.99

BTW, it is still difficult to get the hole exactly in the middle, and I think that is largely dependant on how evenly you compress the plug.

 

[feddup]

The DIY foamies are still on the burner but I'm going to take it a little slower. I'm in no hurry. About drilling the hole. It's not even that easy with a drill when you're working with frozen bits of foam. I'm still going to go for a better isolation/comfort compromise than Shure's foamies. Shure's foamies work quite well but I still think it can be done better. I wish I could undertake the project at work. Machine tools would be much more precise than what I have at home. Unfortunately part of the reason I want to perfect the "isolation" effect is that my coworkers "hillbilly drivel" is what I'm trying to isolate from. Asking them for cooperation in helping me not hear them ever again is pointless. I'm not giving up. I want to be able to be onstage at the grand old opry and contentedly listen to Linkin Park or whatever I wish in peace. This is a cool and perhaps weird pursuit. The pursuit of peace.

 

[hiatts]

I would like to have left you guys a photo on this...

• take an alloy tube the size of the hole you desire in the foam,
• grab an xacto blade and shove it into the end of the alloy tube and
• gently turn xacto blade -> sharpening the inside of the alloy tube.
• carefully attach the tube to a small drill and bore away.

Frozen, un-frozen foam can both be tried. Let the alloy cut, don't apply too much pressure.

Source of alloy... hobby stores, K&S are US company supplying such things.

 

[jSatch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irregular Joe Well, I finally took the plunge (both figuratively and literally) and soaked a pair of the orange foamies and froze them for about 18 hours. The results were very disappointing - after drilling, cutting, and constructing my plugs, I had in front of me 2 foamies that completely lost its compression time. Am I doing something wrong here? My guess is that they were soaking for way too long (it must've been 1-1.5 hours, because one of the two didn't initially "inflate" with water). UPDATE: I guess I just didn't let them dry for long enough, as they seem to compress well, now.

Regarding UPDATE:
Yeah, I had the same experience. Really need to let them dry out.

So, how do they sound now?

 

[Irregular Joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jSatch Regarding UPDATE: Yeah, I had the same experience. Really need to let them dry out. So, how do they sound now?

They sound excellent!
I'm really starting to get the hang of making them; they're getting better all the time.

The one thing that I wish I had, thought, is some tubing. Currently, I'm using the tubes (that I cut out) from the biggest flex sleeves; if the tubes were just another 2-3mm longer or so, it would be the perfect length, I think.

 

[backdrifter]

I'm still using this method, as is a friend, with great success. I'm using bigger earmuffs these days in noisy situations (buses)

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=138591

 

[jSatch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irregular Joe They sound excellent! I'm really starting to get the hang of making them; they're getting better all the time.

WOW! That's really great news they worked out so well for you too.

Thanks for the feedback.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Irregular Joe The one thing that I wish I had, thought, is some tubing. Currently, I'm using the tubes (that I cut out) from the biggest flex sleeves; if the tubes were just another 2-3mm longer or so, it would be the perfect length, I think.

Try a pet store (aquarium tubing), hardware store or a scientific supply store, eg, VWR, Fisher, etc.

for example:
http://www.vwrsp.com/catalog/product...ight=63012-445