# PVC blast gates



## teenagewoodworker (Jan 31, 2008)

Hey guys. What do you guys who use PVC for dust collection use for blast gates. I just got my cyclone and I want to go for metal ducting but it is expensive as you all know. My dad can get 6" thin walled PVC for cheap. His friend who is a plumber has used it for dust collection systems before and it supposedly worksvery well. But the only problem is what to use for blast gates so I was wondering what you guys recommend for blast gates that will fit PVC

Thanks, denis


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Denis - they have 6" blast gates from the black ABS plastic, same as the 4" only larger.

another thing you could do is use the 4" blast gates near the machines is you reduce the main line from 6" to 4" for each machine.

I use the 4" ABS blast gates. would like to go all metal one day, but it's lower on the priority list than other things so probably not happening anytime soon. the plastic ones work well, but brittle and CAN break if not positioned out of the way.


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## Festool4 (Jan 21, 2008)

Check out Woodcraft. They have adapters for the PVC pipe.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greetings Denis:.. +1 on what PurpLev said about the reduction from 6" to 4" to the machine. I too use the 4" Pvc. You can get them at any ww supply company…..Woodworkers supply.com, Rockler, Woodcraft (like Festtol 4 said), Amazon.com….. just on and on where they sell ww machines and tools….... good luck… later.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

I use these from Rockler. They don't come in 6", though. One thing to note with them is that the thumb screw to hold the gate open/closed should be opposite the dust collector, as it pushes the gate away from itself, and will introduce a leak if on the same side as the DC.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Also check out HF and Grizzly


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

I use the blast gates that came with my Clearvue. They're designed to fit directly over 6" thinwall PVC (ASTM D2729 or SDR 35). Some people don't like them because they're not the self-cleaning design, and because the gate part isn't captive, so it can come all the way out. They're fine with me. They're available separately, 3 or 6 at a time.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Make your own. Make a wooden box with a plywood slider door.

6" on one side and whatever the tool needs on the other.


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## rsmith71 (Jan 26, 2010)

I usually make my own too. Try to incorporate them into the dust hood for whatever I'm working on.


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## Padre (Nov 5, 2008)

+2 for Purplev.


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## oldworld124 (Mar 2, 2008)

I am looking to see if there are of the 6" Clearvue blast gates left from the dust system I bought. THey were not used. I installed a complete metal spiral system with aluminum gates. I'll let you know if I find them.


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## garysharp (Nov 14, 2008)

I use 28 gauge metal A/C pipe from Home Depot and seal it with metal A/C tape. It has worked great for my dust collection system, which pulls 2200 cfm. I started with an eight inch duct size and then dropped it to six inch on the big tools and then on down to four inch at the ceilng on tools that have only a four inch ports. I use only LEE YALLEY self cleaning blast gates. I had some other guys say that it would not work and that was why they had spent over 5X times as much money for the "good" pipe than I did for mine. I told them "It is only air pipe, I am not walking on it". They don't like the fact that I have be running my "cheep" system for over nine years with zero problems. I also do not have any sparking problem, that you can get with PVC pipe.


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## douglas2cats (Mar 31, 2008)

I used Lee Valley self cleaning gates and wrapped the flange with a strip of self stick 3/32" x 3/4' rubber that i got from McMaster-carr. It was a nice snug fit. Then a few short screws through the PVC into the gate flange.


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## Gary2 (Apr 18, 2010)

I currently have a dust collector which only serves my tablesaw but in the process of expanding. I appreciate the information.


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## Rileysdad (Jun 4, 2009)

Search for Clear Vue Cyclone. They sell a blast gate that's made for 6" S&D PVC.


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