Blast gate

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C

cowchaser

Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2007
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927
Location
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA.
Can a few of you possibly post your setup on your blast gates from your dust collection? I am having one heck of a time figuring this one out. The couplers are just a tad small to fit inside of the 4" pvc I am using. Trying to figure out what I can do. Thanks.
 
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Dustin,
I don't have any pictures, but I have my blast gates just behind the intake hoods on both of my lathes, about 2 feet from the intake connection on the band saw and same on the table saw. Don't have the mitre saw connected to the DC system.
 
The blast gates I have fit into 4" PVC just right. I used 6" PVC from the DC, then bushed down to 4" for all of the runs. I have runs to all of my stationary tools and several of my bench tops. The runs come in as PVC, then there is the blast gate, then it continues to the tool in 4" flex tubing. If you continue to have trouble, I could take a couple of pics and post them.
 
I have 6" PVC from my dust collector to my band saw and lathe. Not finished to the radial arm saw or table saw yet. but those will also be 6" PVC. The 6" gates actually fit inside the PVC on mine but not tight enough to hold any weight so I have them duct taped as well. I will add screws if needed but so far it has worked fine. Since my band saw has only a 4" dust port I split the pipe to a 4" and a 2" pipe just after the gate. the 2' hose works as a short vacuum hose that reaches about one quarter of my shop. i plan to lengthen this so that it will reach the entire shop soon. At my lathe the gate is simply within arms reach at which point i added a 6" flexible hose to fit between gate and dust hood. Right now the flexible hose is 10 feet long but will be cut to fit once my shop is completely set up the way i want it. I expect the final piece of flex hose to be closer to 2 feet long when i am done. As far as how it collects dust. I never have the fine gets on everything dust and relatively little of the sweep it up of the floor stuff.
 
Well I wanted to use 6", but after costs I could only do the 4". It was 25 dollars for 10 ft. of 6" and 7 dollars for 10 ft. of 6". Wish it could have gone differently, but I'll have to work with the 4". I have it all mounted, just having trouble with installing the blast gates. I will use flex hose from the gate to the tool, but have to get the gates installed first.
 
Dustin,
I had the same trouble you have with the 4" blast gate and the 4" PVC pipe runs. What I did was partially split the 4" pipe at least six places around the circumference of the pipe about 1.250" deep. I then inserted my blast gate and used the 4" hose clamps to tighten the split part of the pipe to a tight fit ( much like a collet). I then used duct tape around the whole joint. I didn't glue in the blast gates as I wanted to make them removable in case I ever redesigned my set-up, but if you wanted to glue in your blast gates, put on your glue, have your clamp in place, assemble and tighten quickly. Hope this helps.
 
I just slipped the gates inside the PVC, put some silicone around the edge and ran three screws evenly spaced through the PVC and gate. Seals great. And by the way, 4 inch has been more than enough for my system. Even the table saw is fine. And it's a contractors style Grizzly. As well as the 14" band saw.
 
Originally posted by stevers

I just slipped the gates inside the PVC, put some silicone around the edge and ran three screws evenly spaced through the PVC and gate. Seals great. And by the way, 4 inch has been more than enough for my system. Even the table saw is fine. And it's a contractors style Grizzly. As well as the 14" band saw.
Click to expand...
That is exactly how we did Cathy's dad's shop, except I only used two screws.

It worked very well.
 
Woodcraft sells adapters to go from Schedule 80 PVC (4") to fittings intended for 4" flex hose. They work quite well, that is what I used in my shop. They also sell an adapter to go straight from the PVC to the flex hose if you don't have a need for any fittings (blast gate, tee, wye, etc).
 
Hi,

Don't remenber who said it but it like this quote:

If i don't move and should, it needs wd-40
If it move and shoul'nt it needs "duck tape":D !!

Seriously, i use duct tape on most of my connectors.

Alfred
 
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