New Here - Question about evap pan

[RubberDuck]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum. Over the past few years we've made small batches utilizing propane burners, but this year I'm building a wood-fired masonry arch. Yesterday I came across a 4ft x 4ft 1/8" steel pan in an old oil jobber's building I was digging around in. He gave it to me, it had never been used for anything but was painted and kinda dirty from sitting around. I'm planning on sandblasting it to bare metal and "seasoning" it with a little vegetable oil or the like sorta like a cast iron skillet so it doesn't rust. I'm then going to weld in a ball valve to drain from the bottom and also weld in a pre-heat pan on the back edge. Any issues with using plain steel as opposed to stainless?

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

One issue I would think of is that, after you boil, youll have sugar sand in your pan. With the regular steel, It might be harder to get out, and it might rust the pan more after each season because it is not stainless.
Somebody else reply to this thread because im not to sure to tell any body about what pan to use, and not to use.

[500592]

Lots of people use steel just make sure after the season you wipe it down with a little crisco and put it away someplace dry

[Bucket Head]

I used two steel pans for years with no trouble. The key is to not clean it! Well, what I mean is don't scrub the brownish build-up out of the inside of the pan. It is nitre build-up and it eventually "coats" the inside of the pan and keeps it from rusting. If you scour the inside and make it spotless, it will rust. The soot build-up on the outside also coats and prevents rust on the outside, but the inside is the important part.

Steve

[mellondome]

Where is Haynes when you need him...

I understand building a hobby (addiction) on the cheap, but...

Would you drink from the pan as it is now? How will the maple taste with burnt paint flavor added (and residual oil)?

If it is in an "oil jobbers" hut, it has come in contact with more than you want to know. I guess if you are just making it for yourself and yourself only, (no spouse or kids ..) then have at it.
If you want to use mild steel, make it out of new stock.

If you search through the past posts on this site, you will find what you are looking for, as this has been hashed before here.

[Bucket Head]

Read the original post again. He did say it was "unused"- it had not seen any oil. He also said he would be sandblasting it, which would remove all paint. Sandblasting would actually make it better than "new stock" mild steel because all the mill scale would be removed too.

Steve

[b116757]

long and narrow is more efficient but it should work fine use Crisco not vegetable oil it should work for about 160 taps