Jim Dory
03-09-2014, 11:00 PM
I've just gotten my dust collector wired up. It is clearvue, and I used their component -- I think fasco - which is a 120 volt coil that energizes the 240 volt circuit. What I did was use a low-voltage thermostat controlled relay I happened to have in stock which supplies controlled 120 volts for plumbing style pumps. It was probably overkill but was in stock. So basically, with low voltage wire, all I need to do is close the low voltage circuit and that powers the 120 volt supply to the 240 volt thingy, turning on the collector motor.
So now I would like to run low voltage wire around the shop to each machine location where I would have a contactor (switch). I suppose the easiest solution is just buy some kind of switch, but maybe the more elegant way is to rig up a contact for the blast gates. I'm going to be making my own blast gates of wood, so I'm curious what people have done in this regard so I don't have to re-invent the wheel. I was planning pretty simple gates probably similar to http://www.chrisbillman.com/Projects/BGs.htm . Hopefully some pics or links? I apologize for lack of forum searching skills - it probably has been covered, but when I search I get archives which are hard to read and links/images are hard to grok.
Downsides to my installation might be not magnetic - if power goes off when collector is running I would have to remember to turn off contact before leaving shop. But that might be more of a power use cost issue than safety. Wouldn't want it to run overnight, but I don't think I would forget.
I've also built a couple gates like these: http://www.shigshop.com/blast-gate-plans.html for some ceiling mounted gates (over the table saw, router table) so contacts for them could be worked in too.
thanks for any advice, cheers - Jim
So now I would like to run low voltage wire around the shop to each machine location where I would have a contactor (switch). I suppose the easiest solution is just buy some kind of switch, but maybe the more elegant way is to rig up a contact for the blast gates. I'm going to be making my own blast gates of wood, so I'm curious what people have done in this regard so I don't have to re-invent the wheel. I was planning pretty simple gates probably similar to http://www.chrisbillman.com/Projects/BGs.htm . Hopefully some pics or links? I apologize for lack of forum searching skills - it probably has been covered, but when I search I get archives which are hard to read and links/images are hard to grok.
Downsides to my installation might be not magnetic - if power goes off when collector is running I would have to remember to turn off contact before leaving shop. But that might be more of a power use cost issue than safety. Wouldn't want it to run overnight, but I don't think I would forget.
I've also built a couple gates like these: http://www.shigshop.com/blast-gate-plans.html for some ceiling mounted gates (over the table saw, router table) so contacts for them could be worked in too.
thanks for any advice, cheers - Jim