# Shop Made Blast Gates



## ChipperOfWood (Oct 18, 2012)

I am in the process of upgrading my DC system and want to add a couple of 5" blast gates. I know I have seen a couple of home made gates somewhere but I can't find them now. Any help out there?

Charlie:smile:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

You might get an idea from looking here.








 







.


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## Bob Willing (Jul 4, 2008)

This is a link to a good supplier http://www.blastgateco.com/Blast-Gates.php if you do make your own you might want to consider making them self cleaning. I replaced all of mine with the SC type because wood shaving were jamming the slot and keeping the gate open.


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

Here's one more choice, this is the pattern I used for mine.


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## ChipperOfWood (Oct 18, 2012)

Bob Willing said:


> This is a link to a good supplier http://www.blastgateco.com/Blast-Gates.php if you do make your own you might want to consider making them self cleaning. I replaced all of mine with the SC type because wood shaving were jamming the slot and keeping the gate open.


Thanks Bob. This place has some great prices. I needed a short length of 5" flex hose but don't want to buy a whole length. I just found it in shorter length. WOW! Made my day. :yes::thumbsup:


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## ChipperOfWood (Oct 18, 2012)

Fred Hargis said:


> Here's one more choice, this is the pattern I used for mine.


Thanks Fred. This is what I was looking for. Much appreciated. :thumbsup:


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I have 4 plastic blast gates and I have a lot of loss due to leakage. Two Blast gates came with my HF Dust collector and I bought the other two. I’m not sure how much leakage is actually from the blast gates and how much is from the pipes, but I don’t see a lot of difference between opening and closing one gate while another is open. There is some difference, but I’m not impressed.

I would like better gates that actually seal tight and wondering if making them with a neoprene gasket material or large o-rings would better at least for the suction side.:icon_cool:


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## ChipperOfWood (Oct 18, 2012)

Sleeper said:


> I have 4 plastic blast gates and I have a lot of loss due to leakage. Two Blast gates came with my HF Dust collector and I bought the other two. I’m not sure how much leakage is actually from the blast gates and how much is from the pipes, but I don’t see a lot of difference between opening and closing one gate while another is open. There is some difference, but I’m not impressed.
> 
> I would like better gates that actually seal tight and wondering if making them with a neoprene gasket material or large o-rings would better at least for the suction side.:icon_cool:


Humm! Not sure. I don't think I have a leak problem but I did have a lot of trouble with clogging with saw dust when I had my original blast gates. I got rid of those and have all self cleaning ones from Woodcraft. No more plugging but there might be a little leakage.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I don’t any clogs because I had a major one a few years ago and have been keeping an eye on it since. 










Plus every once in a while a small wood chip will get sucked in and I can hear it banging all the way back trough the pipes through the blower. I just know that it had a lot more suction before I added more blast gates. 

I will be replacing my plastic ones for sure, but not sure if I want to try to build my own with a better seal like I mentioned before or buy one of those aluminum ones.


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## ChipperOfWood (Oct 18, 2012)

Sleeper said:


> I don’t any clogs because I had a major one a few years ago and have been keeping an eye on it since.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How the heck did all of that stuff get sucked up in the first place.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

ChipperOfWood said:


> How the heck did all of that stuff get sucked up in the first place.


LOL Oh i was cleaning up around my saw and there was a plastic bag under it along with the paper towel that got sucked in. The wood pieces were thin cuts that got sucked into the saw before I bought a zero clearance insert and the rest was just an accumulation of saw dust that didn't make it. Oh and also chips from my joiner.


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

My memory fails me but somewhere I read (or did I see) how to clean out your blast gates. Use a pair of vise grips and a finishing nail. Clamp the nail at 90 deg and get to cleaning out the groove. Works for me.

@Johnny - a chip separator will get those wood chunks (and screws, nuts, etc) out of your blower. They will drop out into the drum and never reach the impeller.

Note: My DC has also lost some suction. Guess it is about time to take things apart and take a look-see.

And speaking of suction...when I worked in a chemical plant, our boilers had large forced draft fans. Boy they had lots of suction on the intake side. The housing had reinforced steel covering the opening. I used to pull a fast one on the new hires while training. When we would walk by the fan, I would pretend it was sucking me into the fan! Funny as heck!


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

MT Stringer said:


> @Johnny - a chip separator will get those wood chunks (and screws, nuts, etc) out of your blower. They will drop out into the drum and never reach the impeller.


 I actually bought a metal garbage can along with a bunch of fittings to make one, but I just don’t know where to put it because I’m so cramped for space in my garage shop. I have a small 5 gal separator for my miter saw and I love it. I may even do the same thing for my band saw because I can’t get a 4” pipe over there.



MT Stringer said:


> And speaking of suction...when I worked in a chemical plant, our boilers had large forced draft fans. Boy they had lots of suction on the intake side. The housing had reinforced steel covering the opening. I used to pull a fast one on the new hires while training. When we would walk by the fan, I would pretend it was sucking me into the fan! Funny as heck!


 We had some large forced draft fans at GM and we would sometimes go up on the roof during lunch on warm summer nights to catch the supped up cars cruising the boulevard. Those fans were so strong that they would practically blow you off the roof.


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