# Fighting Dust



## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*Dust Collector Mods - Phase II*

I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.



I got a blue barrel from work but it's the kind that you have to cut the lid off. :'( So that caused me all sorts of "issues." The biggest problem was how to cut lid off and keep the top flat. I never solved this problem so I worked around it.


(This picture doesn't do the problem justice. It is 1,000x worse than the picture shows.)

So I cut the top off and then used a router, file, rasp, sand paper, et al to clean the edge the best that I could. It got better but it still leaked like a sieve.

So I glued up a piece of 3/4 MDF and 3/4 ply and use the router with a trammel to make a big "gasket."





I can't say enough about how well this works. I expected an improvement but I didn't expect it to completely seal the edge. But I got a tube a silicone today anyway at the hardware store that I'll use to seal the gasket to the top of the barrel permanently.

For the top and baffle, I used 3/4" ply and 1/4 hardboard. The fittings are a 'universal 4" adapter' and a normal 4" DC hose 90 that are held in place with silicone. I used these because it solves the problem of trying to adapt to PVC to hose. And there's a tool store here in the small (tiny) town that I live in that carries a very wide assortment of fittings. YEAH ME! ;D



So for the eagle eyes among us, you may notice a blast gate on the suction side of the barrel. This is by design because I have a 'Y' at the DC that I use as a bypass of sorts. Also, it's the only way that I have found to go from 4" sewer PVC pipe to 4" hose.

The 4" PVC to DC Hose fittings are for schedule 40 DWV NOT sewer pipe! *If you know how to transition from sewer pipe to hose, I'd love to hear from you!!*

I should mention that this is a "The Thien Cyclone Separator Lid w/ the Thien Cyclone Separator Baffle" Modification.


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## Jimi_C (Jul 17, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector Mods - Phase II*
> 
> I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.
> 
> ...


Very nice.


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## drfixit (Oct 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector Mods - Phase II*
> 
> I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.
> 
> ...


i'm using the same type of set up… but I used a trunklid gasket from a totaled car to seal the drum, it has a stiff channel that the top of the drum fits in, then the soft rubber seal on top,


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## JamesVavra (Apr 27, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector Mods - Phase II*
> 
> I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.
> 
> ...


I'm in the process of building one of these too. I thought I got a pretty clean cut around the top but I haven't gotten too far on the project. I'm hoping to get some time to work on it this weekend. You're "gasket" idea is great though.

James


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## drfixit (Oct 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector Mods - Phase II*
> 
> I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.
> 
> ...


Couldnt post pics at work… heres a pic of my trunk gasket…


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector Mods - Phase II*
> 
> I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.
> 
> ...


Awesome! I wish I had one. Actually, mine seals up pretty well now that I've made the wood gasket and used a tube of silicone to seal her up. I did find one leak where one of the layers of ply had delaminated and left a small void. I little wood filler and a quick sanding and shes a good as gold.

I like your 90! Looks very familiar. lol


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## drfixit (Oct 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector Mods - Phase II*
> 
> I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.
> 
> ...


cool!


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector Mods - Phase II*
> 
> I finally got around to Phase II of my HF DC Mods. Thanks to DBHost for the help!!! I contacted DB about his conversion but I quickly learned that he had the type of barrel that the lid is removable.
> 
> ...


Good execution! I love how mine works!


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*Tablesaw Overhead Dust Collection*

The tablesaw is the workhorse in my shop, as I suspect it is in 90% of the shops out there. Although, it comes in second to the dust collector. The DC is the only thing in the shop that gets used more and I'm always looking for new ways of using it.

So it's time for Round 4 in the war of fighting dust with the tablesaw.

*Round 1)* Connecting the DC to the bottom of the saw

*Round 2)* Sealed the TS by boxing in the motor on the back, using Great Stuff expanding foam to seal the table top to the sides.

*Round 3)* Sealing up around the height adjuster with sheet magnets. The magnets where purchased from the BORG. They are sold for blocking heating & cooling registers.

*Round 4)* An overhead dust guard system. I will post a full review when I get it all finished. Should be in a week or so I hope.

*The concept is this:*








It'll be made from 2" SCH40 PVC that will support the overhead dust guard and serve double duty as the dust collection tube. I'll attach it to the wall to the right of the saw and cantilever it out over the saw. I plan on hinging the wall bracket so that the hole thing can be swung back out of the way when not needed. I plan on using a Tee-Y at the saw end and a Y fitting closest to the wall bracket. (T's are much easier to draw in AutoCAD than Y's) I'll support the weight of the cantilever w/ 1/16" wire rope. I've got hooks and eyes to attach it to the pipe and I'll use a turnbuckle at the bracket to fine tune the length.

*Step one:* Modify the tablesaw dust collection riser by cutting in a 4" x 4" x 2-1/2" Y fitting.


