Metal Blast Gate - Stay Put

[glenn bradley]

My dad came up with the idea of using magnets to keep the gate in position versus the little turn screw doo-jobber. I haven't gotten a good look at his method but here's mine.

The problem I have is that my DC will suck the gate halfway closed if I don't tighten the screw-knob down. This is a pain in some of the locations where I have gates. I open and close a couple of my gates with a notched stick to extend my reach (I know, sounds odd . . . and is).

Remove the screw knob and gather up a short screw that fits, a small barrel shaped magnet, a piece of scrap and some epoxy.

blast gate magnet 001.jpg

Shape the "precision magnet retention device" accordingly and epoxy in the magnet.

blast gate magnet 002.jpg

Screw it on where the knob used to be.

blast gate magnet 3.jpg

And now the gate stays closed (it did that before but I'm trying to make this sound good).

blast gate magnet 4.jpg

And is stays open (no more sucking halfway closed while my back is turned).

blast gate magnet 5.jpg

[Bill Arnold]

Glenn,

That's a great solution! I use a bunch of the gates like you have and, so far, haven't had an issue with any closing on their own. It looks like yours are at an angle whereas mine are either horizontal or vertical and the slide pulls straight either way. In any case, thanks in advance for a solution if I need one.

[Jim Becker]

The one question I have is if the gate stays sealed while closed without the screw to move it in the right direction?

[Ryan Baker]

The suction pulls the gate up against the body, sealing it off and holding it in place. You don't need the screw to hold it closed. I have never had to lock down the screw to keep them open either though.

[glenn bradley]

Ryan's got it.

[Jim Becker]

See, that's the thing....there isn't much "suction" (static pressure) when a properly sized gate somewhere else is fully open and drawing maximum air flow. Therefore, there is risk of leaking. Dust collectors don't work on suction and have very little of it as compared to vacs. This is one of the reasons that I'm sorry I used the metal blast gates since the fit of the gate is so sloppy...doing it over again, I'd build my own.