Begginer evap plans and questions.

[SDdave]

How big or small of an evaporator would you suggest for app. 50 taps? Anybody got a good design? Or any suggested reading I should do before I go on? (I really don't like to read, it took me over 2 years to finish my last book about procrastination:lol:!)

[SDdave]

wrong category...How do you move it to the homemade section?

[Gary R]

I would suggest about a 2X4 flat pan. It depends on how handy and how much money you have. You could go with a barrel type or build the arch from scratch. Sorry, but your going to have to read the posts on here.

[mike z]

The difficulty you will have is deciding exactly how big to make it. 50 taps now, but what about next year or the next or the next...

[SDdave]

Ya' I've read alot of posts, maybe i should just PM somebody about said somebody's rig that i liked. As for expansion, I actually have to downgrade from my anticipated 35 to 25, not a lot by any means, but for me it is. I don't forsee myself getting to 50 to 100 for a few years. Could someone tell me what that book is that's suggested for beg/hobbyists?

Thanks for the responses so far...

SDdave

[C.Wilcox]

If you're going to have 50 taps consistently I'd go with a 2X4. If you're going to have less than that some years I'd go with a 2X3 so you don't need to wait so long to build up enough sap for a boil. As for an evaporator, I think you have it right. Pick one that you liked the look of and ask that person for advice. There are a lot of different approaches and they all work to some degree. Ultimately it just comes down to your personal preference.

[70 Buick]

and your skills on building it LOL

I liked many but settled on a barrel because it was easier

[SDdave]

Luckily for me my father-in-law has an ace welder working for him. As my father in law can attest, I can't build anything out of metal. Now out of rock or wood that's a different story. I think they might need a rain day project this summer! Now gotta find that evap i like. Thanks for the input so far.

SD dave

[Mac_Muz]

I am a little hobby guy. This stove is the 3rd or 4th I forget. It works well with 15 to 50 taps. It's as close to free as it gets.

I paid money for the sheet steel pan, from NAPA Auto Parts and designed the pan on paper first. The smoke stack was the only other real cost so far as the stove is concerned. I use a little light chain to help support it with cabin spikes I use in the garden later in the year.

The stove is mounted on kiddie skis, so I can drag it to the wood pile where ever that happens to be. The skis adjust so the pan can be leveled too.

Most of the parts are made of the same barrel they were cut from, with added scrap steel added here and there to hold the pan, to hold a grate, and to be a baffel/damper. I don't use sand or insulation, which keeps the barrel light.

In fact i see no sence adding insulation to the outside of a barrel, which would only serve to roast the steel barrel, and since this rig runs on trash woods, any wood going in would tear inside insulation to bits.

At apx 800 above sea level it boils off about 5 gallons an hour.

To start a fire in it, it needs apx 10 gallons of sap.

The pan is apx 21" x 36" roughly.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll275/Mac_Muz/Maple_Sugarin/Stove_grate_placed.jpg

The above shows the baffel and grate, both made of bits of the barrel, as well as the door. Other pics on my link are sort of How To, but are not in order.
http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll275/Mac_Muz/Maple_Sugarin/
If any of this floats yer stick, it's ok to pm me.

[70 Buick]

I put my insulation inside the barrel so it won't "cook" the barrel

[Treetapper]

Plan for expansion just in case. I'll bet most on the Trader never thought they would get as "carried away" as they have. Its a disease! But also make sure you have enough sap to fill your evap every couple days with at least enough to keep the pans fed till your fire dies out. Also consider how much time you want to hide out in the sugar house / shed. Good luck!

[Mac_Muz]

I put my insulation inside the barrel so it won't "cook" the barrel

Do you burn the paint off the barrel? Got any pics of the insulation install?

If this season has a decent run, I might build an addon barrel as a preheater. I am not sure what that would do to the draft though.