My new shop will have its duct collection piping under the floor. For now it will be powered by my HF 2HP DC; in future, I plan to upgrade to a cyclone.
For maximum efficiency, I want to locate the blast gates as close as possible to the main trunk, rather than at the end of each branch next to the machine it serves. This creates an accessibility problem: how do I open and close a blast gate that I can't get to?
Two possible solutions that have already come to mind:
1. Commercially-available motorized gates. These open and close automatically when a tool comes on and shuts off. Nice! Downside is high cost. Also, when I upgrade to a cyclone I will probably have larger ducts, and could end up stuck with some expensive motorized gates that are now too small.
2. Cable-and-pulley system, operated by a lever or wheel located at each tool. I've given some thought to this and think it could be done reasonably easily. A little crude, maybe, but cheap and simple.
My question is, is there another way? Would it be possible to cook up a home-brewed motorized solution, maybe using low-voltage DC motors or whatever?
For maximum efficiency, I want to locate the blast gates as close as possible to the main trunk, rather than at the end of each branch next to the machine it serves. This creates an accessibility problem: how do I open and close a blast gate that I can't get to?
Two possible solutions that have already come to mind:
1. Commercially-available motorized gates. These open and close automatically when a tool comes on and shuts off. Nice! Downside is high cost. Also, when I upgrade to a cyclone I will probably have larger ducts, and could end up stuck with some expensive motorized gates that are now too small.
2. Cable-and-pulley system, operated by a lever or wheel located at each tool. I've given some thought to this and think it could be done reasonably easily. A little crude, maybe, but cheap and simple.
My question is, is there another way? Would it be possible to cook up a home-brewed motorized solution, maybe using low-voltage DC motors or whatever?
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