DIY Blast Gates - for Sheet Metal Duct

[Anthony Whitesell]

A new twist on the question. I have seen any posts regarding DIY blast gates for sheet metal ducts. Has anyone done it? Any pics available?

I am hoping to pony the $$$ for 7" sheet metal main duct with 5 and 6" drops, but 6" metal gates are $$$$.

[Darin Higginbotham]

Do a search for BLAST GATE PLANS, search thread of same name and scroll to thread number ten, that might help. The part that you need is a HVAC starter boot, then use any old plan for a blast gate to your liking.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

If you want the sheet metal kind check out, http://www.gallery2.clearvuecyclones...ect/?g2_page=5 from Clear Vue's Community page. Tom

[Anthony Whitesell]

It looks like some of the pieces were soldered together. Can you solder HVAC duct?

[Greg Portland]

I think you'd need a welding torch (butane, etc.) in order to get the metal hot enough. IMO epoxy putty would work pretty well (assuming the metal is cleaned 1st).

[Thomas Hotchkin]

It looks like some of the pieces were soldered together. Can you solder HVAC duct?

If it's clean you can easily solder sheet metal with a little practice. With just a large soldering iron. Tom

[Thom Porterfield]

You can solder zinc plated sheet steel. I don't think it's possible to solder uncoated steel. You can NOT solder aluminum.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Check out the photos in Thomas' link above. They look soldered to me. Do they look solder to you?

[Thom Porterfield]

They do. The metal also appears to be galvanized sheet (zink plated).

[Steve Leverich]

Have you looked here?

http://www.blastgateco.com/Cast-Alum...last-Gates.htm

HTH... Steve

[Anthony Whitesell]

Wow. At that price, it kind of rules out DIY. I hadn't found them for less than $23 each for 7". (I was looking for the wrong size)

[Dave MacArthur]

Great link, very good prices! Was reading this thread considering DIY gates myself where needed, not anymore!

[Joe Wiliams]

The self cleaning ones are quite a bit more...

http://www.blastgateco.com/Cast-Alum...last-Gates.htm

[Anthony Whitesell]

I think most of us would make the self-cleaning as the design is slightly easier. I'm going to guess the self-cleaning 6" is about what it would cost for DIY (buying the non-self cleaning would probably come out ahead)

[Alan Schaffter]

You can make easy-sliding, self-cleaning, DIY blast gates for metal duct the same way and from the same material (MDF and laminate scraps) as ones for PVC duct- just change the inlet and outlet. The inlets and outlets can be any size and sized differently- I made my gates with a male and female side. My article and full instructions are in the last issue of American Woodworker, but here is the artwork:





If you have a lot to make, doing it production style makes the work go quickly: