Noise Blocking In-Ear Headphones

Noiseblockers
What would you do with epoxy putty laying around?

The process is simple - mix up some epoxy putty, jam it in your ear, let it mostly harden, take it out, drill holes for sound, and mount normal earbud speakers to them. Et voila!

This article may have one of the best disclaimers ever:

WARNING - This tutorial advocates jamming things in your ear which are not made for earal consumption. Some people are allergic to epoxy (or develop an allergy after working with it) and may experience an allergic reaction that could conceivably involve a swelling of the ear canal and/or complete anaphylactic shock, maybe even death (hey, it could happen). You may also have a specific hooked form of ear that prevents you from removing the epoxy once it hardens. You might also, perhaps, have some sort of seizure epilepsy that makes you throw up uncontrollably when you stick things in your ear. Please consult your otologist before attempting this procedure. I take no liability for emergency room bills, ICU bills, coma support, or any other expenses incurred from actions resulting from the reading of this article. - Link


Recent Entries

Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: MikeCat on December 18, 2006 at 11:58 AM

You could also take an ear mold with non-setting putty, and use it to make a negative mold. With that mold, then you can pour in the setting epoxy and not risk earal domination.


Posted by: natetrue on December 18, 2006 at 12:02 PM

I dunno - ear molds without the risk of permanent hearing loss? It just doesn't sound exciting enough.


Posted by: ctrl-alt-delete on December 18, 2006 at 1:41 PM

I keep getting a non-existent url message. Does anyone have a working link or a mirror?


Posted by: jovino on December 18, 2006 at 2:27 PM

Good job Make, post an idea that is REALLY stupid and has to potential to send people to the emergency room to have hardened epoxy removed from their ears. If people are like me, they have small hairs inside their ear canal. It is extremely likely that the epoxy will bond to these hairs and make removal painful, if not impossible.

:::sigh:::


Posted by: -soapy- on December 18, 2006 at 2:38 PM

I did this with silicone, which is probably about a million times safer, given how epoxy often bonds to your fingers and leaves residue. I modelled the way I did it on the way NoiseBreakers are made (http://www.noisebreaker.co.uk/product%20info.html) at the hearing specialists.

They get a bit of thread and tie it around a bit of sponge before carefully filling your ear canal, then pumping your ear full of quick setting silicone. This makes you realise what being profoundly deaf must be like. 60 seconds later it is removed. Emtec (who make NoiseBreaker) then drill and scuplt it into a very effective hearing protector that allows normal speech.

I've had mine for over ten years, and still they are EDC and used, often many times a day. If you want to try it, use a soft silicone and you can wear them for hours. Please also refer to Bre's disclaimer, it counts here too!


Posted by: natetrue on December 18, 2006 at 5:22 PM

The epoxy does bond to the hairs. But hairs come out.


Posted by: rehorstmark@netscape.net on December 18, 2006 at 7:40 PM

This is a bad idea. Epoxy is unhealthy stuff. Don't stick it into your ears, don'ttouch it with your bare skin. Don't breathe the vapors. Read the MSDS on epoxy and you'll get some idea of the sort of nastiness you're dealing with.

MR


Posted by: natetrue on December 18, 2006 at 9:59 PM

A. EYE CONTACT: Contact may cause eye irritation.

B. SKIN CONTACT: Prolong or repeated skin contact may cause irritation. Contact with product at elevated temperatures(>150¡É)can result in thermal burns.

Yeah, stay away from that stuff. You might get 'irritated'.


Leave a comment


Subscribe to MAKE!Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now


Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out. Make: The risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things... Welcome to Make: Online!


CRAFT Maker Shed Maker Faire MAKE television
MAKE: en Español MAKE: Japan


Check out all of the episodes of Make: television

Make: Science Room

Connect with MAKE

Be a MAKE fan on Facebook MAKE on Facebook
Visit our Facebook page and become a fan of MAKE!
MAKE on Twitter MAKE on Twitter
Follow our MAKE tweets!
MAKE Flickr Pool MAKE on Flickr
Join our MAKE Flickr Pool!
    make_tips on Twitter

    MAKE's RSS feed is here.
    Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
    How to add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
    Add MAKE on FriendFeed




    Maker SHED

    Advertise here with FM.

    Why advertise on MAKE?
    Read what folks are saying about us!

    Click here to advertise on MAKE!



    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Make: Online authors!

    Gareth BranwynGareth Branwyn
    Senior Editor


    Phillip TorronePhillip Torrone
    Senior Editor
    | AIM | Twitter


    Becky SternBecky Stern
    Associate Editor
    | AIM | Twitter


    Marc de VinckMarc de Vinck
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter


    John ParkJohn Park
    Contributing Writer
    | Twitter


    Sean RaganSean Ragan
    Contributing Writer
    | Twitter


    Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter


    Dale DoughertyDale Dougherty
    Editor & Publisher
    | Twitter


    Shawn ConnallyShawn Connally
    Managing Editor
    | Twitter


    Goli MohammadiGoli Mohammadi
    Associate Managing Editor

    Kip KayKip Kay
    Weekend Projects
    | AIM | Twitter


    Collin CunninghamCollin Cunningham
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter

    Adam FlahertyAdam Flaherty
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter



    More contributors: Mark Frauenfelder (Editor-in-Chief, MAKE magazine), Kipp Bradford (Technical Consultant/Writer), Chris Connors (Education), Diana Eng (Guest Author), Peter Horvath (Intern), Brian Jepson (O'Reilly Media), Robert Bruce Thompson (Science Room)

    Suggest a Site!

    Current Podcast

    itunesdl.gif Weekend Project: Making Char Cloth Learn how to make a cheap and effective fire starter made from an old t-shirt. To download The Char Cloth video click here and subscribe in iTunes. See Char Cloth in action with the Fire Piston from William Gurstelle.... More...

    Get the Make: Online sent via email
    Enter your email to receive Make: Online each day:



    MAKE Fascination video series brought to you by Dow

    Make: Education

    Important please read


    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Recent Posts from the Craft: Blog