2x6 Raised flue Arch build

[mol1jb]

Hey all,

I was finally able to get some pictures of this new Arch I have been working over the past 2 months. For pans I bought a set of 2x6 raised flue stainless lead free soldered from Bascom.

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So let me give you some details about this arch thus far. The main frame is made up of 3/16" thick 2" wide angle iron. I had just enough angle in the shed to make the entire frame. The arch is 32" high and just over 7' long. The pans will sit on the arch 5/8" on all sides.

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The door is a simple construction of 1/8" thick angle and 16 ga sheet steel. The hinge is 3/16" thick flat stock which I also already had that attaches to the door across its entirety for added rigidity. There are 1/2" bolts for the door pins. The door latch starts with 1/2" bolt drilled through the door with a bushing and washers and nut on the outside. Attached to the bushing is a 1/2" rod that has been 3/4 cut with a grinding wheel, bent and welded. The latch is a piece of 3/16" flat stock cut out to taper the latch and door tight to the arch front. The door opening is 18" wide and 14.5" tall with the door having 1" overhang on all sides of the opening. On the inside of the door is 9x 1/2" bolts welded on to hold bolts to secure insulation. The door thickness is 1.5" so I will be putting 2" insulation blanket attached to the door and that will compress on the 1" overlaps to make the door airtight.

More to come as I continue to complete work.

[mol1jb]

For the sides of the arch I was able to use stainless sheeting. I was very fortunate to have an opportunity to salvage this last week. I cut the sheeting to fit and attached it with bolts.

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On the inside of the firebox I have cut some areas out of the stainless sheet so I can weld bolts onto the angle frame to hold up the firebox insulation. I plan on a partial brick of the firebox.

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For the stack base I went with a 1/4" plate that I already had and welded on a piece of 1/8" flat stock I bent into a circle using some 8" stove pipe as a template. After welding on the stack ring I used a gas torch to cut out the inside of the ring. I went non tapered for ease of installation and on the advise of other members that with a forced air arch a tapered stack is not as important.

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Tomorrow I hope to do the base of the firebox. The arch will have AUF and AOF. I will be building the firebox base 8" above the arch bottom.

[n8hutch]

Looking Good, your going to have to Change your Avatar. Are you going to mount the blower to the back of the Firebox? Are you going to inclose it in some kind of cabinet? Only reason I ask is it found the blower noise to kind of take some of the pleasure out of boiling. But your mileage may very. Got a great start there for sure.

[mol1jb]

Looking Good, your going to have to Change your Avatar. Are you going to mount the blower to the back of the Firebox? Are you going to inclose it in some kind of cabinet? Only reason I ask is it found the blower noise to kind of take some of the pleasure out of boiling. But your mileage may very. Got a great start there for sure.

Thanks. I plan on mounting my blower in the attic of the sugar kitchen. I figure there it will be muffled and I like that better than outside.

[82cabby]

Great build! Really looks top notch. What are you using to seal up the stainless panels since they can't be welded? I am considering stainless panels for tge 2x4 I am building. Any advice?

[mol1jb]

Great build! Really looks top notch. What are you using to seal up the stainless panels since they can't be welded? I am considering stainless panels for tge 2x4 I am building. Any advice?

Thanks. I am waiting to see how it performs just bolted. The fit of the stainless to the frame is quite tight. If I do have smoke leaking issues I will put a bead of high temp silicone in between the two.

[maple flats]

You will really do a lot better if you make a wide exit for the stack and then taper to a smaller diameter. When you exit with the finished stack diameter you do not get good spread on the boil towards the back. The corners don't boil well or maybe not at all. That is why commercial arches all have a full width opening to start the stack. They do it for better boil, not just to make a more expensive section of stack to start the stack, it serves a very important function.

[mol1jb]

You will really do a lot better if you make a wide exit for the stack and then taper to a smaller diameter. When you exit with the finished stack diameter you do not get good spread on the boil towards the back. The corners don't boil well or maybe not at all. That is why commercial arches all have a full width opening to start the stack. They do it for better boil, not just to make a more expensive section of stack to start the stack, it serves a very important function.

Good to know. I will see how this setup does and may have to change the stack if my test boils are less than satisfactory.

[Potters3]

looks awsome and fun. I would jump on the inside before bricking and chaulk all seems and bolts with a high temp chaulk. With the blower you are pressurizing the arch and smoke will find its way out. My Vortex was factory chaulked 5 years ago when new. I need to rebrick and rechaulk before another season. Last year on start up got a lot of smoke out of the seems, once it was hot it stopped.

[mol1jb]

Thanks for all your kind words and input. Greatly appreciated.

I finished the firebox base yesterday. I welded it up from 1/8" angle to make an outer tray for the firebrick and rest for the grates. I wanted to design this in a way that I could easily pull out damaged bricks in the future. The first two photos you are looking at it from on top, the last photo you are looking at it through the door.
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I did have a question I need some input on. What is the recommended way to finish under the firebox? Insulation and firebrick or just firebrick?

Next on the list is attaching the back stainless panels with bolts.
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Enjoy

[Sugarbush Ridge]

I don't have anything in 'ash box'. with AUF blowers will keep enough cool,, cold are going in to keep it cool.

[Potters3]

Same here enough air to keep everything cool. No brick or blanket

[mol1jb]

So in the rush to get everything ready for this season I havent posted any recent work. Till now:

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I have the arch moved inside the sugar kitchen and fully insulated with blanket and roxul batts. Fire box is bricked. Behind the arch you can see the air plumbing. The fan is in the attic and comes into the room in 4” and at the y reduces to 3” both ways. Both lines have valves for air control.

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The top lines comes in back of the arch to a manifold then runs under the raised flue pan in 4x 1.5” tubes to preheat the AOF air. Those tubes go to the front manifold and are distributed into the firebox through 1/4” pipe nozzles. AUF line goes under the firebox and through the grates.

[mol1jb]

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Installed the pan gasket and pans, used leader raised flue set from bascom. They have an excelent selection and would recommend this to anyone looking to stay in a tighter budger. Overall I am very pleased with how it turned out. I will update gph after I get a few test boils in. Later this week I will be taking my aluminum roll flashing and borrowing a trim break to form up a hood. Enjoy!