Using pallet wood in evaporator

[jamesd14]

Last year was my first year boiling, I used a homemade cinder block arch with hotel steam pans and used all pallets that I cut up. This year I bought mason 2x3 and am trying to find out if using the same pallet wood would be acceptable considering I leave the nails in the pallet wood. I just want to make sure that it will not damage anything. I do have pretty much an endless supply of pallets.

[Bucket Head]

Only damage might be to any unprotected arch insulation. Also, be careful firing it so you don't hit the pan with a board that has a nail sticking out of it. Where are the ashes getting dumped? Nails and tires never mix well...,lol.

Good luck this season.

[Super Sapper]

I use pallet wood mostly but try to remove nails as they clog up the grates. You will have to remove the nails before each boil with a magnet. I go through enough wood that I would need to shut down after so many hours to remove the nails otherwise it would kill my draft even with a blower. They are too hot to do it without shutting down.

[jamesd14]

Thank you, I will have to try to remove the nails, I could see were it would be able to clog up the grates. Thanks.

[Sugarmaker]

I used pallets for 10 years. Bigger arch, but I would just remove the nails once in a while when the arch was cool. They did not seam to bother much. I think the ratio was a gallon of nails for each ten gallons of syrup. :) They burn like rocket fuel. Hot and quick!
Have fun making syrup.
Regards,
Chris

[BreezyHill]

You will want to invest in a retractable shop magnet and find a source of 55 gallon steel drums. Remove nails when cool with the magnet and fill the drum to take to the scrape yard. I get #1 steel price for drums of nails as long as the drum has drain holes for water.

Dad always tied the slats together in bundles the last few years and the rails with the nails went into the outside boiler. Bundles were about 1/3 to 1/4 of the fire box size. This was faster way of fueling the rig to keep the boiling rate as even as possible.

[jamesd14]

Good info, never thought about taking to the scrap yard, I will do it this time. Thanks

[wiam]

Locally scrap is not worth the gas to get it to the scrap yard. I have heard around $25-35/ ton

[BreezyHill]

Our local price is way down...$74/ ton yesterday was the price they sent me. You will want to fill the drum and wait til the price goes back up if you are looking to make $$$ on it. The last drum I sent was 760# but at 150/ ton it paid for the trucks fuel and we brought back a load of corn from the port.

Don't expect it to go up any time soon. The world stock piles of finished steel is very high and some yards are considering closing for the winter to save on costs. This depression is a lot deeper than many realize.

[jamesd14]

Wow, that is all I can say, I had no idea.

[Bucket Head]

Could'nt agree more with BreezyHill. Yes, the depression is deep. Don't bother listening to, and then believing the Government and the media when they say we are in good shape. The country is in pretty tough shape.

Everyone might just want to hang on to their used nails...

Okay, back to syrup production... Good luck this season!

Steve

[jamesd14]

I am feeling this season as my second season. Will be a tricky one, last year it was pretty cut and dry of when to tap, this year with this weather no ixea. I think we are going to have a wierd winter weather wise.

[wnybassman]

I burned quite a few pallets last year with no issues. I cleaned the grate area between every boil, and cleaned the extra large ash area at the end of the season. Had lots-o-nails to dispose of.

[3GoatHill]

Scrap is way down here too. If things get too bad I might consider sorting through the nails to straighten out the good ones.

[markcasper]

I can't believe I am seeing things on here like this. How can burnt nails be any good for anything? just wondering. yes all commodities are in the toilet thanks to #1 reason, the federal reserve bank!

[BreezyHill]

I am amazed what I have seen in trucks ahead of me at the "recycle plant". Even people pushing shopping carts full of stuff like: tin cans, rusty car parts. Right now the best price is for used rotors and drums.
I don't think there will be many winter scrapers at the sugar houses, but during Oct somebody tried to break in to our sugar house and damaged the door lock and pushed in a window. Nothing missing that I have noticed yet.