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*Tablesaw Overhead Dust Collection part #2*










Here's the dry fit mock up for the overhead dust collection system. I've had to change my original idea of being able to "swing" the whole thing out of the way to lifting the entire unit up and out of the way. The Y fitting ended up being too close to the DC riser to allow enough "slop" in the DC hose for the unit to swing back. I think lifting it is a better solution in the long run. I can use my friend gravity to help hold it down and in place.










So here is the final product. The pipe is cantilevered out over the saw and is supported by an 1/8" wire rope. The pipe can be made level by adjusting the turnbuckle at the guard.










I was able to move my PVC pipe back a couple of inches which allows me to add a longer hose connecting it to the main DC riser. Now the entire unit can be lifted up and out of the way quite easily.










I installed a pulley high on the bracket to run the wire rope through.










I then installed a couple of U clamps on the wire rope so that it can be captured by a couple of screws. To raise or lower the pipe, you just pull the rope and hook the clamp under the screws. I like the KISS approach.

The pipe has some for to aft movement in it. I'm not sure if this is going to be an issue or not. I need to use it a little while and see how things shake out.

The Dust Collecting Blade Cover I purchased from Bob Ross over at the BORK store. I will post a full review of the DCBC once I have a chance to run it through it's paces. I can say this about it, it's a real beast and I can't wait to give it a whirl. The other great thing about the DCBC is that Bob essentially custom made it to my specifications. How cool is that?

Thanks for reading,


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## Robsshop (Apr 3, 2010)

ChunkyC said:


> *Tablesaw Overhead Dust Collection part #2*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Chunk !! ( OK that was weird )LOL !! CC, Your over head DC system is very Intriguing and looks impressive as well . I am in the middle of putting one on my saw as well and have designed a sliding fixture mounted over head to the ceiling in which the blade guard and DC hose will attach. But Your design is a promising alternative and I will be interested in how You make out with its operation ? Also thanks for posting the blade guards web site, I had not heard of it and it looks like a quality piece ! Once again great looking upgrade and wishing You much success with this unique project ! Looking forward to Your reviews .


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Tablesaw Overhead Dust Collection part #2*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Now THAT is a good job.. I am a huge fan of my Shark Guard, but for non through, or very narrow cuts I lose my overhead dust collection, you have a good solution here!


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*I was inspired*

Well maybe motivation instead of inspiration is more accurate. I took a could days of much need vacation and I spent today tinkering in the shop all day and reading LJ. I got to Neil's blog, NBeener, and re-read his stove-pipe mod for his HF DC. It motivated me to start sealing some of my leaks. I said some!

I sealed all around the dust collector using foil tape after wiping it down with a rag and mineral spirits.










The secrete is to use small pieces and just do small areas at a time. I used pieces about 7-9" long. If you, read as ME, cut too long of pieces of that foil tape, it gets a bit unruly and hard to work with.

I also started sealing around the blast gates. Those plastic blast gates leak like a sieve! There's on so much that I can do with them but ever little bit helps.









.
.
I did seal a couple of the PVC joints too with the foil tape but the PVC joints should be good. I put them together with silicone caulking. You can see where it squeezed out in the picture above.
.
.

Thanks Neil for the inspiration!


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *I was inspired*
> 
> Well maybe motivation instead of inspiration is more accurate. I took a could days of much need vacation and I spent today tinkering in the shop all day and reading LJ. I got to Neil's blog, NBeener, and re-read his stove-pipe mod for his HF DC. It motivated me to start sealing some of my leaks. I said some!
> 
> ...


I need to get after sealing up the impeller housing on my HF DC… It leaks where the halves are joined… Not so much at the output side of it…


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## beckerswoodworks (Dec 26, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *I was inspired*
> 
> Well maybe motivation instead of inspiration is more accurate. I took a could days of much need vacation and I spent today tinkering in the shop all day and reading LJ. I got to Neil's blog, NBeener, and re-read his stove-pipe mod for his HF DC. It motivated me to start sealing some of my leaks. I said some!
> 
> ...


Great blog Chunky! My own DC is in serious need of an overhaul and this blog may be a lot of help.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

ChunkyC said:


> *I was inspired*
> 
> Well maybe motivation instead of inspiration is more accurate. I took a could days of much need vacation and I spent today tinkering in the shop all day and reading LJ. I got to Neil's blog, NBeener, and re-read his stove-pipe mod for his HF DC. It motivated me to start sealing some of my leaks. I said some!
> 
> ...


Do the HF units really leak that much air from the housing?


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *I was inspired*
> 
> Well maybe motivation instead of inspiration is more accurate. I took a could days of much need vacation and I spent today tinkering in the shop all day and reading LJ. I got to Neil's blog, NBeener, and re-read his stove-pipe mod for his HF DC. It motivated me to start sealing some of my leaks. I said some!
> 
> ...


