hood question????????????

[cpmaple]

Just finished my arch lastnight firebricking it. Now i have to make a hood due to sugarhouse roof being tin it will be raining on the inside from steam. Does anyone out there have a easy way to do one and how far off the pans do i need to keep it i only have flat pans if that help 2x4 rear and 2x2 front divided. thanks for the help cpmaple

[Haynes Forest Products]

If you dont have a preheater on the pan then things are easy. 2X6 set of flat pans can be made out of a 4X8 sheet of 22 guage Aluminum. All the side have to be is 3-4" up at an angle will do. will leave plent of material for doors and such. Look at my Photo bucket and you will see it doesnt have to be real high to work. The smaller it is the hotter it will get the less condensation it will form on the inside. The strenght will come with a few bends and the fact its sitting on the pans. 10" stack and your all set.

[maple flats]

I made mine out of aluminum using some I bought in sheets, 36"x96". I don't remember the thickness but it was too heavy to bend well with my aluminum trim brake. The year I made it I was getting close to the season or the supplier could have ordered slightly lighter stock which would have bent better. I had to add extra clamps at each frame C that had none, or the brake opened slightly and made a poor bend. In the end it looks and works good but took about 2 hrs when it should have taken 30 minutes. I made it in sections, one section starts at one bottom edge and goes up 6", bend 30 degrees, up 12", bend 30 degrees, flat on top for 11" and bend 30 degrees and cut of to leave just 1 " overlap. The other side is up 6, bend, up 12, bend then 1" . The whole thing is then pop riveted to make the unit. The ends have a 1" tab on all sides and I cut the end panels flat to match and pop riveted in place. The overall is cut to finish at 90" on my 8' rig. The rear end panel is full cover, while a second is riveted to make 6' long for the flue pan and ends a few inches below the top for steam passage. The rest hangs over the syrup and covers all but about 5", and the bottom is up to see into the front pan. Next I cut a front panel and pop riveted to make the hood. The last thing I did, was to use some aluminum U channel, 1x1x1 and about 1/8" thick to make a gutter system. I mitered the gutter and using some aluminum weld rod from TSC I made it a rectangle with a spout to drain off one rear corner and it matches the size of the flue pan. Then I made another gutter, 3 sides only for the elevated section. Each of these gutters are pop riveted to the hood. The last thing I did was make a chute going from the upper level gutter to the bottom to carry condensate to there. Finally, I cut 2- 10" steam stack holes and suspended a stack drip tray that drains to a gutter. I have light gage aluminum angle pieces (maybe 1/16") up each corner and extending up above the corners about 4" and down 1" below to hold the hood in position at the corners. I put holes in at the top and now with 4 lift corners, with light SS cable up to pulleys and then to a hand winch mounted on the end wall, I just crank to raise the hood when needed. Because the top pulleys are directly above the corners being lifted, I can lower the hood and it sets right back in place. Finally I cut a door about 6" x 12" in each side on the second section up and made sliding doors, so I can see in both sides when needed. Th hood, in operation rests on the 3x6 flue pan and extends forward elevated about 12" to cover all except about 6" of my 3x2 syrup pan. If I did it again, I might only use 1- 10" steam stack, but It does not hurt anything except I had to make 2- 10" aluminum stacks instead of one. I also made the steam stacks telescoping, I have 10" up from the hood and 8" suspended from above and just hanging inside the ten", this way I raise the hood and the stacks don't cause any problem. I can raise it about 2.5' to clean the pan, for more than that I could remove a section of the 10" stack.