Oil tank build???

[Hunt4sap]

I plan on building an oil tank evaporator for next year and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if all oil tank are created equal or are there better ones to use because of metal gauge thickness or any other good reasons to use a certain one?

[Cjadamec]

With oil tank builds I would think a free tank is better than one I had to pay for. Other than that you want one that isn't dented or full of holes.

[crzypete]

Yes, the free ones are good. Also I was happy that mine was empty and had not contained oil in a long time, made working with it easier. Too many coats of paint are annoying as well as it is more work to strip to bare metal to weld.

I suspect older tanks may have been a bit thicker gage of metal wise, but you should be pretty good with whatever you find.

Pete

[michael marrs]

I may do an oil tank evaporator this year, and would sure like to see some pics. I know some guys do them standing upright , and some on their side

[Cjadamec]

This is what I came up with this year. Its not perfect but I got it to run steady at 15gph then it got warm and I had no more sap.

[Road's End]

This is our 2x6 oil tank rig. Total length is about 7 feet, there is an addition on the back to fit the 2x2 flue pan and the base stack. Pushing 28gph on it.
17968

[crzypete]

Here is my build http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?32137-My-oil-tank-arch-build

This is my first season using it and so far so good. It is way more powerful than the hodgepodge of methods I used last year, but still not as efficient as I believe it can be. Love the fact that you can keep tweaking these things.

Pete

[Hunt4sap]

Thanks guys
I have a basic heavy gauge SS flat pan that is 20"by 4' that I was going to use on my oil tank evaporator build oil tank is 27 in wide and my pan is only 20 I'm questioning whether I should just get a completely new pan set up for this new rig for next year otherwise I will have to adapt the 27 in width to my 20 inch pan.

Since I'm going to be taking so much time building this new evaporator I'm leaning more towards just getting completely new pan that is as wide as the evaporator to maximize surface area to get the most out of my evaporation rate for next year

My question is for these type of oil tank evaporators I'm looking at having a preheater back by the stack but I'm wondering if I should get a divided pan or even drop flue pan?

I'm hoping I can get my evaporation rate from where it was this year on my 55-gallon drum 5 gallons per hour up to around 15 gallons per hour thanks in advance for any tips

[Bernie/MA]

On tanks I have used there is a metal tag stating the material gage,usually 12 but sometimes 14. 12 is thicker.

[Hunt4sap]

Ended up getting one that I called the manufacturer on before I bought it and found out it was 12 gauge
Thanks guys

[Hunt4sap]

Crzypete;
How many gallon / hr evaporation rate did you end up getting?
Is that just a flat pan( no dividers?)
My current pan is only 20"x 4' that I was going to use on my new oil tank build( not started yet for 2019.

I'm leaning more towards getting a SS pan built to maximize surface area of oil tank width (27")and it's length (5')
Any thoughts from your experience Pete?

[crzypete]

I've been really pleased with it. Actual rate is a bit hard to determine as it really depends how hard I push it. I've gotten more aggressive in adding wood and it has definitely responded. I easily hit 10gph when I am stoking it hard.

I suspect a preheater for my sap will increase that rate- I'm debating the best way to build this for next year- thinking of a split pan so I can heat one side while I am filling from the other side, but this may be way overkill.

I'm also thinking that the ramp may benefit from being closer to the pan, I was planning on insulating that area, but haven't gotten to it- I'm planning on experimenting with some firebrick and sand to see if that makes a difference. I'm happy with how I built it though as it is pretty easy to move it up, but **** hard to move it down.

Things I did right- make the fire box deep enough to get a 16" piece of fire wood in straight. I find that I cross stack and having the ability to go straight in makes life easy.

I'm still not certain whether my blower should be closer to the fire or a bigger blower. It certainly makes the fire more intense, but I'm not experienced enough to tell what would make it even better.

The pan is 26" x 48" no dividers. After reading much about continuous flow, I am convinced that this is the method best for me. Continuous flow just seems overkill for my operation (36 taps this year, but enough maples to go up to 50 if I desire).

All in all I absolutely love it and its completely great for my operation. I am scheming on upgrades for the fun of further construction more than the need for higher efficiency.

Peter

[Mitchell tapper.]

I have around 42 taps so batch boil on a flat pan as well. When I made my arch out of oil tank I kinda got ahead of myself and made it bigger than a standard pan so had Smokey lake make a 28x49 pan. Welded all joints sealed and have my door sealed as well. Bought a Dayton high press blower to feed both over and under the fire. Put a simple flapper valve in the pipe feeding under to choke it down. This year I was given a top out of a white oak to burn. I get 24gph but I fire pretty heavy. Fill the firebox full every 15 min or so. Having the blower, I can burn larger chunks of wood. Probably lose some heat up the stack but I’m working and boiling in the evening so time is a factor. The pan is too large to finish in so I have it set up to slide off the fire then finish in a smaller 18x 24 pan.