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  1. #76
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    Bob....if you were to make a list of features that you would like in a automatic blast gate, what would it be?
    I have been thinking a bit about machining a gate and automating it....either by using a stepper gear motor or a standard 12 V worm-gear motor that i have lying around.

    blast1.jpg

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  3. #77
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    Default Blast gate gallery

    I want to think about automating gates as well at some point, I’ve got a fair bit of experience with small IoT boards but haven’t ventured into motor control yet. Need to order some motor driver boards and start some tests but I have a ton of other stuff that is more important right now.

  4. #78
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    Quote Originally Posted by ericks2 View Post
    Bob....if you were to make a list of features that you would like in a automatic blast gate, what would it be?
    I have been thinking a bit about machining a gate and automating it....either by using a stepper gear motor or a standard 12 V worm-gear motor that i have lying around.
    Because I already have compressed air reticulated around my shed if I was going to do it, this is how I would do it.
    New workshop dust extraction install - build blog

    In order of increasing priority (assuming like any decent gate it seals reasonably well)
    1) Be lightweight enough to hang off PVC ducting alone. ie no additional additional weight supporting mechanisms required.
    2) Rapid opening and closing - <1s (ie clunk!) would be preferred but I suppose I could live with 3s?
    3) Be interlinked with DC operation so that the right gates are open either when a machine is switched on or they will not work.

    FWIW I dabbled on and off with automated gates during the last couple of years ( I have a couple of prototypes in a box somewhere) and eventually realized that what I really needed rather than wanted much more than anything else was priority #3 and that I could achieve this with a $3 pressure sensor and an idea first proposed by MandJ see Sensitive vacuum switch for DC ducting.

    Here are some examples:
    Making sure your DC is on
    I now absolutely have to have the right gates open on my main dust making machines; lathe, Band Saw, Belt sander and TS or they will not start.

    This a made a major difference to general shed dust usually caused by those oft quoted statements;
    "I'm just going to make this one cut so I won't turn on the DC.
    Followed by
    "Hang o,n I'll just cut this short one as well"
    And
    "One more"
    Then
    "Quick touch up on the sander "
    ETC

    I can bypass all my pressure switches if I need to but if I have to do that I have been pretty good at remembering to turn them back on when I finish.

  5. #79
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    Aldinga Beach
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Because I already have compressed air reticulated around my shed if I was going to do it, this is how I would do it.
    New workshop dust extraction install - build blog

    In order of increasing priority (assuming like any decent gate it seals reasonably well)
    1) Be lightweight enough to hang off PVC ducting alone. ie no additional additional weight supporting mechanisms required.
    2) Rapid opening and closing - <1s (ie clunk!) would be preferred but I suppose I could live with 3s?
    3) Be interlinked with DC operation so that the right gates are open either when a machine is switched on or they will not work.

    FWIW I dabbled on and off with automated gates during the last couple of years ( I have a couple of prototypes in a box somewhere) and eventually realized that what I really needed rather than wanted much more than anything else was priority #3 and that I could achieve this with a $3 pressure sensor and an idea first proposed by MandJ see Sensitive vacuum switch for DC ducting.

    Here are some examples:
    Making sure your DC is on
    I now absolutely have to have the right gates open on my main dust making machines; lathe, Band Saw, Belt sander and TS or they will not start.

    This a made a major difference to general shed dust usually caused by those oft quoted statements;
    "I'm just going to make this one cut so I won't turn on the DC.
    Followed by
    "Hang o,n I'll just cut this short one as well"
    And
    "One more"
    Then
    "Quick touch up on the sander "
    ETC

    I can bypass all my pressure switches if I need to but if I have to do that I have been pretty good at remembering to turn them back on when I finish.
    Thanks for the information....i wanted to get your take on it cause you have lots of knowledge with this stuff

  6. #80
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    Quote Originally Posted by bueller View Post
    I want to think about automating gates as well at some point, I’ve got a fair bit of experience with small IoT boards but haven’t ventured into motor control yet. Need to order some motor driver boards and start some tests but I have a ton of other stuff that is more important right now.
    Same here, so many other stuff to do that's more urgent atm. I have enough spares lying around to do lots of experiments though

  7. #81
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    Stumbled across this one on a 3D design sharing site.

    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2573041



  8. #82
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    I have a slight concern about this particular gate for long term use. I remember using those similarly designed black ABS gates and forever having to clean those grooves.

    I can already see the gate is not completely closing (maybe they need to adjust the action and/or use a stronger lacky band?) and some sawdust will inevitably be caught in the groove corners and then it will become compacted by the slider and further reduce the likelihood of the slider closing completely.

    Some reduction in this problem may be possible by operating the gate so that the slider drops down rather than being lifted up.
    A gate that slides all the way through which has the grooves fully occupied would be better.

    A rocker style gate also has the advantage of not even using grooves.

  9. #83
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    Jun 2005
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    Helensburgh
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    3 out of 100 for effort as the BG itself is irrelevant, it is the actuation that was the point of the post.
    CHRIS

  10. #84
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Parks View Post
    3 out of 100 for effort as the BG itself is irrelevant, it is the actuation that was the point of the post.
    Maybe, but just take another look at the title of this thread.

    And in case you did not see it - I expressed my view about the previous post with a "Like" before I posted about the potential problems with the gate.

  11. #85
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    Quote Originally Posted by maxxsinner View Post
    Stumbled across this one on a 3D design sharing site.