I don't think so but an once of prevention… Mine is definitely leaking some where. The collector is not that easy to get out of the hole it's in so I just sealed every joint while I had it out. I even found a hole in the 5" hose where a brad nail was sticking through it. lol


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *I was inspired*
> 
> Well maybe motivation instead of inspiration is more accurate. I took a could days of much need vacation and I spent today tinkering in the shop all day and reading LJ. I got to Neil's blog, NBeener, and re-read his stove-pipe mod for his HF DC. It motivated me to start sealing some of my leaks. I said some!
> 
> ...


It starts with thanks for the inspiration.

But … very soon … it's more like "Beener


> What have you got me hooked on


?" ;-)

My gut tells me the stovepipe mod made the biggest bang-for-the-buck difference (other than the change to the Wynn 35 filter, that is).

*HokieMojo*: My guess is … no-not much. But a roll of the foil metallic duct tape is about $9 … and would do about 30 of these, so … it's virtually zero cost, and may provide some benefit.

I think it IS just a good practice to minimize leakage wherever you can.


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*One step forward ...*

Well it's time to step back and evaluate what I have and where to go from here. I have two problems with my shop, 1) the band saw needs a better / more permanent home 2) better dust collection.

Now I can't do (1) without doing (2) so here we are. I watched Stumpy Nubs reorganize his shop and all I could think was "I'm so glad I'm not Stumpy." So much for that.

The problem with completely these two, seemingly minor tasks is, in order to one thing, I have to do two other things first.

*Relocate the band. (Done.)* 
Step one - Removed an old cart that had no business being in there. 
Step two - Slide down a table into the now vacant cart slot.

Moved the band saw to where the table was. Easy Peasy.

Or so I thought … by doing so, now I my drill bits aren't next to my drill press.
Step one - make something to hold the Forstners bits
Step two - make something to hold drill bits (yet to be completed)










The good thing, I FINALLY found some use for all of that bits storage in the Yankee Router Table. YEAH ME!!

*Move the table saw, gain 7" of extra room and make room for a cabinet to fit under the RH table:*
Step one - I need to move the DC drop that feeds the TS 2 feet to the rear of the saw.
If I do that, then I can't reach the blast gate, so
Step two - relocate the blast gate under the saw.
If I do that I still can't reach the blast gate. (bad back and bending over kills me.)
Step three - Build a remote operator for the blast gate.

So by moving the drop back about 24", I can run pipe all the way to the floor and behind the saw. I can then carry it all the way past the saw to the other side. This is where I connect my planer so I can get rid of the 15' of flex that I have run under there now. (You can see the drop for the 15' flex hose just to the the left of this picture.









So here's the Remote Operator that I'm making for the TS. Once I get it finished, it will have a length of 1/4 all-thread connecting the handle to the blast gate. You can also notice how the TS DC hose is run now, right where a nice cabinet would fit.










Also just visible to the far bottom left is part of the 15' of flex that's run behind the saw. When not in use, it gets looped and stuck back in behind the saw. I want all to go away and be replaced with one run of Pipe and just a short drop of hose to connect to the saw.

This is going to take time to get everything completed. I also want to upgrade the duct to some sort of 6" duct. More to come … Lots more.


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *One step forward ...*
> 
> Well it's time to step back and evaluate what I have and where to go from here. I have two problems with my shop, 1) the band saw needs a better / more permanent home 2) better dust collection.
> 
> ...












Here is the mod that I did to the blast gate. I just epoxied a piece of walnut onto the handle and drilled a hole in it. I'll connect the all-thread to this and the other to the handle, w/ an adjustment linkage in there too.

c


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*Remote operator - DONE*



I finished up the remote operator for the table saw blast gate. Works awesome. I epoxied a piece of walnut to the handle of the blast gate. I wanted to be able raise the operating arm as high as I could and I thought that walnut would wear better than the plastic of the handle. I designed it so that you pull the handle to open the gate. I made ever conscious effort to make sure that the handle wouldn't be sticking back too far and be in the way. It's not! I also made it so that there was some adjustment in the all-thread. Unfortunately you can't see in the pictures but there's about 1-1/2" of adjustment. I wanted to allow for a little give and take. By lengthening the all-thread, it moves the handle out away from the saw further so that I can get my hand between the saw and the handle.

So next thing is to reroute the drop to the table by moving it back about 24" or so. With that, I'll take the pipe nearly to the floor, or just below the dust shroud around the rear of the saw. I intend on adding a Wye to pick up the saw and then continue on just to edge of the workbench / outfeed table. This is where I put planner. So instead of that 15' flex hose running around I should end up with just a short 4' - 6' piece. I haven't thought that completely through yet.

