homemade evaporator plans thread.

[maplekid]

ive noticed quite alot of people search for homemaade evaporator plans on this site and come up empty handed. i think this should be a sticky thread where you guys post drawings and pictures of your homemade evaps to help out the new guys on the site. just thinking out loud. ,nate

[sirsapsalot]

Yeah good luck with the sticky i dont think this site is maintained by anyone.

[SevenCreeksSap]

I think this is a good idea and someone does maintain the site, just probably not everyday. I think Kim is the admin, but maybe someone else knows better. There are a lot of great ideas like the dryer evap and the filing cabinet setup. You may not get many plans but everybody seems to take pics. Heres a link to mine. Keep em coming.


http://s1108.photobucket.com/albums/h416/SevenCreekssap/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ12

[vttsa]

Sevencreeksap-
I looked at your photos. I'm considering building a very similar rig to yours. I've got a few questions. How far back did you firebrick? Did you go all the way back to the stack, or did you stop once you were out of the main firebox area? Also is there any reason/advantage that caused you not to ramp the arch? Thanks.

[SevenCreeksSap]

Last season I just had enough brick on hand to stand a few rows of brick on their side, and had several rows all the way back to the stack to try to keep the flame against the bottom of the pans. The whole firebox was bricked up. The brick did help hold the heat in but it took a good hour to get the pans boiling to the stack. It also got extremely hot all the way back so couldnt touch it. This year I'm getting some insulating blanket to put in. I guess it should hold the heat in better, more efficient.

I did use a piece of curved metal from the tank to have a bit of sloped ramp from the grate to the lip of the flue area, its not much of an angle but does guide the flame up.

I was getting the best boil by actually building the fire up high enough on the grate to actually lay longer pieces of wood back under the front of the rear pan, and when it burned off the coals would fall back into the firebox. This is 2x8 and a long way for the heat to travel. my firebox is over 2 ft front to back and could be a little longer, but I think getting the fire blanket in will really help. I'm losing a lot of heat with just brick. Also need to get the forced air in. I didnt get the fan hooked up last season, no electricity but I'm going to figure out a solar battery setup this year.

Keep working at it. I'm sure you'll get something going.

[vttsa]

Ok thanks a lot! Also wondering are those flat pans on it, and do you know what your GPH is?

[Twindadx2]

That would be great if the Maple Trader Gods are listening! A Sticky would help out, especially us new guys.;)

[SevenCreeksSap]

Just saw this thread again, sorry VTTSA, not ignoring, just haven't been all through the site lately.
Yeah, I have flat pans from Smoky Lake. Got a deal as second owner of brand new never used pans. I've used them now and really am happy with them. for the taps we'll have it should be good. Take a look through at some of the drop tube ideas if you're building your own. seems like a good way to boil more, faster.

I was probably only getting 10-12 gal hr this year, but no blower or preheater. Not sure really because my head tank doesn't have a gauge on it I can watch to see how fast its going down. another project for this season. Still looking for a 12v dc motor I can hook up for a fan. that should raise my gph a good bit, and I got a 2 gallon stainless box at an auction I'm going to set up somehow as a kind of preheater. maybe mount it on the side of the evap or against the stack base. I think with the amount of sap it'll hold it shouldnt scorch with cold sap in it and a reasonable flow through.

[Treetapper]

This is the latest one I built a couple years ago. Flat pans. 15 GPH on a good day, no forced air yet. Should be AUF at least this season.
http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?8319-New-Homemade-Arch

[Eric Schoembs]

Due to the location of my sugar house and not wanting the noise of generator I run my entire sugar house off of 3 12v deep cycle boat batteries. I have 2 15 watt solar panels that I purchased from northern tool and a charge regulator. The batteries power 12v led lights, a 12v blower, and a 12v pump to pump the sap up to a head tank in the sugar house. I charge the batteries at the begining of the season and then let the solar panels trickle charge my batteries the rest of the season. I can run for about 8 hours which suites my needs well. All said and done I have about the same amount of money into the setup as I would have spent on an inexpensive generator but I never have to buy gas and do not have any noise!!!

Eric Schoembs
Fairfield, VT
110 taps 2011 14 gallons
110 taps 2012 6 gallons
110 taps 2013 hopping for a great season.

[madtrapper]

your welcolm to have a look at my pictures. lots of em below my name. let me know what ya think vttsa