Replies

1. 
   jackiechan | Sep 26, 2005 05:16am | #1

   M',

   This is a link to Phil Bumbalough's site.  He give photos and instructions for building your own blast gates.

   http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/BlastGate/blastgatebuilding.html

   Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.

2. 
   mike4244 | Sep 26, 2005 10:37pm | #2

   I don't use blast gates. I make manifolds from scrap mdf with masonite slides.Just a box with slots for masonite.The masonite is 5"wide and about 10" long, 1/4" thick.The box has slots in the top slightly wider than the slides. I use pvc toilet flanges that screw into the mdf box. The box has 4" round holes behind the toilet flanfes. Hose pushes on the flange with no clamps or tape. The advantage to the manifold is you can open or shut each machine at the same source.The toilet flanges are about $3.00 each, you probably have scrap around for every thing else.

   The inside of the box needs guides for the slides to keep them straight and tight to the box. I use L shaped wooden guides on each side of each slide. Keep the guides off the bottom 1 1/2" or so. This gives the dust room to blow off the bottom into the collector.Once in a while you have to clean inside the manifold box, you'll know when to do this, the slides won't go down far enough to cover the openings in the box.

   mike

3. 
   notDusty | Sep 27, 2005 07:42am | #3

    Hi MedikMan ,

                          Here is what one cheapskate (me) did to save $100 bucks or so .

                   I used a fly cutter or circle cutter to cut the 4" holes and I used ABS couplers to fit the hole and DC hose fits just right . You can make a bunch in about an hour or so . I made a box or plentum maybe 12 or 14 feet long along one wall of the shop , and made a drop with a blast gate every 3 feet or so to accomodate shapers and sanders and a planer .

           Here is a picture , good luck , let me know if I can help with more pictures or info

    

   
1. 
   mike4244 | Sep 27, 2005 09:17pm | #4

   That's pretty much what I made as a manifold box, different name ,same idea.The only differences are the size,mines much shorter and I used pvc toilet flanges screwed on to accept the hose.

   mike

4. 
   mudman | Sep 28, 2005 07:08pm | #5

   If you enjoy making your own shop fixtures go for it but if you are trying to save money check out Ebay. I scored 8 industrial blast gates (two 5", six 4") for $60 including shipping! the guy had no reserve and about 30 gates of different sizes. Again these are the good gates not the cheep ones at Rockler. I dont think you can build them for less, even if your time is worth $3 an hour.

   Mike

1. 
   notDusty | Sep 29, 2005 06:07am | #6

   Mike ,

                Wow , that really is a good price you got those blast gates for , I have never used 5" before but he 4" is common in my shop . $ 3.00 per hour is optimistic . Sometimes I loose money in the course of a week , not often but it happens in real life .

                             dusty