New Arch Build ???'s

[optionguru]

The new arch is coming along and now I'm going to start working on the firebox. I've read that a number of people don't have floors in their firebox, I thought this may be a good way to get lots of air under the fire. What are the pros and cons to doing this? If I do go "floorless" how high should the fire box be above the ground to allow for enough air and room for ash build-up under the grates?

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[optionguru]

Sorry to be a pest but I really need some thoughts on this. I haven't had any experience with an arch that has no floor in the firebox but it seems like it would work well. Kind of stuck in the build process until I figure out which way to go. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Super Sapper]

when I built mine I put a floor in the ash pan area and jus had a hinged back to add air. Last year I put in AUF and replaced the back and mounted the blower to it. If you may want to do AUF in the future you will need to have a floor to seal it up.

[TerryEspo]

I find it much easier to clean the ashes having a floor beneath the grate also. Mine is basically a drawer with no back piece, just a front and two sides, super easy to pull out and dump ashes, slide it back into place. It is definitely needed for AUF if you decide to do that. I suggest blower access from behind, rear of firebox, not built into ash door. I find the rear blower location more out of the way.

Hope that helps.

Terry

[tcross]

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I have basically the same set up as you! I built my arch to fit a 4x4 syrup pan. the grates are about 18" or so below the bottom of the pan, and they are about 12" above the floor. I did not put a bottom on my arch below the grates... ashes fall on the floor and are cleaned out through the door below the fire box! works well! I avoided a "pull out tray" just because I figured it would get gunked up with soot and ash... may not have? I have an auf blower coming in from the back section... I had a preheater pan on the back portion and I was getting about 23 gph on it... I was happy and impressed with the little thing! I added a copper tube preheater this year in hopes to get a couple more gph out of her! although there was a noticeable difference in my boil rate before I put the fan in, it seemed to have a good natural draw the way I set it up! I believe I have 10-12 feet of 8" stack... i'll be adding 2 more feet to it this year just to get it a little further above the roof line! It looks like you have a real good start on it so far!

[TerryEspo]

Hi Tcross:
May I ask what happens to the ashes once you start the blower?
I am imagining my arch with no ash drawer and a royal mess would blow at my toes once my blower started.
Even though my blower blows into the firebox, some air does get below my grate and moves around the ashes.

Just curious.

Thanks.

Terry

[tcross]

you're more then welcome to ask whatever you'd like! I did not have any issues with blowing ashes! my blower comes in the back via a 3" galv stove pipe that has holes punctured in the top half only and the end is plugged... so it only blows up! i have a frame around the bottom built with angle iron so the long part of the "L" is pointing up and a cinder block holds the door shut tight to that! In the picture my arch up on blocks and is open around the bottom, but that is just how it was when I was putting it all together! I put patio blocks around the bottom of the arch so air doesn't move in and out so much... also to stand on to see in better!

[optionguru]

Thanks for the replies. tcross on another note since you have non-traditional dimensions, as I will, I was wondering if you are still able to maintain a good boil throughout the whole pan. Mine is a little less square than yours but I have been concerned that it wouldn't spread the heat around the whole pan. Thanks again.

[tcross]

my set up boils very well! it does tend to start a harder boil in the second section in the very beginning, but once I move around the sap a little it squares itself away! I built the arch tapered with the thought that it would help spread the heat out as it got wider near the top? if i was to do it again (and I will when I upgrade), I'd make a wider opening for the smoke stack in the back. it might help draw the heat over the back of the pan more evenly then the 10" opening I have? I'd also (and am going to this year) reduce the room under my pan in the ramp section. right now there's about 7-8 inches of room, I'm going to fill it to about 2" and see if that helps spread the heat out for a harder boil!?? I was able to use the front section as my "syrup pan" section. I didn't have any issues drawing off my finished product right from the pan... no finishing on a separate unit!

[optionguru]

Progress Pics:

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Luckily the cold weather has bought me time to get the new evaporator done. Decided to go with a hybrid floor to the firebox. About 1/3 of the bottom is open to allow for more air to come up through the fire. Also going to cut out a 5" x 14" ash door below the fire grates to control air a little better. My biggest issue is figuring out the patter for fire brick and how best to attach it, I'm thinking about welding on bolts and using big washers where the corners of 4 bricks meet. Should hold the insulation and brick to the wall pretty well. Does anyone just use refractory cement to hold the bricks in place?

[Rosser's Ridge]

I just built my first arch, in fact gonna give it a water test run sat. I welded all thread near ends of rebar in a "T" , notched brick n drilled holes in sides of arch for all thread and put nuts on all thread outside to tighen. I only did this to top row as weight of brick hold lower rows in place. as far as brick lay out goes, I built mine to brick dementions to minimize cuts and still line as much as possible.

[optionguru]

So here's the final product. Still needs a full coat of paint but we got it up and running yesterday and all went well. Now if I can get enough sap to have a long boil I can figure out my gph.

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