Shortening my arch

[Wanabe1972]

Guys I'm going to shorten my 2x8 arch to accept my new 2x6 pans set. My fire box is about four inches longer than it needs to be and the back of the arch is about 18 jnches. I was thinking in the past that I didnt always get the best boil in the first few inches of the syrup pan. I see pictures of prop!e starting their pans back several inches on the arch and was wondering if that could be an option for me. I could use heavy plate and fire brick it so it wouldn't get too hot. Jeff

[Sugarmaker]

I think your idea of a thick piece of steel as the filler would work good. maybe put it at the back of the pans.
Regards,
Chris

[n8hutch]

Guys I'm going to shorten my 2x8 arch to accept my new 2x6 pans set. My fire box is about four inches longer than it needs to be and the back of the arch is about 18 jnches. I was thinking in the past that I didnt always get the best boil in the first few inches of the syrup pan. I see pictures of prop!e starting their pans back several inches on the arch and was wondering if that could be an option for me. I could use heavy plate and fire brick it so it wouldn't get too hot. Jeff

I have a 10' arch and 8' pans. I have a 3/8 by 6" piece of mild steel in the front and an 18' piece of 3/8 on the back of my arch works great. I welded a piece of angle iron down the edge of each piece set back 1/2 of an inch to accept a piece of pan gasket. The gasket goes between the pans and the angle. This works perfectly and needs no insulation to protect the plate steel, you can boil water on the back.

[Wanabe1972]

Thanks for the responses but I'm a fabricator and shortening g the arch is not an issue. My question was is there any benefit to moving the pans back a few Inches over the firebox better? I really need to shorten the arch as I don't have room in the sugarhouse for the extended arch. Jeff

[psparr]

What's the ramp look like? Maybe you could make it steeper to force the fire up.

[Wanabe1972]

The problem I had was just the first couple of inches of the syrup pan nearest the door. Now that I have a cross flow syrup pan I was nervous that the whole front of this section wood not have a good boil. If I stoked the fire as close to the door as possible it boiled better .

[motowbrowne]

I grew up cooking on flat pans. The rig was about 30"x10'. Cooked pretty good for what it was. Between the door and the first pan was about 8 or 9" of thick mild steel. I'm not quite sure why it was built like that, but, I've sure missed that feature ever since we stopped using that rig. I don't have a cook stove in the sugar shack, and that plate was the perfect place to put a kettle for coffee, or heat up some beans, whatever you wanted.

Personally, I don't think you'll have a problem not getting that section of pan hot enough, but moving it back a couple inches couldn't hurt. I say go for it.

[acafro]

Are you running AUF? If so maybe the air is misdirected and it's pushing heat away from the front?

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[Wanabe1972]

Yes I run auf and aof but I don't have any aof tubes in the front. I may add some during this modification.

[Robert K]

I run a 2x12 arch with 2x7 pans currently, the plate will work. Moving the syrup pan back even 3 inches will make a difference (more boil) , also keeping AOF nozzles about 6 inches down from pan and angled slightly down will help. I am going to eventually go to a draw off closer to back of firebox so the front being cooler is not as much of a concern. Loading wood close to the door helps. You are looking to make a rolling continuos fireball 😱

[Wanabe1972]

Thanks guys i have a chunk of 4 x 1/2 im going to put in and also a piece of angle to the front for the gasket.