Comments

1. 
   baudi | Sep 10, 2009 07:09pm | #1

   Seems like a good idea, but I'm not sure I follow. Could you explain a little more?

2. 
   F0054700 | Sep 11, 2009 01:04pm | #2

   I'm with baudi could you explain it more

3. 
   MyCousinVinny | Sep 12, 2009 02:59am | #3

   If you are familiar with these plastic Gates on your dust collection system, After a while of use they do not want to close fully. Therefore, not sealing when closed which causes lose of suction to another piece of equipment. The inside slot that the slide gate move in fills with wood dust and chips and every time you close them it packs it in more. I used to take a nail every few months and clean out this grove but it is a Pain. Since I did this 2 years ago, I never had a problem again. If you look a the picture, I just shaved the corner so it would be open to alow the packed saw dust to drop out every time you close it. in the picture you can see the actual wood packed in it right after I cut the corner. If you look at the gate closely you can see it was not closed all the way, That was as far as it would close before I did this.

4. 
   baudi | Sep 12, 2009 01:58pm | #4

   Don't those holes leak when the gate is open?

5. 
   MyCousinVinny | Sep 14, 2009 03:53am | #5

   It leave a thin slot basically. Not very much vacuum leak at all. Not as bad as a gate that does not close all the way.

6. 
   jrhesch | Nov 30, 2009 02:54am | #6

   Try drilling a small hole in the face of the blast gate, right in the corner that the gate slides into. It will accomplish the same effect.

7. 
   RoboRob | Nov 09, 2010 07:10pm | #7

   I believe he means you open the gate and then cut off the corner of the gate frame at the bottom. This leaves a slight opening on the bottom of the gate frame but leave the gae itself with a square edge. When the square gate is closed, the gate corners act as a plunger and push out the sawdust that has a tendency to accumulate in the gate frame slot. Good idea!

8. 
   user-2371363 | Jun 16, 2016 08:36pm | #8

   Great Idea. Good thinking. I would also think that the increased velocity of the air near the corners just before the gate closes helps to really suck out the corners. Intresting question: Does the gate push the sawdust out or does the vacuum system suck it up. (of course that assumes you are opening and closing the gate when the system is running) The drill hole method would probably function similarly. I'm designing 6" gates for my dust collection system and will incorporate your idea. I like it better than a tape flapper valve with an open slot for the gate to clear out the sawdust. Good Job Dude! take an extra portion of dessert.