Are Plastic Blast Gates Worthless?
I thought I was getting all stylin’ rigging up a small PVC dust collection system feeding the jointer, table saw, planer, and router table. Think of all the time I’d save not having to hook the hose up to a machine each time I want to use it. Instead I spend at least twice as much time cleaning out the stinkin’ blast gates. The groove/slot that the gate slides in always clogs with dust. After a few minutes on any machine, the gate won’t shut more than half way. Pretty soon all the gates are stuck half open and dust is flying all over the shop.
Looking at the design of the gates, it seems pretty obvious that this would happen, especially since each time you try to close the gate it compacts any dust in the grooves ensuring it will never get sucked out. Once the suction of the system is compromised due to one recalcitrant gate, the others seem more prone to clogging and the whole problem reinforces itself.
There must be a better way. Suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Replies
Funny, I have the same problem but not to the same extent. My plastic blast gates clog up too but I only have to clean them out about once every 2 months. It is a bit of a pain to take the gates off to service them, but remember JEFFCHAP, most tools need periodic love to keep them in tip top shape!
It sounds like your system is either 1) not powerful enough to keep the amount of dust or shavings you are making in suspension while on route to the collector or 2) it is powerful enough and your piping diameter isn't large enough to let the chips achieve suspension or, 3) the blast gates you bought may be poorly designed.
My dust collector #### 750 cfm through 4" pipe and I have no problem planing a 12" wide boards and it takes about 2 months for the gates to get clogged up.
Something to try is possibly change the orientation of the gates to see if it makes it any better (or worse!). My gates all open towards the floor; I guess this kind of clears the track a bit every time you use that specific gate. If it opens towards the ceiling, every time you close it, it would be pressing debris into the track.
Hope this helps.
good luck JEFFCHAP!
roamer
I suspect the previous messages combined are the answer to you problem. I have an Oneida 1.5 HP system with a mixture of plastic and metal blast gates. In five years of so, none have ever clogged. I have had problems with the plastic ones coming apart. I just drilled a hole in each corner and bolted the parts together and have had no problems since. They still don't work as well as the aluminum ones.
BLASTGATE MODIFICATION.
I have the same problems and I came to the following modification to unclog the blast gates: with the band saw I sawed off the back side from the blast gates. The opening I closed with a wooden strip of maple in with I milled a groove so it fits snug over the back side of the blast gate. On closing the blast gate I immediately remark if some sawdust is trapped behind the slide. Now it is very easy to remove the wooden strip, pushing the sawdust out and replacing the wooden strip. By the way: I have mounted microswithes on every blast gate to engage a relay to start the fan motor.
Ruud Joling The Netherlands
I modified my blast gates the same way you did, except I didn't bother with the maple strip. It works fine.
I clipped off the corners of my blast gate cases. That leaves small holes at the corners that allow the dust to be pushed out when the gate is closed.
The holes surely permit outside air to leak into the line when the gate is open, but the effect is miniscule; I have't noticed any loss of collection efficiency.
I became so frustrated with the same problem I finally bit the bullet and replaced all six plastic gates with metal gates- end of problem-
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Dust System Blast Gates
These blast gates are nothing more than 2 pieces of plywood with Masonite sandwiched inbetween & a PVC coupler cut in half & hot glued into each side. They work very well & are easy to make. They never clog.....
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