Until next time!

c


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*Table Saw Dust Collection Mods - Completed*

The before:










and the after:










To recap, the whole reason behind this madness was to reduce the area between the outfeed table / workbench and the wall. That area has been the bane of my existence since the day I laid out the shop. It's always been a dead area in the shop, lots of wasted space. So today, it's a little less wasted space.

Added a new blast gate. This is where I set up the planer so I will now have a much sorter hose to feed the planer. I'll also use this for shop clean up. As you can see, it needs it!









The switch controls the dust collector and allows the tables saw to run. The TS will not run if the DC is not running.

The new drop for the Table Saw. 









What a pain in the butt. If anyone has a good way of transitioning from 4" S&D to 4" hose, I would love to hear from you. I tried heating the hose and sliding it into the fitting. Not having that, the hose wouldn't stay it just popped out. Next I tried heating the hose and stretching it to fit over a piece of pipe. Thinking that I would then slide the pipe into the fitting. Disaster! The hose just tore apart. I ended up sanding the outside of the hose on the disc sander to reduce it's outside dimension and then sliding it into the fitting. At least it didn't pop right out. Time will tell how this works.

The riser comes down the wall and turns 90° with back to back 45°'s.









I removed the overhead dust collection for now. I seldom used it anyway.

Pros: 
I gained 7" of space by pushing the tablesaw tight against the far wall. What a huge difference 7" makes.
I've eliminated the need to have a 15' length of flex hose connected for shop clean up, planer, etc.

Cons:
The new blast gate at the edge of the workbench is going to cause me no end of aggravation. When cleaning up the shop, the hose is going to continually fall of the gate or I have to clamp it on every time. Win some, loose some.

Next step:

I'm planning on adding the stove pipe mod for the DC later today. More to come…


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Table Saw Dust Collection Mods - Completed*
> 
> The before:
> 
> ...


DoH! I missed tapping a joint!


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## ClayandNancy (Feb 22, 2010)

ChunkyC said:


> *Table Saw Dust Collection Mods - Completed*
> 
> The before:
> 
> ...


Why did you eliminate the above blade DC? Was it not effective?


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Table Saw Dust Collection Mods - Completed*
> 
> The before:
> 
> ...


Yeah it really didn't much. I think that it needs to have a shop vac connected to it or a much more powerful DC system than what I have.


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*

I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!










This mod is silly simple although you will need basic metal cutting tools. This is an excellent time to clean and inspect your collector if it's not a brand new one.

.
.

*DISCLAIMER - The dimensions given are the dimensions that I used for my modification. Check yours! Yours could very easily be different than mine!*
.
.

*Tools:*
Sharpe
Measuring tape
Screwdriver for taking off the old hose
Shop Vac
Something to cut sheet metal, I used an angle grinder
a File for de-buring the metal
A pair of Gloves

*Material:*
5" Stove Pipe. I got mine at our local farm / hardware store. I suspect that just about anyplace that sells wood stoves or the likes will have stove pipe.

(2) Adjustable 5" fittings
(1) 24" x 5" section of pipe
Foil Tape. Don't cheap out on the foil tape, no substitutions here.

*Step 1)* Unplug the collector. and remove the discharge hose. This is a great time to use the shop vac to clean up.

*Step 2)* Cut a 3" length piece of pipe off of the the FEMALE end. The female end is the end that doesn't have the crimps going around it.

This piece will be used to connect one of the adjustable fittings to the round cyclone type thing. I have no idea what it's called. It's the piece that the filter and bag are attached to. How's that? The Male end of the adjustable fitting won't fit into the piece that's sticking out so I needed an adapter.

*Step 3)* Place one adjustable fitting on the discharge of the blower, male end up

*Step 3.1)*Place the other adjustable fitting onto the cyclonic do-dad using the 3" piece of pipe that we cut, Male end up. (I used a couple small pieces of tape to hold the 3" pipe and fitting in place.)

*Step 4)* Adjust the two fitting until they "line up." This can be challenging but stick with it. I assure you, there is a place where both fitting will line up and you can get a piece of pipe between them.

*Step 5)* Measure the distance between the fittings. Remember that the pipe is going to slide over one fitting and into another. Make the proper allowances for this! My pipe was 10".

*Step 6)* Cut the pipe, file the rough edges and snap it together. WEAR GLOVES! Sheet metal will cut you like a razor blade.

*Step 7)* Install the pipe between the two fitting, female end will go towards the blower and the male end will go towards the cyclonic do-dad.

*Step 8)* Tape ALL of the joints. You'll know if you missed any after you use your collector. You'll see the telltale traces of dust coming out where you missed.

That's it. You can probably do this mod in about 30-60 minutes. You'll spend twice the time putting the tape on that you will doing anything else.

Some other "Mods" that you can do while you're here.
Cut that stupid guard out of the inlet to the blower. I thought that I had already cut mine out only to find that mine was still there and it was plugged! I FINALLY think that I have found the decrease in performance that I have been complaining about the past few months. Now that I think on it, if you're not using a pre-separator, you may want to leave the stupid thing in there. Just know that it's going to collect shavings and all sorts of detritus!