    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2573041


    Must be honest, this is not the way i would do it. I expect it to jam up when in use at some point.....

  12. #86
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    Mar 2012
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    South Gippsland
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Because I already have compressed air reticulated around my shed if I was going to do it, this is how I would do it.
    New workshop dust extraction install - build blog

    In order of increasing priority (assuming like any decent gate it seals reasonably well)
    1) Be lightweight enough to hang off PVC ducting alone. ie no additional additional weight supporting mechanisms required.
    2) Rapid opening and closing - <1s (ie clunk!) would be preferred but I suppose I could live with 3s?
    3) Be interlinked with DC operation so that the right gates are open either when a machine is switched on or they will not work.

    FWIW I dabbled on and off with automated gates during the last couple of years ( I have a couple of prototypes in a box somewhere) and eventually realized that what I really needed rather than wanted much more than anything else was priority #3 and that I could achieve this with a $3 pressure sensor and an idea first proposed by MandJ see Sensitive vacuum switch for DC ducting.

    Here are some examples:
    Making sure your DC is on
    I now absolutely have to have the right gates open on my main dust making machines; lathe, Band Saw, Belt sander and TS or they will not start.

    This a made a major difference to general shed dust usually caused by those oft quoted statements;
    "I'm just going to make this one cut so I won't turn on the DC.
    Followed by
    "Hang o,n I'll just cut this short one as well"
    And
    "One more"
    Then
    "Quick touch up on the sander "
    ETC

    I can bypass all my pressure switches if I need to but if I have to do that I have been pretty good at remembering to turn them back on when I finish.
    Thanks for the priority list here BobL. I'm still thinking about automated gates but like others there are a few more important projects taking my time and attention.

    I've also concluded that #3 doesn't require gates to be automated, and I'm currently working towards an LED indicator system with some microswitches on the gates to indicate status next to machine switch gear.

    I do like the idea of a fully automated system, but that's further down the pecking order.

    One question though, what might be the upper limit per gate in terms of cost? I've bought a linear actuator (electric) that looks like it might drive a rocker style gate for $40. It might be possible to find a cheaper version, but with that and controller costs and multiple gates the ticket price rises quickly.

  13. #87
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    Jan 2015
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    Latrobe Valley
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    take another look at the title of this thread.
    I probably should have put the post under a dust extractor automation thread.
    Was just happy to see more people experimenting with creation of cheap methods of BG automation, albeit with the caveats you detailed Bob in this example.

  14. #88
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    Quote Originally Posted by maxxsinner View Post
    I probably should have put the post under a dust extractor automation thread.
    I think it's OK in this thread but maybe we do need a dedicated automation thread. Threads that gather related/similar info are much more useful in the long run especially to newbies.

    Was just happy to see more people experimenting with creation of cheap methods of BG automation, albeit with the caveats you detailed Bob in this example.
    Sure - be useful to know what the specs of the actuator are.

  15. #89
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    Quote Originally Posted by arniew View Post
    Thanks for the priority list here BobL. I'm still thinking about automated gates but like others there are a few more important projects taking my time and attention.
    Sure.

    I've also concluded that #3 doesn't require gates to be automated, and I'm currently working towards an LED indicator system with some microswitches on the gates to indicate status next to machine switch gear.
    Yeah I've thought long and hard about this approach as well (I collected a lot of micro switches from washing machines and driers by the sides of the road expressly for this approach) and I reckon it would be useful if the ducting system was simple enough with the following considerations.

    A gate status indicator (GSI) will tell you if the gate is open or closed, but then so will looking at the gate? That's problem #1, remembering to look at the gate and more importantly #2 doing something about it - I have often looked at a closed gate and said, "Nah - just this one cut", etc

    Either gates have to automatically switch (and if required start the DC) when a machine starts, OR an alternative is a device whereby a machine won't start unless the DC is on and the right gates are open.

    Gates or GSI's located further back in the shed also may not be seen from all places in the shed, then multiple GSIs might be needed for the one gate.
    What a simple GSI won't indicate is if the DC is on and if the DC is outside, machine is on, operator is wearing muffs the DC cannot be heard.

    One question though, what might be the upper limit per gate in terms of cost? I've bought a linear actuator (electric) that looks like it might drive a rocker style gate for $40. It might be possible to find a cheaper version, but with that and controller costs and multiple gates the ticket price rises quickly.
    Yeah costs add up rapidly when there are more than just a few gates.
    The worst case scenario is of the 15 gates in my shed I need a minimum of 10 to be in the right state for my TS to efficiently collect dust.
    The gates controlling the branch going to the TS, the branch going to the TS OH guard, the gates on the OH Guard itself and under the TS cabinet, must be ON
    The gates controlling the branches going to the Lathe, Bandsaw, Beltsander, DP, Router, Thicknesser/planer, Power tool takeoff and table/bench sweep must be OFF.

    This is why a simple single pressure switch (and in the case of the TS its 2 switches - one for the cabinet and one for the guard) near the TS is able to keep the TS from running until I have all 10 of the gates in the right state.

    Despite all this, as Chris Parks knows I like it when I am proven wrong , so I still encourage you to have a go, but now I have hopefully given you a heads up of where some of the pitfalls are.

  16. #90
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    I had a bit of a go at a design, very basic atm....thinking fully enclosed, acrylic, direct motor drive, seals...etc

    blast1.jpgblast2.jpgblast3.jpg

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