So at this point you may be thinking, 3 out of the 4 of your blast gates seem to be really high and not very easy to get to. But I did a little bit of thinking, in the wee hours of the morning while most people are wasting their time sleeping and came up with an idea that works well for me. I originally wanted to do a really cool automated system like I saw at I like to make stuff (http://www.iliketomakestuff.com/automated-blast-gates/) but then I remembered I was poor and that was out of the question. So the next idea I came up with was to use springs and cables to manually control the blast gates from the ground. So when I want to open each blast gate all I have to do is pull a piece of paracord and tie it off to hold it open, when I am ready to close it I untie it and the spring (Ace Hardware #540539) snaps it back into the closed position.
So, did I create the best dust collection system in the world, no. Did I make mistakes and things could have been done better, yes I’m sure there are better ways to do all of this. Does the system I came up with work out well for what I needed it to do absolutely. So I’m sure small pieces and parts may evolve and change as my needs and wants grow but for right now I am pleased with how everything turned out.
3 comments so far
sawdustjunkie
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415 posts in 3209 days
#1 posted 03-19-2015 10:51 PM
From what I can see, The blower motor is completely enclosed and will overheat!
Is there a reason you need to do that?
That thing needs air to circulate around and thru to keep it cool.
You may be shortening toe motor life with that setup.
-- Steve: Franklin, WI
Notw
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1264 posts in 3245 days
#2 posted 03-19-2015 11:29 PM
The motor was never intended to stay enclosed, the only reason it has then fully enclosed box is because it was recycled from the air filter in the first entry and was easier to lift into place this way. The motor will have plenty of circulation without the front cover.
retired_guru
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838 posts in 2851 days
#3 posted 03-25-2015 02:29 PM
You should do a follow up post some time down the road to let us know how all of this worked for you. Then you can highlight changes you would/will make based on performance over time. A lot of good stuff here. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
-- -- Paul: jack of all dreams, a master none.
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