Is it necessary

[Fred Henderson]

I want to (next year) build a new arch for my 3x8. Is it necessary for the pans to lap over onto the side rails by 2 inches? I am thinking that with 1/2" I will get more pan exposure. When I consider the amout of surface that I loose with that 1 1/2 - 2 inches on both pans that is a lot.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

I think you'd be fine w/ 1/2". I agree, 2" IS excessive. The arch I just built catch by about 1/2", and once the pans are on and tightened in, they really aren't going anywhere.

[802maple]

Fred
It isn't necesary at all to have the pans on by 2", like Ryan said a half inch is enough.

[hard maple]

Ryan
Those are some geat pictures and a nice looking arch.
I've seen some manufactures (waterloo , D&G) design their pans with a raised lip along the bottom sides of the pans. So they sit off the arch rails about 1 / 4 inch. I guess this would help get the flame to the entire underside of the pan.

[Fred Henderson]

I want to (next year) build a new arch for my 3x8. Is it necessary for the pans to lap over onto the side rails by 2 inches? I am thinking that with 1/2" I will get more pan exposure. When I consider the amout of surface that I loose with that 1 1/2 - 2 inches on both pans that is a lot.

That is another thought that I had about doing that. But a better insulated arch it what I want. When you have a 2" top rail that don't leave much room for insulation and you all most have to use a 1" fire brick.

[Russell Lampron]

Fred,

My Algier arch is wide enough so that only about a 1/2 inch of the pan sits on the arch and I think Lapierres are that way too. Maybe you should tell Patrick to design his that way for the reasons that you want to do it.

Russ

[Fred Henderson]

Fred,

My Algier arch is wide enough so that only about a 1/2 inch of the pan sits on the arch and I think Lapierres are that way too. Maybe you should tell Patrick to design his that way for the reasons that you want to do it.

Russ

I got a feeling that no one tells him much of anything. I emailed him a few days ago about some related equipment. He said to check back with him in Apr or May because he was just too busy.

[H. Walker]

Fred your concern is well merited. Dallaire is advertising their new pans with a hollow edge, the first sap flue is over the fire. I'm not sure but there must be some metal to support the edge.

They say -"eliminates cold spot on side"
-"better circulation"
-"uniform boiling"

[HanginAround]

Some of the newer Lapierre pans I've seen are built like this, so they sit on a point edge:
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/6118/panzd5.jpg
I didn't measure the overlap at the ledge, but I don't think it's very much.

[802maple]

I use 3" angle in our arch's and like you have seen on the Waterloo rig we only have them on by a 1/2 or less

[Bucket Head]

Fred,

The first thing I did to "fine tune" my evaporator before I even fired it for the first time was to cut back the angle iron that was used on the top rail. It was 3'' angle and I cut it down to 3/4''. ( I made many modification's to my evaporator before I first used it.) I then purchased 3/4'' wide by 1/8'' woven stove gasket and rivited it to the evaporator.

The more surface area that contact's the flame equal's more evaporation. Get rid of as much unnecessary angle iron as possible.

The flue pan has more than enough material to set on and the gasket has worked fine. I also don't have to worry about the gasket moving during pan removal's and reinstallation's.

Steve

[802maple]

How did you brick and insulate your arch with only 3/4 inch angle iron. I agree with you that the more suface area to heat you have, the evaporator will boil better, that is why I always have the pans on the 3 inch angle by only 3/8" to 1/2'

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

3/4"?? typo?

[Fred Henderson]

I really hate to tear it all apart but I am going to. I will buy some solid square steel bar, 3/4" x 3/4" and sit it on the rail.
I don't think that I would want to cut my top rail to 3/4". I barely had room for 1" of blanket and 1" fire brick.

[WF MASON]

Fred, ask your self how much could I possibly gain in gph by redoing the arch and messing with the rail ?? 1/2 gph , 1 gph , stopping to chat to someone for ten minutes and letting the fire die alittle once would certainly cost you that 1 gph gain. Enjoy your new evaporator.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ryan,

Definitely a nice looking arch. Have you gotten to boil any sap yet or have you even tapped??

Let us know how many gph you get and what the increase rate is??

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

Thanks.

I finished tapping my tubing today, and will do the buckets later. It looks like most of this week is going to be much too cold for sap flow in this area, but hopefully this weekend and next week will come into it!! I'll definately let you know the gph when I get some sap!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ryan,

Do you have one of the high efficiency flue pans??

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

when i bought the pans 6 years ago i was told it was. it has around 14 flues, but i don't remember exactly. and i think they might be 1/2" taller than normal too.

[Bucket Head]

802Maple & Breezy Lane,

Originally, the top rail's of my evaporator were made from 3"x3"x1/4' thick angle iron. I cut the top leg of the iron on both side's down to 3/4" and that is what my syrup and flue pan's set on.

I fire bricked my arch with full size fire brick's. The brick's stop about an inch and a half from the underside of the 3/4" top rail. This way all but an inch and a half of my pan's thirty inch width are exposed to the flame's.

I am not worried about the small amount of heat that I may be losing where the fire brick's do not cover. Also, I am not worried about the evaporator itself there, as that area is the other half of the 3"x 1/4' angle iron. The heat will never warp or burn through metal that thick.

I hope this help's.

Steve

[Pete33Vt]

I was looking at my rig the other day, and noticed that only about 3/4" of my pans sit on the top angle irons. This is a factory rig, and factory pans. There are full fire bricks all the way to the bottom of the angle iron and I see no spot where the heat is blocked from getting to the bottom of my pans.I would get really nervous cutting up the spot that holds all the weight of my pans. And I've seen metal do some funny things after 8-10 hours of intense heat. Just my thought.

[royalmaple]

I agree with Bill, I'd hate to start hacking up my new evaporator just to get a minor amount of efficiency out of it. You could also build a kiln to get all the moisture out of your wood, but there is a fine line you have to draw at some point.

[Fred Henderson]

Its like I told Bill I am retired and I got lots of time. I started making syrup for something to do and a way to use up some of the wood that needs to come put as we thin. So maybe I am there another hour and burn 10 more sticks of wood.