Just arrived!

[GramaCindy]

The new Mason 2x4 just arrived:D I am sooo pumped. It looks great. Everything is included but the firebricks. I do have some pics and will try to post.

[adk1]

YeeHaw!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fishgill]

Congrats. Best of luck with it. :)

[western mainer]

Great! Have fun!
Brian

[morningstarfarm]

NICE! enjoy your maiden voyage on her..:D

[JuniperHillSugar]

Congrats, I'm sure you'll be pleased.

Let me know if you have any questions that I may be able to help with.

Looks like Bill Mason has come through again. Great.

[steve J]

Congrats grandmacindy you are going to love it. Don't forget to put arch board in behind those bricks

[whalems]

Congratulations!! I am also looking very forward to boiling on some of Bills handy work. He made me a replacement syrup pan this year:) Good luck and happy Boiling, Mike

[GramaCindy]

I have heard that he doesn't recommend arch board in addition to firebricks….oh no, really? What is the orfice? near each of the drawoffs? one has a cap on it, the other not???

[whalems]

Should be a thermometer port.

[GramaCindy]

I don't need a Thermometer port, how do I "plug" the other one that's not covered with a "CAP":confused:

[GramaCindy]

Thank you everyone for the encouraging words. I won't be able to do a "test boil" for a week and a half:cry:, as we need to place it in the correct spot, chimney it and brick it…..hubby isn't here for at least 8 days.:( OH MAAAAAN!

[RipTyd]

Wish you the best with your new Mason , I want one toooo!

[adk1]

Me too, I cant wait till the day that I order mine so that I know that that will be the year that I make my very own syrup! Oh, I jsut cant wait. I will be driving all of you nuts once I do. I apologise in advance!

[captnsteve]

Good luck with the new mason

[JuniperHillSugar]

GramaCindy:

You should order a thermometer for the port on the front left of the evaporator, nearest the door. This thermometer will let you draw off as the temperature reaches 212+7 degrees. I ordered mine last year from Bascom's, they can help you with choosing the right one (6" I think).

Bill puts a fitting on each end so you can reverse the pan. You could put two thermometers on it, but I intend to move mine this year.

I didn't use arch board but my brick work is super tight to protect the steel. After 1 year my paint is still perfect and no rust whatsoever on the arch. Still looks brand new.

Good Luck.

JuniperHillSugar

[adk1]

Gramacindy, did you say that Bill does not recomend using the cement board as backing to the firebrick? why is this? Also, I would imagine that you will want that thermometer, I would order one. if not, you should be able to find a threaded plug at any hardware store to screw into it.

Can you do me a favor and measure what the length is from the inside from the door to the part part where it goes up, its in the middle of the arch I can see it in your pics. I am trying to plan ahead on my wood cutting this year and would like to buck my pieces to the proper length.

[captnsteve]

Did the new mason come with a diagram or instructions on how to place the brick?

[3rdgen.maple]

Put arch board in it or ceramic blanket. Bricks do not hold the heat in the arch it is only there to protect the metal from wood damage and flames directly burning out the arch prematurely. Insulation will retain more heat in the arch and your evaporator will last a long time with it in place. Arch board is cheap and sile to install. I have no idea why he would not recomend it. Makes zero sense to me.

[bxowner]

Can someone tell me what "arch board" is? Where might I find it? Is it thin?

The reason I ask is... I, too, just bought a 2x4 Mason and am planning to brick it this weekend. I can use all of the efficiency I can take!

Oh - one other "newbie" question - can I brick in freezing temps? I don't have a way to heat my garage and expect this weekend will be in the 20s here in Vermont. I have to pick up some refractory cement from Leader later this week and could ask them, but I'm curious.

Finally - the Mason evaporator came with pan gasket. Do people adhere it some way to the arch so it stays put? What would you use for cement - refractory cement? Or should I just rest it in place?

Sorry to hijack your thread, Cindy! But, it seems like we both could use the advice.

[steve J]

I just brick my 2x4 mason and I used arch board you can buy it from Bascoms I forget the price as I bought it last summer but its cheap and easy to work with. If you cut your bricks right and they are good and snug you can dry brick the evaporator as the sides are angled. I had a couple of spots that were a tad loose and I did apply furnace cement to those and put a small heater in arch that seem to dry it . But first fire should harden it well. I am heading up to caamp today to start tapping.

[whalems]

Arch board is an insulating board. If you are going to leader to get refractory cement they will have arch board. I think you will need heat to cement the brick. I think it needs to be above 40* for atleast 24 hrs. May want to just dry fit this year and cement when it warms up. Just a thought. Good luck, Mike

[steve J]

I was getting 17 gal an hour out of my mason 2x4 yesterday I was very pleased with that

[bowtie]

looking for feedback on wf mason would like to get 2x4 with blower. how do you guys like yours seems like a good product, but new to this deal, and have got lots of questions. hope you guys have lots of anwers.

[steve J]

He makes great product and it performs well as i stated above with the blower yesterday I got 17 gal per hour with out blower he rates it between 9 and 12 so you can see it makes a defference.

[GramaCindy]

I have only done two test boils with mine so far:( No sap here yet. Loved the boiling! It came to a boil in less than 1 hour running pans 1 1/2-2" deep, although the tap water I did use was fairly warm, like 80* to start. I put a house fan in front of the ash door and that really had it crankin'. For sure get the blower!

[Dill]

It should come to a boil a lot faster than that. Mine comes up with 20 minutes even with ice in it.
Use more wood! Bigger Fire is good.

[JuniperHillSugar]

Our Mason 2x4 comes to a boil in maybe 20 minutes, with no blower, from 35-40°F sap or sweet. I start with small split pine and keep feeding the monster until it is much too hot to touch. I'm running a stack temp around 450-550°F. I'm working on improving the preheater, hoping to speed it up a little. I'm getting around 8-9 gph as is.

[GramaCindy]

I will do that Dill, Juniper Hill, shouldn't you get gph than 8-9? Just wondering...

[GramaCindy]

Dill, what depth are you running your pans on average? Juniper Hill?

[Dill]

I ran deep. Guess I'm a wimp but my syrup pan is at least 2" and the flu pan is probably 4 inches over the flues. But it keeps me out of trouble, and I make 1 1/2 gallons min each pull. But its longer between pulls.

[fishman]

Did my first boil today on my homemade 2x5 with a 2x4 flat pan. Between not feeding it enough and not getting my warming pan very hot, I was doing about 10 gph from a standstill. Tried my wife's hairdryer for a few minutes as a blower (she wasn't home:rolleyes) and it really made an immediate difference. Guess I'll have to think about adding a small blower. Gotta get a head tank installed so I can continuous feed the warming pan and not just dump in 5 gallons of cold sap at a time.