Evaporator plans/ ideas anyone? for an elementary school

[Bugsmudbooksandsticks]

This year I was so glad to learn that our school will have a sugar shack this year. This will be our sixth season and since we will have a shack...next on the list is an evaporator. There are a few talented parents in my class when it comes to welding and building...can anyone point me in the direction for making a hobby sized evaporator? We are a non-profit school that uses the Maple Season as a way to teach elementary school aged children. check out other posts
www.bugsmudbooksandsticks.com.....Any help I can get in finding evaporator plans, where to get parts etc will be a huge help.

Thanks,

[BAP]

A couple of things that might help you.
1. when posted your website link, the extra periods at the end links the any to the web address making it not work. I got it to work by manually removing the extra periods and the any. Your site and what you have accomplished is great. I really liked all the pictures showing what you accomplished.
2. If you could provides us with some details, then people could better advise you. Things like # of anticipated taps, size of your sugarhouse that you are putting the evaporator in, do you plan to stay with wood?, how high tech or basic do you want the evaporator, how much time during the day do you have to boil this can help determine how big of an evaporator you need.
Asking for advice is a great idea, people will be more than happy to contribute, we just need a little bit of information to understand your needs.
Keep up the good work with the kids. I think it is great you are teaching a future generation how to sugar.

[morningstarfarm]

Nice website...looks like a well done maple program...first there are several things to consider before building an evaporator...I have run a similar program at my sons school for 6 years now. If you would like to chat about theevaporator please pm me...

[Bugsmudbooksandsticks]

Good Morning Chris,
Thanks so much for you response and the tip on the link periods. So we are a small private school and most of the work is done by children age 4-9. We have only 50 taps and do most of the collecting with five gallon buckets. The goal is for the kids to do as much work as they can so that it truly hands on. We would want/need the evaporator to be as basic as possible, we are sticking with wood so that the children are responsible for getting the wood and splitting it if necessary. Last year we boiled on an open fire-the evaporator can be going from 7 to about 4 everyday, minimum. I tend to stay at school later during the Maple Season. I am unsure about the dimensions of the shack itself-I can get the info. by the end of the day. We have a skilled welder to do the building. This has been a great way to teach nearly every subject- on the first day of school one of the kids came in and asked if it was time to tap trees.

Thanks

[Big_Eddy]

For 50 trees and 4-9 year olds, start with a 2x3 flat pan on a block arch. See links in my signature for ideas on how to build a flat pan, and how to put together a block arch.

Stainless if your welder can do it, plain steel if he isn't experienced on thin stainless. Total investment of $100 +/-, blocks included if you go with mild steel, a bit more for stainless.

[mc511]

I have plans for a evaporator and pans from a old fuel tank. can email them to you if you want. I built mine, and get 8 - 12 gph depending how hot the fire is.

[Wood burn]

If you don't minde I'm building a evaporator out of an oil tank and woud appreciate a copy of thoses plans dieselgreace@hotmail.com

[Evets]

Hi guys. I'm hoping to build a evaporator from an oil tank too this year. Any chance I could have your plans too? Thanks. banjos@ptd.net