Tape EVERYWHERE! You can see, again thanks to Niel, that I have tape around the blower. This was already done on mine but it's something that you can do if you haven't already.

I noticed that my collector is leaking around the motor and the blower housing. Unfortunately I don't have any caulk on hand or I would caulk that joint.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


This looks interesting,but I missed Neil's reason for doing this. Why would you do this?


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


Smoother pipe means less resistance to air flow. Granted, we're not talking a lot of improvement but a little here, a little there, ...


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


Great step-by-step, *Chunk*. Thanks for laying it out there.

*Mark*: Agreed. It's all about little things, in an effort to gain incremental improvements. There's really NO way to get a true 1,200 CFM out of a 2HP HF DC, but … gains are gains, and …. until I eventually go big, and do a ducted 3-ish HP cyclone … I'll keep looking for the incremental boosts.

If memory serves, every foot of corrugated flex hose is equivalent to about THREE feet of galvy duct or TRUE smooth-bore hose, in terms of how much static pressure it adds (and how much that hurts your CFM).

Yes, this is a short run, but … in the effort to eek out max performance from lower dollar DC's … I think it's worth doing.

I noticed some leakage on my impeller housing, too. Much ? No. But … since I had the tape, already … figured I'd just seal it up.

And … *Chuck* ? It needs to be said: your DC system really is starting to suck


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


Thank you for the explanation! I knew there was loss with flex hose, I didn't realize it was as high as that. Makes me wonder if I should do this to my dc?


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


Wood Magazine seems to agree with my figures:










Try it ? Why not. Not expensive. Not difficult. Won't hurt. Should help … if only slightly =)


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


Mark,

There really isn't any reason not to do it. I think the hardest part to this mod might be finding the 5" stove pipe. I got lucky my farm store had just what I needed in stock. I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not but the pipe that I bought was 28 gauge. Now that I think about it, you do need some way of cutting the pipe which might be a stopper for some. If you had too, you could even use a hacksaw to cut it.


(Click for a larger picture)

I would imagine that thinner wall HVAC duct would work just as well beings that the duct is under pressure and not in a vacuum.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


Hmm, I may swing by a hardware store…


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


I just reread this thread and it looks like I'm being a little pushy like I'm selling a used car. I apologize if I came off that way, it wasn't my intention. It's just a simple, quick and fairly cheep modification that you could do to gain a slight improvement in DC efficiency. I think I may have gotten a little over zealous.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


I don't see it that way, Chunk.

We ARE the evangelists for Hot-Rodding the Harbor Freight 2HP DC's.

Well … you, me, *dbhost*, and a handful of other True Believers ;-)


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


*I Believe!!!*

My *35A274NANO canister filter & Long Ranger III* arrived last week. I'm puchasing a *31 gallon galvanized trash can today.* I already have almost ALL materials for the *Top Hat Thein Baffle*. I just need to finish building lumber storage rack & de-cluster f%<k the work shop (nothing is set up, just piled up while painting). Then my first shop project is to *Hot Rod my 2HP HF DC!*

*I Believe* there is not enough time in my day!!!


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


[as is the custom, among the HFDCHRA (Harbor Freight Dust Collector Hot-Rodders Anonymous) meetings …..]

Hi, *Randy* !


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

ChunkyC said:


> *Dust Collector "Stove Pipe Mod"*
> 
> I'm going to give credit to NBeener for this one as he was the first person that I knew who done this. I hadn't even heard of the mod until he mentioned one day in a thread. So thanks Neil!
> 
> ...


Hi *Neil*

My name IS Randy…...and I am (going to be) a Harbor Freight Dust Collector Hot-Rodder! It all started when I was surfing the HF website, when all of a sudden….......

Where is the coffee?


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*I won this battle, but the war is raging*

I tested the DC tonight after I got everything put back together. I can say that the old girl is back to her self once again.

So was the stove pipe mod worth it? Yes. 
Did I see a huge improvement? No. 
Would I do it again? Absolutely.

This mod is easy to do and the parts were easy to find. I wish I would pay closer attention to how much stuff costs but I don't so I have no idea how much it cost me. I'd say that it was less than $30??? The efficiency gain by this mod can't be all that much but every little bit helps.

So what now?

The next thing that must be addressed are the leaky blast gates. Every 4" gate in the shop is leaking. Not necessarily around the edges, but the gate doesn't shut all of the way. I've clipped the corners to allow the dust to escape on all of the gates and sealed the edges with foil tape. Even on brand new gates, the gate just barely closes enough and once it gets a little dust in there, forget about it.

So I'm going to try my hand at making some blasts gates. I have a few ideas in my head but how hard can it be, right?

