Hey all!

I’m at the process of building an enclosure for my 3D printer. Its purpose is to keep the heat inside, while dampening the sound from the printer.

I already have the base to absorb any vibrations, but I need side panels too for said heat and noise insulation.

For that purpose, there are only two options, but both acoustic panels or insulation foam are either not flame retardant, expensive or both.

I thought about that problem a while, and came to the idea, that I could go the DIY route and make either mycelium based plates, or plant fiber (like hemp) turned into concrete, aka. hempcrete.

Luckily, I’m both a mushroom and weed enthusiast with quite a lot of solarpunk spirit, and have everything I need for both. But I just don’t know where to start.

Here’s how I would do it:

Mushroom bricks

• I’d probably take Reishi as culture, because from my experience, it was the most robust mycelium. Oysters weren’t as firm, but grew way faster and with less contamination.
• Make grain spawn as starter culture
• Mix it with plant materials, like hemp fiber, straw, or saw dust
• Fill egg cartons or something similar (uneven surface for better sound crushing properties) with the inocculated substrate
• And let them incubate for two weeks
• When finished, take out of the mould and put it into the oven for drying
• Finished

Hempcrete

• I would probably start with animal litter substrate, basically small chopped hemp fibers
• Mix it with calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime)
• Add some cement
• Pour into mould
• Cure for a week
• Finish?

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How feasible is all of that? While I’m all into that for research purposes, I also want something that just works.

How experimental is it? Are there already any well documented procedures for both?

How’s the long term stability, e.g. degradation, mold risk, smell, dimensional stability, etc.? Especially regarding the mushrooms, how can I prevent them from turning either moldy or brown when drying?

What alternative materials are also well suited for that purpose?