# 2 1/2" blast gates



## PeteT82 (Nov 10, 2016)

Had an idea for DC hook up and blast gates for the disc and spindle sander, router table, and miter saw. Not pretty, but it works.


----------



## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

Looks neat. Why are they called "blast" doors? It is there to divert the vacuum to the tool that needs it, right? Or is there some other reason for those?


----------



## PeteT82 (Nov 10, 2016)

They are called blast gates. I don't know why. Doesn't make sense to me either.


----------



## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

I have a question. It looks obvious, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything. The screws that can be seen on the face of the blast gate, do those screws go all the way through the blast gate into the pvc pipe? Did you use any type of silicon rubber for a seal between your blast gate and the pvc?

By the way it is a clean and great looking setup. I will have to remember that. Roy


----------



## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

why blast gate? story I heard was it was taken from the design on blast furnaces - which had (mechanically) similar mechanisms to control stuff being blasted out of the crucible . . .

Pete - very clever solution - how did you do the radius for the saddle to fit the 4" dia?


----------



## PeteT82 (Nov 10, 2016)

Roybrew said:


> I have a question. It looks obvious, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything. The screws that can be seen on the face of the blast gate, do those screws go all the way through the blast gate into the pvc pipe? Did you use any type of silicon rubber for a seal between your blast gate and the pvc?
> 
> By the way it is a clean and great looking setup. I will have to remember that. Roy



Hey Roy. Yes, the screws go through. Didn't know if they would hold in that thin pvc but they they do. I used some foam weather strip around the hole on the gate first.


----------



## PeteT82 (Nov 10, 2016)

TomCT2 said:


> why blast gate? story I heard was it was taken from the design on blast furnaces - which had (mechanically) similar mechanisms to control stuff being blasted out of the crucible . . .
> 
> Pete - very clever solution - how did you do the radius for the saddle to fit the 4" dia?



Hey Tom. First I glued up some scrap poplar and cut it down to 4 x 4 x 1 1/2 if I remember right. Used a piece of 4" pvc (sewer and drain) as a template to draw the cut line, Then cut out on the bandsaw. Used a screw clamp to hold the piece while cutting. Wrapped sandpaper around short piece of pvc and used that to sand the cut.


----------



## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

>>sandpaper around short piece of pvc and used that to sand the cut.
ah! veddy more clever. the cuts look very smooth to the OD - nice job!


----------

