Dust Collection Blast Gate for 6-inch Sewer & Drain Pipe

thingiverse

I'm a woodworker like many others who have utilized PVC plumbing pipes in central dust collection systems within my shop. One major drawback of this type of pipe is that the fittings aren't designed for airflow rates exceeding 1000 CFM, resulting in significant pressure drops throughout the system. Furthermore, as pipe sizes increase to six inches or larger, fitting costs escalate rapidly. These factors prompted me to design and print custom fittings for my DC system. Blast gates, elbows, and wyes were created with the goal of minimizing pressure drop while directly integrating with PVC sewer & drain pipes without additional adapter fittings. The fewer fittings present in a DC system, the better its performance is likely to be. This blast gate is an adaptation of https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3125532. It's specifically designed for a 6-inch PVC S&D pipe on the dust collector side and a 5-inch flex hose on the machine tool side. The side facing the dust collector mimics the hub of a S&D pipe fitting, ensuring a direct connection to six-inch pipes. The side toward the tool is optimized for a snug fit with the flex hose, which then connects to the DC port on the WW tool. Magnets are incorporated to guarantee the gate stays in its selected open or closed position even while the DC is operating. This could be considered an optional feature since I've only tested this setup with the gate horizontal. However, I wanted to ensure that the gates wouldn't creep open or shut due to vibration. This might also secure the gate in place when installed vertically, where gravity attempts to pull it downward, but I haven't tried this yet. Mounting bosses are included for a micro switch. Eventually, I plan to wire the DC system so that the blast gates function as switches to initiate and terminate the DC operation based on their open or closed positions. There are three mounting holes on each side of the gate. I've successfully mounted some gates using both sides while others were secured with just one side, and even a single-sided mount proved sturdy enough. In addition to the 3D-printed components, extra materials will be necessary for this project.