Stack material question plus thoughts on turkey fryer solution

[jrm]

Started four seasons ago with a barrel evaporator, crudely cut with my sawzall, but its lasted. Made some setup improvements over the years, adding a windscreen, AUF, and a preheator pan. Need to eplace the stack this year, as it was rusted through in a few spots.

The original stack was 6' 6"d stove pipe. If i need to replace the pipe, should I go with stove pipe again or can I use stainless single walled pipe, which I think of as "duct" piping?

As for the turkey fryer, I had shoulder surgery last month from which I am still healing. I'm not so much restricted from doing things, but I don't have full range of motion, nor full strength in that arm. I am considering whether I should be setting up the barrel this year, with all the bricking involved, as well as firewood loading when evaporating. (I can see my lawn again, so could theoretically setup the rig now, or I can wait until later in Feb to get it going.) I batch evaporate.

So, I'm thinking maybe, just maybe, I should buy a turkey fryer and use that this year. Based on things I've seen over the years, I would use cinder blocks to help insulate and keep the heat where it should be.

Any thoughts I should consider? Notice, I'm not considering not tapping this year. :)

Thanks.

[Bernie/MA]

I'm stilling kicking, just not as high. I didn't get back to my trough idea last Spring, hospital time got in the way then it was time for hay. Now that the deepfreeze has gone by I can work in my shop again. Glad you're not giving up. Don't know anything about turkey fryers.

[maple flats]

If you again go with the barrel evaporator, you want 24 ga stove pipe or heavier, like 22 or 20 ga. If you use the right pipe, it will not burn or rust out in 4 years if you keep it dry in the off season.
I can only make one point on turkey fryers, they go thru a lot of propane, but just be realistic when it comes to the shoulder this year and make the right choice. At 15 taps you can do it with a turkey fryer, but 2 might be better, especially of bigger flow days, but they do not give the burners away nor the propane.

[wobbletop]

The "duct" pipe is ok but will not last as long as the stove pipe... maybe 2 seasons.

The turkey fryer will take forever (I use one as a preheater only) but can be left unattended for longer. It will use a lot of propane.

[jrm]

If you again go with the barrel evaporator, you want 24 ga stove pipe or heavier, like 22 or 20 ga. If you use the right pipe, it will not burn or rust out in 4 years if you keep it dry in the off season.
I can only make one point on turkey fryers, they go thru a lot of propane, but just be realistic when it comes to the shoulder this year and make the right choice. At 15 taps you can do it with a turkey fryer, but 2 might be better, especially of bigger flow days, but they do not give the burners away nor the propane.

Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately, I'm not great at stopping, but so far, I've been good at listening to the shoulder. Will try to continue. Live and learn, right? I had 24 gauge black pipe for the original stack, but it didn't occur to me to keep it inside the first two seasons, then as I saw some small indications of rust, I got smart, and it lived in the garage off season, made it two more years, not bad I guess. I must say I'm more irked about having to wrangle the pipe into its round (I don't have the strength in my thumbs) than anything else. I'm thinking about bribing my oil folks to do it for me.


The "duct" pipe is ok but will not last as long as the stove pipe... maybe 2 seasons.

The turkey fryer will take forever (I use one as a preheater only) but can be left unattended for longer. It will use a lot of propane.

Thinking for the cost of the fryer, and the higher cost to use propane, and since I have the rig, and wood, it's time to confirm with my teen, who started this but with me, how much he'll commit to helping this season and factor that into my decision.

Thanks all!

[maple flats]

I have significant arthritis in both thumbs but assembling pipe should not require you to use your thumbs at all. Set each section of pipe on the ground or a sturdy bench in front of you, then start lining up the seam so the single tab starts in the right place, then using gentle down pressure (and you can do all of the pushing with your good shoulder but the bad one must help hold the pipe in place while you move your other hand down the pipe. Once you get it aligned the whole length, just push downward on the seam, to bend it inward, you can do this with your whole body, not your thumbs, pushing down with the heels of your hands. The pipe will snap into place.

[jrm]

I have significant arthritis in both thumbs but assembling pipe should not require you to use your thumbs at all. Set each section of pipe on the ground or a sturdy bench in front of you, then start lining up the seam so the single tab starts in the right place, then using gentle down pressure (and you can do all of the pushing with your good shoulder but the bad one must help hold the pipe in place while you move your other hand down the pipe. Once you get it aligned the whole length, just push downward on the seam, to bend it inward, you can do this with your whole body, not your thumbs, pushing down with the heels of your hands. The pipe will snap into place.

Thanks for these tips. I'll definitely try it once I pick up more pipe. I figured there had to be a trick, but for the life of me, I never found it. Ultimately, I got the orignal stack together, let's just say it was quite as circular as it should be... which of course made it harder to join the pieces.

Just to be sure I'm envisioning this correctly, the pipe is horizontal during the entire process?

[maple flats]

Longer sections would be horizontal and on a solid surface, I can do a 2' section just holding the pipe against my chest, but laying flat is easier by far. You need to realize, doing this is not new to me, I was a heating contractor for well over 20 years so I got lots of practice, practice makes perfect and as I tell my help (if I get any) "perfect is good enough".