Steam hood

[Big Stoney]

Does anyone make a cheaper steam hood and what would a hood for a 30" x 8 ft arch cost?

[maple flats]

Before anyone could give you a price, they would need your pan sizes. The flue pan hood or hood part sets tight on the pan, the syrup pan hood is raised above the pan anywhere from 14-16". Sometimes those are all 1 unit, sometimes 2. On my homemade hood for a 2x6, the hood only covered the back pan. On my homemade hood for my original 3x8 evaporator it was all one, with the 3x6 back pan fully covered and with a sliding door on each side and the syrup pan was the same height along the top, but it was up about 14" over the 2x2 syrup pan. Since the aluminum I bought to make it was 8' long, the hood, after folding around the front and back ends about 3/4" each, the syrup pan hood was also recessed back about 2-3" (bends + thick gasket between the pans).
On my current pans, still 3x8 overall, the flue pan is 3x5 with a tight fit, and the syrup pan hood is 3x3 and that hood is attached to the flue pan hood to make a single unit, with the syrup portion up about 16" above the pan. My current one was made by the pan manufacturer, Thor Equipment in Quebec. That hood has 2 doors on each side.
For my first 3x8 hood I studied one that WestVirginiaMapler had posted and copied the basic design.

[Big Stoney]

Thanks Dave. I would really like a stainless hood. We hope to be building a sugar house and am trying to keep the costs down as much as possible.

[MT Pockets Producer]

We had a local tin knocker build ours out of stainless. It is 2x4and covers the flue pan only. It saved us $350 as compared to going with the commercially built units and the drains and gutters are done to our specs. He Did a nice job. We chose a flip up door on each side vs a slider. Makes it real nice to be able to reach in for cleaning etc. can't get the pic to attach. Will work on that.

[maple flats]

hinged flip up doors are good too. When I made mine I just chose the make an S cleat for the top and bottom of the opening, then the door slid as far open or as little as I needed, up to full width of the opening. However I didn't open that far, because then the door was not held in place.

[Big Stoney]

I really appreciate everyone's willingness to help!