Perhaps the most complex element of my new shop is the dust collection system. This includes the dust collector with removable waste bin, the in-ceiling ducting which connects it from the mechanical room to my shop, the individual machine drops which include a pneumatically controlled blast gate (my design for this illustrated above), and the electrical components to automatically sense when to turn on the dust collector and which blast gate to open. Today I installed the contactor that will be used to energize the dust collector anytime a wood chip-producing machine is turned on. A current sensor in the electrical panel will determine when any machine on the dedicated circuit is operating and will activate the contactor. A current sensor on each machine’s power supply will cause the associated blast gate to open. I hope to have my shop operational within the next 2 months and look forward to starting cabinet construction for the kitchen.