Shop Tips
Magnetic Catch For a Blast Gate
Feb 10, 2016
In FWW #248, Dean Hedstrom suggested using a ball-nose plunger to hold a dust-collection blast gate open or closed without having to loosen and tighten the locking knob. My variation is to drill out the threaded hole for the knob to just over 1⁄4 in., then drop a 1⁄4-in.-dia. rare-earth magnet into the hole. I find that one standard magnet is strong enough to hold the gate in any position, but you could put one on each side of the gate or use a longer magnet if necessary. Rare-earth magnets are widely available online.
Jim Richey
Andy Olerud, Driggs, ID
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Veritas Precision Square
This precision square is incredibly versatile, from checking squareness to dialing in machine setups.
Makita LS1219L Miter Saw
This is the saw I want in my shop. For one, it’s easy to use. All of the controls are easy to reach and manipulate, and the glide mechanism is both robust and smooth. The handle works well for righties and lefties. Then there are added bonuses that no other saw has. For instance, its hold-down is superb, as it can move to different locations, hinges for a greater range of coverage, and actually holds down the work. In addition, the saw has two points of dust collection, letting it firmly beat the rest of the field. The one downside was the saw’s laser, which was so faint we had to turn off the shop lights to see it. Still, all these pluses in a package that fits tight to the wall? That’s a winner for me.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in