Further down the road I want to flip the blower assembly and get it on top of my barrel for a more compact arrangement. I also want to make a top hat Thien separator for my barrel. I currently have a Thien baffle that sits down inside the barrel. Because the barrel is narrower at the top and widens as it goes down, the baffle has to be smaller than the inside diameter of the barrel, or you couldn't get the top off to empty it. This leaves a gap all the way around the baffle. I think this allows a LOT of fines through. Well a lot of fines are getting through, so I'm hoping this is the cause.

c


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*Blast Gate - V. Beta*



















Well that was easy and it's Bloodhound approved!

I wanted to try to see how hard it was to make my own blast gates. Pretty simple actually. I did spend some time to make certain that everything was a good fit but it still went pretty fast. This is a "through" gate meaning that the slide can be pulled from either side.

I cut two holes in a piece of 1/2" ply. One just big enough for a 4" S&D coupling and the other for 3" DWV coupling. The slide is made from 3/16 tempered hardboard that I covered both sides with a liberal coating of paraffin. The "spacers" are 1/4" hardboard that I used my hand plane to reduce their thickness a little. Poly Glue to affix the coupling to the ply and PVA for everything else. I did shoot a couple pin nails just because I was too lazy to mess with clamps.

The 3" coupling turned out to be just a little big to slide the hose over. I remember hose sliding over 3". Maybe I need to sneak out to the hardware store and pick up a short of 3" DWV pipe and see if that works a little better.

I did cut the 4" Coupling in two so that I could make 2 blast gates from one coupling. I had intended to the same with the 3", but since the hose is a tight fit, I just left it as is.

The good news, no leaks! so I have something that I can work with here.

A stop would nice but I'm willing to sacrifice a stop for a leak free gate.
A handle. Since this was just a test, I didn't bother with a handle. Easy enough to toss one on it but it's not hard to get a hold of the way that it is now.

c


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *Blast Gate - V. Beta*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think you nailed it.

IMHO … at this point … little details like stops and pull-handles might just be overrated 

Nice job !


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

ChunkyC said:


> *Blast Gate - V. Beta*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those blast gates look so good, I might just need to steal this idea. Good to hear it is easy. I like easy, or I am easy…something like that!


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*DIY Blast Gates pt 1*

These gates are "through gates" meaning that the back is completely open. One down side to making gates like this is that there isn't a stop, the gate pulls all of the way out. I need to add a stop to at least one, for under the table saw, but so far I'm ok with the gates pulling out. I just turn it and stick the corner back in the slot. Works ok for me.

Blast gates are simple to make, or I supposed you could make it as difficult as you like. The hardest part I had was finding "fittings" that I could use to convert from 4" S&D to 4" DC hose and fittings. I think I have a solution that works for me.

Here's the lasted blast gate "parts." (Click for larger pictures)





I made some parts that could be assembled in multiple ways, sort of like "mix and match." I need ways to connect to 4" S&D Pipe, 4" DC Hose and 4" DC fittings in all sorts of configurations. So I made a mix bag of parts to get me started. They are glued up with Poly Glue, I use yellow glue to glue them together.

The gates are made from 1/2" Birch Ply, 3/16 Hard Board for the gates and 1/4 HB for the "spacers" and some scrap hardwood for the handle; walnut in the case.

Far Left: Gates, handles and spacers.

Left: "Soup Can": My 4" hose fits nicely over a large tin can. This tin can just so happens to be a large can of fruit cocktail to give you a sense of size.

Middle: 4" Plastic Coupling cut in two. This is a coupling that is made to connect two DC fittings together, not the one that used to connect two pieces of hose together.

Right" 4" S&D Pipe Coupling cut in two. The other half is on the first gate that I made.

Here's the first one that I made assembled and installed:









I've since added a handle so that the gate wouldn't fall through. I was really surprised by how well this thing seals. So much better than those cheap plastic gates that I have been using. Although, the 2-1/2" gates work quite well. I haven't had any problems with them, yet. The 4 inch'ers total junk. Everyone I have leaks. Sounds like I have a shop full of whistling crickets in the shop when the DC is running. I'm not sure which is louder, the whistling gates or the DC.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 1*
> 
> These gates are "through gates" meaning that the back is completely open. One down side to making gates like this is that there isn't a stop, the gate pulls all of the way out. I need to add a stop to at least one, for under the table saw, but so far I'm ok with the gates pulling out. I just turn it and stick the corner back in the slot. Works ok for me.
> 
> ...


Looking forward to seeing the rest of the blast gates assembled & in action. Could you please post pictures when complete and perhaps an evaluation?

Thanks for posting these. I believe I will have a blast making some for my shop!!


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 1*
> 
> These gates are "through gates" meaning that the back is completely open. One down side to making gates like this is that there isn't a stop, the gate pulls all of the way out. I need to add a stop to at least one, for under the table saw, but so far I'm ok with the gates pulling out. I just turn it and stick the corner back in the slot. Works ok for me.
> 
> ...


