2x6 Arch Taller?

[AGR1093]

I am thinking that my arch firebox needs a little more depth. I am considering buying some 6" Channel iron and putting it around the top of the arch to raise the pans a little bit. In doing this I figured it would be easier to install my AOF too. I figure I will use blanket to insulate. Any thoughts/experience doing this? My other thought is it would be easy to re-tin and add an airtight front in the future.

[Evets]

I'd be interested in the answer to your question, myself. I'm building my first arch and was wondering about the optimum distance between the grate and the bottom of the pan(s). I'm using 6"deep restaurant pans.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

from bottom of pan to grates in mine is about 18"

[Evets]

from bottom of pan to grates in mine is about 18"

Sounds good. Thanks!

[Sugarmaker]

Your gap from the bottom of the flues to the arch is going to increase as you add that 6 inch riser. Some pictures might help?
Regards,
Chris

[maple flats]

Getting about 18" under the syrup pan is good but you will then want to raise it under the flues if you have them. Under flues should only be about 1/4" to force the heat thru the flues. Then about 6-8" before the stack, go back down to about 6-8" deep for smoke.

[AGR1093]

Getting about 18" under the syrup pan is good but you will then want to raise it under the flues if you have them. Under flues should only be about 1/4" to force the heat thru the flues. Then about 6-8" before the stack, go back down to about 6-8" deep for smoke.

Right, so I was thinking about 2- 6' pieces of this channel to make new rails, with ends welded on to make sort of a frame that would essentially set on top of my existing arch. This would raise the syrup pan and the flue pan. Then I would need to elimante the new, extra air space under the flue pan - I guess I would probably use some sand covered with insulation, probably firebrick is a little overkill here (and expensive!).

I will need to measure from my grates to front pan right now, I have the older style Small Brothers lighting arch, I am guessing that it is probably 12"-14". My doors will still be small, but the theory is to create some air space, right? The newer, taller arches aren't designed so you can cram a whole lot more wood in, they are designed for some air space, swirling of gasses, more complete combustion, etc. (?)

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

MY 2x6 is almost 9' long added a hot air box to preheat aof it's 18" deep and almost 3' tall I can put my hand 1/4" to stack and leave it. I still have some black smoke but need to adjust Aof/auf

[AGR1093]

MY 2x6 is almost 9' long added a hot air box to preheat aof it's 18" deep and almost 3' tall I can put my hand 1/4" to stack and leave it. I still have some black smoke but need to adjust Aof/auf

Flatlander do you have pics of this hot air box? What do you figure your gallons per hour of sap are on your rig?

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Flatlander do you have pics of this hot air box? What do you figure your gallons per hour of sap are on your rig?
Try this link dig through the pics look for pics that around smoke stack
https://picasaweb.google.com/109422098405410832471/NewArch

Link doesnt work let me fig out

Sent from Rusty's HTC

[Drew Pond Maple]

Under flues should only be about 1/4" to force the heat thru the flues. .
Is 1/4" the norm? I have mine at 1"
Would it work better at 1/4"?

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I would agree with flats the closer the better. I have 2" of blanket insulation below with bricks on top of it so I can flue brush with out ripping up insulation

[maple flats]

I have 1/4" to 1/2" max under mine. This forces the heat up into the flues.
Flat lander, just get that adjustment right. I get no visible smoke once the fire gets fully involved, at refueling I can see no smoke as soon as about 1 minute after fueling and almost none while refueling. I only get smoke for 15-25 minutes after starting the fire, but after the first 10 minutes it is getting hard to see it. I do however light my fire quicker than many. I just lay up a full pile of criss crossed layers of wrist sized wood, no kindling, then I use a 500,000 BTU weed burner torch (at about 1/2-2/3 strength) for 5-7 minutes. This looks to be fully involved at that point but I can still see a little faint smoke for a few more minutes. I turn on the HP blower as soon as I shut off the big torch and close the door. I have my blower feed both the AUF and the AOF, the AUF valve is open about 25-30% and the AOF valve is open about 65-70%. These settings have not been changed in several years, and are the same all during the boil, until about 30 minutes after last firing. I do not shut off to refuel a,d I get no sparks or smoke out the front.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I have 1/4" to 1/2" max under mine. This forces the heat up into the flues.
Flat lander, just get that adjustment right. I get no visible smoke once the fire gets fully involved, at refueling I can see no smoke as soon as about 1 minute after fueling and almost none while refueling. I only get smoke for 15-25 minutes after starting the fire, but after the first 10 minutes it is getting hard to see it. I do however light my fire quicker than many. I just lay up a full pile of criss crossed layers of wrist sized wood, no kindling, then I use a 500,000 BTU weed burner torch (at about 1/2-2/3 strength) for 5-7 minutes. This looks to be fully involved at that point but I can still see a little faint smoke for a few more minutes. I turn on the HP blower as soon as I shut off the big torch and close the door. I have my blower feed both the AUF and the AOF, the AUF valve is open about 25-30% and the AOF valve is open about 65-70%. These settings have not been changed in several years, and are the same all during the boil, until about 30 minutes after last firing. I do not shut off to refuel a,d I get no sparks or smoke out the front.
yea my issue is im still using the old furnace blower for AUF, just need to Y the pipe and put in valves to regulate. I also think I might have made the AOF holes to big, I used 1/4 nipples instead of 1/8

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

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hot air box

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

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fem more of hot air box

[AGR1093]

So flat lander, after the flue pan you exhaust is forced down, under a baffle, over the AOF air pipes, then up your stack? Then you have like 5 black iron pipes where the air is heated for the AUF, and five SEPARATE pipes where the air is heated for the AOF? Why not just one set of pipes to heat the air, the split the air for AOF and AUF with a "Y" pipe under the back of the arch?

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

So flat lander, after the flue pan you exhaust is forced down, under a baffle, over the AOF air pipes, then up your stack? Then you have like 5 black iron pipes where the air is heated for the AUF, and five SEPARATE pipes where the air is heated for the AOF? Why not just one set of pipes to heat the air, the split the air for AOF and AUF with a "Y" pipe under the back of the arch?
have one large cold air box at back wall of hot air transfer chamber where is piped in from HP blower. Its forced through 10 1" pipes to a second box hot air box that collects the air and then funnels it through the 5" exhaust 90 to AOF. My AOF is 3x6 tubing. Right now AOF is only heated.
Some will say dont heat anything because less oxygen in heated air. So for this year im going to Y the pipe before the cold air box and run a pipe to AUF with some kind of valve to control air. I want to use a butterfly valve but the cheapest one is around 400 and need two of them. I believe a butterfly valve will create the least amount of turbulence unlike a ball valve or gate valve.
Im going to pull top plate above hot air box and look to see what the pipes look like. maybe they warped

[AGR1093]

On the hot air holding less oxygen: I have thought a lot about that. I think if you were using your blower to collect and blow hot air that would be the case, less oxygen. However, if you are blowing cold air with the blower then heating the air, it should make higher pressure, but once the air is in the pipe the oxygen percentage can't change, right? On the other hand diesel engines compress air with a turbo then blast it through an intercooler before blowing it into the engine, but they are happy to be without heat in that case...