A shop-made blast gate is a sliding closure that lets you open suction to one dust-collection branch while closing another. The right build depends on the pipe and fittings you own, the thickness of the slider, and the tools available: one documented design cuts a groove directly into 4-inch PVC, while others use plywood housings and coupling sections. Measure and test-fit your actual materials before making a batch.
Choose a design before cutting
These projects share a purpose but not a standardized plan. The WOOD Magazine method places a 1/4-inch MDF slider in a groove cut into the pipe. Other designs build a plywood body around a slider and connect it to PVC with coupling sections. Select one approach and follow its geometry rather than combining dimensions from different designs.
- Pipe-groove design: A compact approach using a slot cut in the pipe itself. It requires a table saw and dado setup, and its documented blade setting applies only to the 4-inch example.
- Plywood-housing design: A built-up body with a separate slider, pipe sections, and couplings. It offers a removable stop block in one documented build, but requires more layout and fitting work.
- Coupling-based alternate: Jay Bates’s overview describes a 3/8-inch plywood gate, a scrap-wood handle, 4-inch pipe, and a coupling cut in half. It is a distinct design, not a variation with interchangeable dimensions.
There are no controlled airflow, leakage, or durability comparisons among these project sources, so choose based on fit, construction method, sealing access, and maintainability rather than a claimed performance advantage.
Measure the pipe and fittings you will use
“4-inch” alone does not establish the dimensions needed for a close-fitting gate. In Jonathan White’s plywood-housing example, the pipe is reported as 4 inches inside diameter and 4 3/16 inches outside diameter. Those are measurements for his material, not a universal specification. Measure the pipe’s inside and outside diameters and check how the chosen straight coupling fits before laying out openings or buying materials for multiple gates.
#1 Best Overall
- INCLUDES: (2) 4" Patented Blast Gate dust collector attachment (Tapered OD, from 3-7/8" to 4-1/8")
- FEATURES: A molded, single piece body construction that offers a ramped clog resistant and gapless design (no air loss or reduced suction), along with a seamless sliding gate that delivers a secure firm stop when opened
- FUNCTION: Helps direct and control airflow from one machine to another, while providing a quicker and easier change over for your integrated woodworking machines and dust collection systems
- PREMIUM QUALITY: This 4" blast gate was made with heavy duty industrial grade plastic, known for it's impact and shock absorbance, along with anti-scratch and heat resistant properties
- PLEASE NOTE: Embossed "OUT" mark should face toward the dust collector side to ensure proper hookup with the dust collection system, achieving clog-free performance.
For a parts search, “4-inch PVC pipe” is the clearest starting phrase; a compatible 4-inch straight coupling is relevant to housing designs that use couplings. Nominal labels do not guarantee that a particular pipe, coupling, and housing will mate as intended. Verify the actual pieces together.
Materials and tools by design
| Design | Documented materials | Tools reported |
|---|---|---|
| WOOD Magazine pipe-groove method | 4-inch PVC pipe; 1/4-inch MDF slider | Table saw and dado blade; setup to secure pipe against turning |
| Jonathan White plywood housing | Plywood housing halves; 1/4-inch plywood spacers and slider; short PVC pipe sections; coupling pieces; removable screwed stop block | Jig for repeated openings; router with pattern bit; bandsaw, drill, sanding drum, clamps, measuring and layout tools |
| Jay Bates alternate | 4-inch PVC pipe; coupling cut in half; 3/8-inch plywood gate; scrap-wood handle | Basic shop tools; the overview does not give a complete tool inventory |
Construction adhesive or epoxy appears in a later overview of the Bates-style project. That overview also describes scuffing PVC before bonding and using a flexible painter’s-tape flap as a seal. These are design-specific suggestions, not tested claims about service life or leakage.
Rank #2
- Includes: 4” Blast Gate; Both ends have 4” OD outlet diameters and are designed to work with 4” ID dust hoses or other 4” ID ports
- Specifications: Accepts 4” ID dust hose, port or vacuum fitting; 4" Nominal end measures 3-61/64” O.D. and 3-3/4” I.D
- Compatibility: Will not connect directly to other 4” OD ports; please confirm that the actual listed size fits your application before ordering. If connecting to a 4” OD port, a Flex Cuff or similar device will be required
- Function: Maximizes the efficiency of your dust collection system by directing and regulating the air flow from one machine to another
- Quality: Made with premium black ABS plastic, this unit was designed for durability and is abrasion resistant - able to withstand daily wear & tear from dirt, sawdust and woodchips
Build the pipe-groove version
Jim Heavey’s WOOD Magazine method uses 1/4-inch MDF and cuts a groove into 4-inch PVC to receive the slider. The article was updated October 10, 2024, and identifies Heavey as a WOOD contributing craftsman and educator.