I certainly can and will. Here are some more pics of the first one:









(Click for larger pictures)

Disadvantage: for this blast is that I used a 3" DWV coupling. The coupling is just a touch too large for the hose to "slip" over. I had to use a heat gun to warm up the hose that I could stretch it ever so slightly so that I could slide it on. The only way I can get it off is to apply heat. If you look closely, you can see the hose clamp slid down the hose in pictures 2 and 3. The fitting is so snug, no clamp required but a problem if you want to move the hose…

Advantage: Full port blast gate. If you look down into one of those plastic blast gates, they don't fully open, the gate slightly obstructs the opening. This one doesn't have that problem.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 1*
> 
> These gates are "through gates" meaning that the back is completely open. One down side to making gates like this is that there isn't a stop, the gate pulls all of the way out. I need to add a stop to at least one, for under the table saw, but so far I'm ok with the gates pulling out. I just turn it and stick the corner back in the slot. Works ok for me.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the quick turn around time on the pic's & tip/heads up.

I hope your not that fast at everything you do!!

To be honest, I'm not fast, nor am I totally slow….
I'm Half fast!!! Lol.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 1*
> 
> These gates are "through gates" meaning that the back is completely open. One down side to making gates like this is that there isn't a stop, the gate pulls all of the way out. I need to add a stop to at least one, for under the table saw, but so far I'm ok with the gates pulling out. I just turn it and stick the corner back in the slot. Works ok for me.
> 
> ...


Clean. Simple. Efficient. Functional.

Very well done !

Great dog shot, too, by the way


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*DIY Blast Gates pt 2*

I assembled a second blast gate this morning in the shop and got it installed. So far, everything is working much better than I had expected. I feel that I'm being more and more like Sheldon Cooper every day, Whistling in the workshop is NOT allowed. Good thing to because these gates are nice and quite. These gates have eliminated the whistling that was being caused be leaking plastic gates.

Here's some assembly and installation pictures for the table saw blast gate. 
(Click for larger picture)



Notice that I had to flip the gate over once I installed the blast gate under the saw. I saved a few inches!



Front View



Side View



All assembled and ready to suck.

One thing that I was surprised by was that even with the "loose" tolerances the gates still seal. The only conclusion that I can come with is that the gate is being "sucked up" against the upper body and creating a seal. So one thing to watch out for when building your own, if you so choose to, is to make certain that the body is flat and smooth.

Even with laying everything on the workbench while I waited for the glue to dry, there always seemed to be a little bit of the pipe sticking through the body on the inside. So I made sure that I sanded the inside so that it was flat and smooth. For the cans, I used a file, always filing toward the body of the gate, to get it down even with the inside of the body and then sanding.

These are very simple and quick to build.

c


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## buffalosean (Feb 15, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 2*
> 
> I assembled a second blast gate this morning in the shop and got it installed. So far, everything is working much better than I had expected. I feel that I'm being more and more like Sheldon Cooper every day, Whistling in the workshop is NOT allowed. Good thing to because these gates are nice and quite. These gates have eliminated the whistling that was being caused be leaking plastic gates.
> 
> ...


cool stuff chunky.

you said:
"One thing that I was surprised by was that even with the "loose" tolerances the gates still seal."

Is this with typical with several manufactures or just one in particular? I don't use blast gates. i hook up each machine with quick clams as needed.


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 2*
> 
> I assembled a second blast gate this morning in the shop and got it installed. So far, everything is working much better than I had expected. I feel that I'm being more and more like Sheldon Cooper every day, Whistling in the workshop is NOT allowed. Good thing to because these gates are nice and quite. These gates have eliminated the whistling that was being caused be leaking plastic gates.
> 
> ...


I was referring to the gates that I made. The gates slide in a "loose" fit. There's a gap all the way around the gate and the body and both ends are open. There's lots of room for these gates to leak but they still seal rather well.

By "loose fit" I mean that if you put the gate in the body and installed it horizontally, the gate will slide through and fall to the floor when the DC is off. I know because one of mine did, hence the addition of the handle.


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## buffalosean (Feb 15, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 2*
> 
> I assembled a second blast gate this morning in the shop and got it installed. So far, everything is working much better than I had expected. I feel that I'm being more and more like Sheldon Cooper every day, Whistling in the workshop is NOT allowed. Good thing to because these gates are nice and quite. These gates have eliminated the whistling that was being caused be leaking plastic gates.
> 
> ...


cool, thanks for clarifying


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 2*
> 
> I assembled a second blast gate this morning in the shop and got it installed. So far, everything is working much better than I had expected. I feel that I'm being more and more like Sheldon Cooper every day, Whistling in the workshop is NOT allowed. Good thing to because these gates are nice and quite. These gates have eliminated the whistling that was being caused be leaking plastic gates.
> 
> ...


