Hi Folks,
I'm finally nearing the completion of my basement shop build out an will soon be ready to move machines in.
Dust collection was a big focus of my project. I've built a sound-proofed closet, cast some concrete trenches in the floor for ducting, etc. Now I'm turning my attention to ducting, blast gates, and switching the central DC and vac on and off. I'm considering a fully-automated blast gate system and could use help determining whether this is over my head... and if not, advice to get me started on the journey of self-education.
My setup:
- 3HP cyclone, will be plumbed with 6" duct
- DIY central vac cyclone (using an oneida dust deputy and a tangential bypass motor from household central vac systems). This will be used for handheld sanding machines, a domino (someday!), handheld routers, my TS blade guard, vacuuming the floor, router table fence pickup, etc)
- Both of the above will be vented outside (I have a high efficiency furnace, an electric water heater, CO detectors, no close by neighbors, and a relatively mild climate- don't worry, I did my homework)
- Blast gates in the wall for make-up air
- The usual hobby machinery- cabinet saw, router table, BS, Jointer/Planer combo, a drum sander, oscillating spindle sander, two dewalt RASs, etc.
I'm starting down the path of deciding how to control the dust collection system.
- At one end of the spectrum, is a fully-automated system. Pneumatically controlled blast gates that open automatically when I turn on the corresponding machine, DC that turns on automatically when I turn on the machine, and make-up air blast gates that open/close depending on whether the DC is running. This is over the top of course for a hobby shop. But when I think about my dream shop, this is one of the elements.
- At the other end of the spectrum, I'd just use remote controls for the vac and DC, and manually operate the blast gates. K.I.S.S., as they say.
- And in between those two options, I'm considering wiring up a low voltage switch system to turn the DC and vac on and off... and maybe a defeat switch that won't let the DC turn on if the make-up air gates are closed, and some annoying blinky lights to tell me that the make-up air gates are open (so I don't forget to close them)
My biggest concern isn't so much the time savings and convenience. It's more that I'm a forgetful person and often leave blast gates open, etc. I can also see myself forgetting to open/close the make-up air blast gates. While I do have a relatively mild climate, I want to keep the basement warm in the winter. Past experiences with venting outside have led me to conclude that concerns about heating loss are overblown (at least for my climate). But I don't want to leave the make-up air gates open for a week, or forget to open them and choke my DC. Furthermore, the cluster of machines around my TS will be laid out in such a way that the blast gates will be difficult to access.
I've looked at the commercially available systems (iVac, nordfab, green gate). iVac and Green Gate only seem to sell 4" blast gates, and Nordfab is prohibitively expensive. I've read all of the write-ups I can find online, and it seems that the blast gates themselves aren't all that complicated or expensive to make yourself.
But I get completely lost when it comes to the electronics though. Most of the write-ups seem to be from engineers who understand this stuff, and do their write-ups with the assumption that their readers have a reasonable amount of prerequisite knowledge... which I definitely do not have
I'm not asking to be spoon fed, but I could use some direction on where to start the research and self-education process. Here is my understanding of the components I'd need for a fully-automated system:
- pneumatic cylinders for the blast gates, and related tubing and fittings for the runs. I would use the spring-loaded cylinders to simplify, so that I only need oneair line to each blast gate.
- Voltage sensors at each machine, wired to a circuit board or switch board of some kind that will tell the right blast gates to open, and the DC and/or vac to turn on and off
- A manifold connecting the compressor to a series of electronic valves, which are connected in some way to the voltage sensors, which send air to the correct blast gates to open them.
- A low voltage contactor or relay to power the 30 amp 220v and 20 amp 110 volt DC and vac, respectively
- Some kind of time delay device, which keeps the DC running and the blast gates open for 10 seconds or so after I've shut off a machine (to clear the lines)
- I'm thinking that it might simplify things to put the make-up air blast gates on a separate circuit or switch box, so they are simply triggered by the DC or central vac turning on or off.
So finally to my questions:
First, is this over my head? Should this be left to a professional electrician / engineer / brainiac?
Second, am I missing any general components?
Third, what are the official names of the components I'm attempting to describe?
Fourth, where should I look for said components?
Fifth, any questions I should be asking, but am to uneducated to ask ("unknown unknowns", to quote Rumsfeld)?
Thanks in advance, especially if you've read this far.
Peter