Help with understanding blast gates - First Post

[Dan Ness]

Well after reading this forum for a long time, I decided to finally make my first post:

I currently have a 2hp dust collector set up in my 2 car garage, with the Rockler Quick Connect system, so every time I want to use a machine I need to lug the hose from the dust collector and plug it in. I recently purchased a wireless remote, so turning on the DC is no longer a problem, and using the quick connect hose has served me well so far. But. . . I just purchased a Grizzly 15" Planer, and will probably invest in an 8" Jointer, 17" Bandsaw, and maybe even a drum sander sometime later this year (to replace existing machines), so I know that I need a more permanent DC setup.

So my question is, when I design an implement a dedicated DC setup in my shop (one DC hooked up to 5-6 machines), will I be running around opening and closing blast gates every time I want to use a particular machine? Because that just seems like only slightly less work than moving the hose around. All my machines will be concentrated on two perpendicular walls, so nothing will be more than 6-8 feet from the DC, but I am having a hard time imagining how the use of blast gates is implemented to control the suction to each machine.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to many more posts in the future!

[Stephen Cherry]

will I be running around opening and closing blast gates every time I want to use a particular machine?



Hi Dan, and Welcome! I'm afraid that the answer is yes, unless you want to spend some dinero on dampers on the machine.

[Mike Cozad]

Well after reading this forum for a long time, I decided to finally make my first post:

I currently have a 2hp dust collector set up in my 2 car garage, with the Rockler Quick Connect system, so every time I want to use a machine I need to lug the hose from the dust collector and plug it in. I recently purchased a wireless remote, so turning on the DC is no longer a problem, and using the quick connect hose has served me well so far. But. . . I just purchased a Grizzly 15" Planer, and will probably invest in an 8" Jointer, 17" Bandsaw, and maybe even a drum sander sometime later this year (to replace existing machines), so I know that I need a more permanent DC setup.

So my question is, when I design an implement a dedicated DC setup in my shop (one DC hooked up to 5-6 machines), will I be running around opening and closing blast gates every time I want to use a particular machine? Because that just seems like only slightly less work than moving the hose around. All my machines will be concentrated on two perpendicular walls, so nothing will be more than 6-8 feet from the DC, but I am having a hard time imagining how the use of blast gates is implemented to control the suction to each machine.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to many more posts in the future!

These folks seem to have options. No pricing was handy for me to find, but I didn't run it down very hard yet...

[Michael W. Clark]

Welcome Dan,
Stephen is correct. Since your collector will probably only have enough flow for one machine at a time, you put a gate in for each machine so you only open the gate for the machine that is running. Advise on gates location, put it where it is most accessible since you will be using it often. Install it with the blade horizontal instead of vertical so you don't have to lock it with the thumbscrew. I assure you, it is much easier to slide open a gate than to drag the hose around.

Mike

[David Kumm]

Or check out Alan Schaffter's thread on his pneumatic gates. Dave

[Rick Moyer]

Blast gate for each machine, generally as close to the machine as possible. The more convenient they are to open/close the better. Just remember to shut the one to the machine you finished using, and then open the one for the machine you are about to use. This is the only issue I have, as sometimes I forget to shut the first one when I move to a different machine. Not a real big deal though. Still much easier than switching a hose. Plus 1 on Michael's suggestion of horizontal, although two of mine are at a slight angle for convenience.

[Rick Fisher]

Hello Dan..

Welcome..

I have a funny story for you about a 2hp DC . I had a 2hp single bagger shop fox dust collector and plummed my garage with 4" PVC pipe.. The suction was adequate for a planer and jointer but borderline.

Then I got into sanding machines and found it woefully inadequate.

I ordered a Felder RL-160, big nasty dust collector .. it was during better economic times.. lol .. And proceeded to re-do all pipe in the shop with 6" PVC, and 6" Blast Gates..

The Felder RL-160 was late.. so in desperation, I took the black 6" x 4" x 4" Wye off the Shop Fox 2hp DC and plugged the 2hp machine into the 6" Pipe system.

It was completely amazing.. like a whole new machine.. I was shocked at the performance difference using 6" pipe over 4" ... I realized that with some planning, I could have gotten bye with the 2hp single bagger.... it just wasnt getting enough air.

Obviously when the RL-160 showed up, I plugged it into the system and never looked back .. but I learned a valuable lesson about DC .. Pipe size is as big a deal as motor size.. You can choke a decent machine with long runs of small pipe and never realize that the machine is fine, its the ducting causing the problem..

[Jim Neeley]

Because that just seems like only slightly less work than moving the hose around. All my machines will be concentrated on two perpendicular walls, so nothing will be more than 6-8 feet from the DC, but I am having a hard time imagining how the use of blast gates is implemented to control the suction to each machine!

First, welcome to the creek, Dan! :)

Yes, you will open and close blast gates however it can be much more convenient, if you follow a system.

That is, you open the blast gate for a tool immediately before turning the tool on and close it shortly after you turn it off. There's no time spent going to where the hose was used last, disconnecting, rolling the DC, reconnecting, replugging it in if necessary, and turning it on.

Jim in Alaska

[Kirk Poore]

Opening the dust port is no problem--after all, you're right at the machine. The problem, as Rick said, is going over to the previous machine and closing the port there.:) Compared to lugging a hose, even this is trivial, in my experience.

Kirk

[Jim O'Dell]

I forgot to re-open the gate to the planer this weekend. Didn't even use another tool in between planer uses. created a huge mess on my infeed table about 5' away from the planer! Don't think I'll forget that again. Jim.

[ed vitanovec]

I had my blast gates close to the machine and one side was screwed to the steel duct work, after the blast gate I used flexible hose to the machine. As I changed machines I would open and close the blast gates to direct the suction to the machine being used. On occassion I would forget to close a blast gate and was lucky I had a large cyclone that could handle 2 machines. The machine I had most trouble with picking up the dust was my dual drum sander, these machines make a lot of dust.

[Dave Zellers]

Make sure you point them the right way.

[Don Kingston]

ahh thanks for the info to all.

[Brian Tymchak]

Hi Dan,

Welcome to the Creek!

Not sure if this is of any interest to you but I installed a blast gate system from JDS (http://jdstools.com/jdsdust-gateautomatedblast-gatesystem.aspx)that uses low voltage to turn on/off the DC. There is no issue with worrying about leaving open gates, because if it there is one open, the DC is on. The switches look a little fragile, but so far, it has held up for me.

Brian

[Jeff Duncan]

I think the others have it pretty well covered. Your blast gates go on the machine, when you start the machine you open the gate, when you turn it off you close the gate. In other words no additional steps are required to open or close gates since your using the machine anyway. Now if you forget to close a gate then you'll have additional steps, but after a couple times you'll start remembering;)

good luck,
JeffD

[Jim Finn]

I recently installed a new dust collection system and made my own blast gates (6"). Make them or buy them but make them the self cleaning type.

[jerry cousins]

yes - a gate at each machine - but 1 thing that cuts down of retracing steps is a remote control for turning on the dc - here's one for xample (no connection) -
http://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-Products-LR220-3-Collector/dp/B00004S9AG.
i have one hanging from a centrally located machine in the shop. often times the dc is off in a corner and not simple to get to.
jerry

[Chris Merriam]

To add a slightly different angle, the manual for my Oneida dust gorilla says not to start the motor more than 5 times an hour. I'm not that rigid about it, but I plan to leave my DC on for certain stretches of time. It may run by itself for a couple minutes while I'm between tasks. The point I'm trying to make is that I don't immediately open and close gates since the DC is always running. I use a tool, move to the next tool, open the gate, then walk back to the other tool and close the gate. It sounds worse than it is, everything is just a couple steps away.

[Alan Schaffter]

If you don't want to build autogates like I did, use manual gates but add pull ropes, piano wire or throttle/choke cables, linkages, etc. to open and close the gates from the machine's operator position. It just takes a little imagination. There are plenty of threads on this forum about manual retail and DIY blast gates including automatic gates.

[Mike Heidrick]

Wanted to say welcome.

[Dan Ness]

Wow! First let me say Thank You for the welcome.

As for the gates, this is what the thread has taught me:
-6" duct is the way to go for main runs (I was going to just use 4")
-closing an opening gates is no big deal, and is way better than lugging a hose around
-remotes for the DC at key stations
-and maybe the most intriguing was using ropes, wires, etc. to make opening and closing gates easier. I think I am going to definitely do this, if for no other reason that it sounds like an adventure to rig up.

Thanks again!