Nice job documenting this whole project/process. Thanks for doing so!

FYI: To test for leakage through any blast gate, one could use "smoke" from a cigarette, or take a cloth bag filled with powder (flour, talc), tap to release the powder and see if the "smoke" is sucked into/around a closed blast gate.

If home made blast gates do leak, an O-Ring recessed inside the "Housing" around the pipe for the "gate" to seal up against, should help to stop/reduce leakage.


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## Phil277 (Jan 15, 2012)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 2*
> 
> I assembled a second blast gate this morning in the shop and got it installed. So far, everything is working much better than I had expected. I feel that I'm being more and more like Sheldon Cooper every day, Whistling in the workshop is NOT allowed. Good thing to because these gates are nice and quite. These gates have eliminated the whistling that was being caused be leaking plastic gates.
> 
> ...


Gates often jam small chips into the back of the slot when you close them. Eventually you can't close the gate all of the way. Have you managed to find a good way to deal with this problem on your gates?

Phil


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 2*
> 
> I assembled a second blast gate this morning in the shop and got it installed. So far, everything is working much better than I had expected. I feel that I'm being more and more like Sheldon Cooper every day, Whistling in the workshop is NOT allowed. Good thing to because these gates are nice and quite. These gates have eliminated the whistling that was being caused be leaking plastic gates.
> 
> ...


Phil: Yeah, no back. As I said, they are "pass through" style blast gates.

I can say for absolute certainty now that the gates are in fact getting sucked up into the body and sealing themselves. If I had a video camera that would take at least half way decent vids, I'd take one of the gate getting "sucked up" tight against the body. You can actually see it happening.

c


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## Gadgitron (Jan 21, 2012)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 2*
> 
> I assembled a second blast gate this morning in the shop and got it installed. So far, everything is working much better than I had expected. I feel that I'm being more and more like Sheldon Cooper every day, Whistling in the workshop is NOT allowed. Good thing to because these gates are nice and quite. These gates have eliminated the whistling that was being caused be leaking plastic gates.
> 
> ...


well documented thank you.


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

*DIY Blast Gates pt 3 - Dimensions*

Here are the dimensions of the gates that I built.

*Bodies:*
7-3/4" x 7-3/4" x 1/2 Birch Ply

*Gates:*
3/16 Hardboard cut to fit the opening.

*Spacers:*
7-3/4" x 1" x 1/4" Hard Board. The 1/4" HB that I have access to is the stuff that is smooth on one side and has a rough texture on the other. I used a hand plane to reduce the thickness a little on the "rough" side.

*Holes:*
Cut to fit the diameter of the pipe that you're using. I used a wing cutter on the drill press to cut the holes.

*Pipe:* (use what fits your system. This is what fit mine)
4" S&D Coupling cut in half (one half per gate.)
"Large" tin soup can. (Mine happened to be a can of fruit cocktail.)
3" DWV coupling. (This was a very tight fit with the hose. Hose had to be heated to install.)
4" Plastic Dust Collection Coupling

*Glue:*
Poly Urethane Glue to glue the Pipe to the body. Spray a light mist of water on the body and put the glue on the pipe. PUG needs water to cure and the water acts a "kicker" to speed up the process a little.
Yellow Glue to glue the spaces to the bodies.

Generally these gates are larger than they need to be. I would think that you could narrow them up quite a bit if you need the extra room. They can be made smaller and still work just fine. I had to cut one gate down on the back side so that It would fit between the wall and the riser pipe. It still seals just fine.

Ok I'm done with blast gates, promise. lol

c


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 3 - Dimensions*
> 
> Here are the dimensions of the gates that I built.
> 
> ...


Done blogging perhaps, not making & using, I would think.

What if I don't like fuit cocktail?

Seriously though, EXCELLENT job and thanks for taking the time & effot to do so!!!


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 3 - Dimensions*
> 
> Here are the dimensions of the gates that I built.
> 
> ...


That's what I meant! I'm sure a lot of people are already tired of the blogs. What is it 4 blogs on blast gates now?

I'm happy to share my experiences and answer q's that you might have though.

c


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## Tennwood (Sep 9, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 3 - Dimensions*
> 
> Here are the dimensions of the gates that I built.
> 
> ...


Just discovered your blast gate blogs. Neat idea. Do you have any problems with duct and chips getting in the corners keeping the gates from fully closing? That is the biggest issue I have with the plastic and metal gates. I like how you attached them to the S&D pipes, another issue I have with the plastic fittings.


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

ChunkyC said:


> *DIY Blast Gates pt 3 - Dimensions*
> 
> Here are the dimensions of the gates that I built.
> 
> ...



Phil: Yeah, no back. As I said, they are "pass through" style blast gates.


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