2017 Arch Build w/Smoky Lake Hybrid Pan

[ACollette]

Well folks,

Sharing with the group photos of my recent arch build. Design foundations from the old Davy Jones plans. I modified them with my own dimensions and features - such as the air tight door and sliding ash doors. I tested and designed a new air induction system into the combustion chamber. It hosts air under fire through the ash pan and also air over fire through two air ducts. So far, I have had amazing results with the arch, which seems to complement the amazing SmokyLake 2 by 4 hybrid pan. I have other photos if anyone would like to see them.

Happy sugaring.


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[ACollette]

Here are some photos of the rig in operation.

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[Ghs57]

Looks very good. Have you measured your gph?

[ACollette]

Not officially yet... I have been dealing with fluxuations in weather here in Vermont so I haven't had an abundance of sap to run through it. To date I have run over 90 gallons of sap into it and boiled about 4 hours...I estimate that there is about 12 gallons of sap in the pan (2" depth)...So in theory, I'm around 19.5 gph. I would hate to truly advertise that as being 100% accurate with so little experience. I would be glad to share my data after I run some more through it...

[DMF]

Looks awesome!

[bagpiper]

I have a 2x4 Smoky Lake Hybrid pan also. It sits on a funky oil drum set up that I put together. I have AUF only. If I keep it stoked up with good dry wood and run the depth at about 1 in., I max out at about 20 gph.

[Stiets]

Looks great ACollette!!! I also have the Smoky Lake 2'x4' Hobby Hybrid Pan. I currently have it on a homemade oil tank arch we used last year for the old flat single batch pan we have. I currently can't get the Smoky Lake Pan to a full boil in the back of the sap pan sections. I think my issue is the fire box is too short and not deep enough. Has a 6" smoke stack that comes out the back wall with an elbow and it restricts the air flow. I just got a controller for a blower I have that was way to big without being able to throttle it down. I think that will help my current issue since I can't really rebuild the oil tank arch right now.

I am currently working on design plans for a new oil tank arch build for next season. Going to start building it once this season is over, cleaned up everything, and split lots of wood. I have a couple of Q's.
I attached a copy of my plans, still work in progress, but would appreciate any pointers. I plan on having a blower in the back with a 4" air pipe that comes into the back of the firebox and blows under the fire grate.
Question 1: How far/ long and deep should the firebox??
I think in my plans the firebox is too long because the previous one was too small.
Question 2: Would it be better to have the air blow from the front and not the back??
Question 3: Should I have the back wall of the firebox slope up??
Thank you in advance. ~Stiets

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[ACollette]

Stiets, 1). My fire box is 32" from the front wall to the rear wall. The fire box depth is 26" from the bottom floor of the ash pan to the top rails. My arch grates are about 10" above the floor of the ash pan. The arch is 26" wide to the outside of the top rails, which gives me great surface area on my pan. 2). I don't know if you can tell, but my air is entering through the rear through my ash pan wall. I place fire brick perpendicular to the air flow in the ash pan, this diverts the air flow upward under my fuel. In addition, I ran square tube from the rear blower up into the top of the fire box. This does two things: it adds turbulance to the upper level of the fire box, getting a more complete burn of unburned fuel gases, because it introduces more oxygen, and secondly, these square tubes protect the bottom of my drop flues from any rogue firewood that gets tossed into the fire box... they have been very valuable. 3). As far as the sloped firebox... it may be useful. With no slope, I do have an area of increased boil at the intersection of the rear of my firebox wall on the drop flues, but it causes me no detrement. My previous arch had a sloped rear wall but I elected not to do it with this one for the simplicity of square cuts on the sidewall metal sheets. I have run several hundred gallons of sap through the arch so far this season and I cannot be happier. I continue to average around 19 gph... the SmokyLake Hybrid is everything I hoped it would be and more. I cannot believe that I worked so hard to boil sap on my old rig... I would be glad to share photos of the build with you. Send me a Pm.

[ACollette]

161781617916180 More photos to share!