- Confirm the actual slider thickness. Use the MDF intended for the gate, and establish the dado width to suit that material rather than assuming every sheet measures identically.
- Set up for the 4-inch example. Heavey describes shimming a dado blade to the MDF thickness and raising the blade about 2 1/4 inches to cut a groove about halfway through the pipe’s diameter. This setting is specific to the documented pipe and setup; do not transfer it to another diameter or saw.
- Prevent the pipe from turning. The documented process secures the pipe against rotation during the cut. This description is not a complete table-saw safety procedure; use a method and equipment appropriate to your machine and workpiece.
- Test the fit before taking the assembly apart. Heavey’s instruction is: “And before I take anything apart, I’m using the material that I’m planning on using for the blast gate to make sure that I test that fit.” The slider should fit the groove as intended before you proceed with the rest of the assembly.
For the full source process, see WOOD Magazine’s shop-made blast gates for PVC pipes.
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Rank #3
- INCLUDES: (6) 4” Blast Gate; Both ends have 4" OD outlet diameters and are designed to work with 4" ID dust hoses or other 4" ID ports
- SPEC: Accepts 4" ID dust hose, port or vacuum fitting; 4" Nominal end measures 3-61/64" O.D. and 3-3/4" I.D
- FUNCTION: Maximizes the efficiency of your dust collection system by directing and regulating the air flow from one machine to another
- COMPATIBILITY: Will not connect directly to other 4” OD ports; please confirm that the actual listed size fits your application before ordering. If connecting to a 4” OD port, a Flex Cuff or similar device will be required
- QUALITY: Made with premium black ABS plastic, this unit was designed for durability and is abrasion resistant - able to withstand daily wear & tear from dirt, sawdust and woodchips
Build a plywood housing and slider
Jonathan White documents a more involved design made from paired plywood halves, 1/4-inch plywood spacers, and a 1/4-inch plywood slider, with short PVC pipe sections and coupling pieces forming the connections. His example uses a jig to repeat the housing openings and a router with a pattern bit to finish them.
Fit is the main practical constraint: White reports that his slider was initially too tight, so he thinned it slightly. A removable stop block secured with screws allows the gate to be taken apart for maintenance. Treat his dimensions and adjustments as one builder’s example, not a universal cutting plan. See Jonathan White’s plywood-housing build.
Rank #4
- INCLUDES: (1) 6” Blast Gate
- FUNCTION: Allows you to control the air flow of your workshop dust collector, optimizing its efficiency by closing one section of your system while the other is in use
- EASY TO USE: Equipped with an open and shut design with a deep, 1-1/2 tapered flange on each side that attaches to your 6” ID dust collection hose.
- BUILD: Made with premium ABS plastic for strength, durability and optimal impact resistance – commonly needed for dust collection and woodworking applications
- DIMENSIONS: 6” Nominal OD ports are actually sized at 5.847” and the ID is actually 5.63” with a 1-1.2” long deep tapered flange
Plan for the slot and possible air leaks
A sliding gate can leave an opening at its slot or edges when closed. One comment on Bates’s design specifically flags the bottom slot as a possible vacuum-leak path; Bates replies that the build video accounts for it. The later project overview describes a flexible painter’s-tape flap. Consider where the slot is exposed and how it can be covered or sealed in your chosen layout, but do not treat either suggestion as a measured leakage solution.
The alternate design is outlined at Jay Bates’s DIY blast-gate page; a separate overview of that style is at Woodsmith’s blast-gate project.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- INCLUDES: (1) 4" Blast Gate dust collector attachment (Tapered OD, from 3-7/8" to 4-1/8")
- FEATURES: A molded, single piece body construction that offers a ramped clog resistant and gapless design (no air loss or reduced suction), along with a seamless sliding gate that delivers a secure firm stop when opened
- FUNCTION: Helps direct and control airflow from one machine to another, while providing a quicker and easier change over for your integrated woodworking machines and dust collection systems
- PREMIUM QUALITY: This 4" blast gate was made with heavy duty industrial grade plastic, known for it's impact and shock absorbance, along with anti-scratch and heat resistant properties
- PLEASE NOTE: Embossed "OUT" mark should face toward the dust collector side to ensure proper hookup with the dust collection system, achieving clog-free performance.
Check the fit before making several gates
- Measure the pipe and coupling that will connect to the gate; do not rely on a nominal size alone.
- Match the groove or housing to the actual slider thickness, then test the slider’s movement before final assembly.
- For a housing design, check the pipe sections and couplings together before repeating the opening layout.
- Decide how the closed gate’s slot and edges will be handled, and whether the assembly needs to come apart for cleaning or repair.
- Use dimensions and tool settings only for the design and material they describe; the documented methods are not interchangeable plans.
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