Long Ranger™ Multigate Switch System

[Tony Falotico]

Does anyone have the Long Ranger™ Multigate Switch System on your dust collection system? If yes, what do you think of it? I'm talking about the switch activated gates, not the remote control system.

If your not familiar with it, Go to Woodcraft home page and search 'blast gate'.

[Chris DeHut]

Does anyone have the Long Ranger™ Multigate Switch System on your dust collection system? If yes, what do you think of it? I'm talking about the switch activated gates, not the remote control system.

If your not familiar with it, Go to Woodcraft home page and search 'blast gate'.


Hi Tony,

We designed one for our shop where we film the Woodworking at Home Magazine. We designed and installed this about 2 1/2 years ago and haven't looked back since. I don't know about the quality of their system, but ours has worked great. No lost remotes and no walking to and from the dust collector to turn it on and off. Simply open the gate, the system turns on, close the gate and the system shuts off -very convenient.

Chris

[Tony Falotico]

Thanks for the opinion Chris, are you at liberty to give details?


Custom Built or off the shelf?
If off the shelf, who's system?
Shop built? If so, details.


It sounds great, I'm figuring three or four strategically placed switch gates to turn the system on/off controlling trunk lines off the main, then manual gates close to the switch gates to isolate particular machines. Even in a small shop like mine, if it takes longer to go turn the dc on than it would to make a quick cut, the dc won't be used to it's max.

[Chris DeHut]

Thanks for the opinion Chris, are you at liberty to give details?


Custom Built or off the shelf?
If off the shelf, who's system?
Shop built? If so, details.


It sounds great, I'm figuring three or four strategically placed switch gates to turn the system on/off controlling trunk lines off the main, then manual gates close to the switch gates to isolate particular machines. Even in a small shop like mine, if it takes longer to go turn the dc on than it would to make a quick cut, the dc won't be used to it's max.


Hi Tony,

I can't really give much detail. The system was designed by myself (a non-electrical person). But in reality it if very simple. You have low voltage switches (small micro switches you can buy at radio shack or McMaster). These are rigged on each blast gate with a simple wood bracket. The wiriing is simple as it is low voltage and all the switches are in parallel meaning that one or more gates can be open and the system runs.

The low voltage wire come back to a control box which has a relay. I believe it is a 12V over 220V relay. The relay can be purchased from McMaster. A wall transformer powers the low voltage side.

When the relay is energized by a switch being made, the DC turns on. When the gates are all closed, the relay is no longer energized and the DC turns off.

A while back someone requested our schematic for the system. I requested of the person to have it double checked by someone in the know. I never heard back from that person, but oddly enough several of these systems are now appearing on the market. - Sort of a sore subject for us.

Chris