100mm / 4" Ball Valve Type Non-Clog Blast Gate for Workshop Dust Extraction Network

Update 26 Jul 21

See this YouTube video by Nils Rasmusson https://www.thingiverse.com/the3dprintingzone/designs for a performance comparison of this blast gate with other commercially available designs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epJ929kZzc4&t=8s&ab_channel=LRN2DIY

Update 01Jan20

A more compact truncated ball design: Print 137790 

Update 10Nov20

At the request of Michael Tipman (WoodFlipWorkshop), STEP files added.

I have previous designs of blast gate that I hoped would be clog free,

a 63mm sliding blade: Print 137802

a butterfly valve type

63mm: Print 137801

100mm: Print 137799

& 63mm version of this ball valve type: Print 137795

This is the above ball valve design resized to suit 100mm hose/tubing.

In addition to printing filament you'll need 4 short M5 bolts to fasten the two halves of the tube together (I used M5 x 10mm socket button head set screws), an M4 x20mm bolt to hold the bearing on to the ball, and an M4 x25mm bolt to hold the lever onto the ball. The holes in the tube / ball housing may need to be eased with a suitable drill bit - 5mm on one side and 4.2mm (for tapping to M5) on the other.

You need to print 2 tubes, 1 ball, and 1 lever and bearing set for each gate. It's useful to use different colours for the lever and for the tube so that the position of the ball (open or closed) can be seen easily.

By the way - it's big!

Print Settings

Printer Brand:

Anycubic

Printer: 

Kossel

Rafts:

No

Supports: 

No

Resolution:

0.25

Infill: 

10% (grid)

Filament: Ooznest PETG Apple Green & Royal Blue

Notes:

I printed the ball with a small brim to help keep it attached to the build plate.

Post-Printing =============

Assembly

Fasten the lever to a square socket on one side of the ball with an M4 x 25mm bolt. I orientate this along the flow axis so that it shows whether the gate is open (along axis) or closed (across axis).

Fasten the bearing to the other square socket with an M4 x 20mm bolt.

Place the ball inside one tube with the bearing and lever set into the recesses.

Fit the second tube over the top and bolt together with M5 x 10mm bolts.

You should be able to turn the ball using the lever.

Category: Machine Tools