File Cabinet Evaporator Build

[SRATHWELL]

Last year was my first year tapping. I built simple block arch and made around 6 liters of syrup. My kids loved it and we made weekend boils events with friends and family coming over.

For this year I wanted to build a more substantial evaporator that I could use for a few years. My budget for this build is pretty limited so I started looking at Barrel or a oil tank evaporator.

Well today at work I saw that they were getting rid of an old, very heavy file cabinet. A light bulb went off and next thing you know I'm in my garage making it into an evaporator.

Only one night in but good progress. Fire box and Ash doors complete.

I picked up a couple sections of stove pipe tonight and will be picking up insulation and fire brick tomorrow. Plan it to finish it in time to boil Sunday......17921179221792317924

[Benny8]

SRATHWELL-That looks awesome! Great repurpose of that file cabinet. I look forward to the progress. This is my first year and I am building a block arch. I work for a company that is always getting rid of the old file cabinets, I may snag one for when I get my Sugar House built. Great Job!

[barnbc76]

Be prepared to burn off the paint. Looks good.

[MapleMike]

Wow. What a great idea, I agree with barnbc76, you might want to grind that paint off and repaint with stove paint. You don’t want those paint fumes mixing with you syrup. Good luck with your season.

[SRATHWELL]

Yep will be doing a project burn to get the paint off. What doesnt come off then I will grind. I plan on repainting with heat paint.

[pprus]

I would just plan to grind the paint off now rather than just trying a test boil to take it off. I built an evaporator out of a filing cabinet last year and I was dealing with the paint coming off every time I boiled. I just sold it for a $100 because I got a barrel stove with a divided pan ready to go.


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[SRATHWELL]

@pprus - Did you have your file cabinet lined with insulation and fire brick?

[BSD]

i started with a file cabinet "arch" too. great memories. i think i had $75 into the whole thing. back when making syrup was cheap. LOL

i would line it with fire board or insulation. mine was warped and twisted from one season, but i didn't have the thought to insulate it back when i first started.

[SRATHWELL]

Yea the plan is to insulate it. My local Home Hardware sells Rockwool by the bat so I am picking up a few tonight. Fire box will also be lined with firebrick.

[SRATHWELL]

Picked up firebrick, Rockwool insulation and some rebar to make the fire grate.
I got a couple more hours in tonight. Starting to look like an arch.
Plan is still to finish it tomorrow and have the first boil Sunday.179571795817959

[BSD]

Picked up firebrick, Rockwool insulation and some rebar to make the fire grate.
I got a couple more hours in tonight. Starting to look like an arch.
Plan is still to finish it tomorrow and have the first boil Sunday.179571795817959Looks nice but i don't think the rebar is going to stand up to the temps you'll make in there.

[SRATHWELL]

I have heard that a lot. I used it last year in my block arch and it worked ok. I'm on a budget so it will just have to do. The grate will be removable so if it doesnt last I will replace it later.
I guess only time will tell.

[Cedar Eater]

Looks great, but I agree on the rebar grate. Even with lots of legs to prop it up, it would sag and burn away.

[SRATHWELL]

1796617965

Got a little more done today. Should be able to finish it up tonight.

[Wannabe]

Looking good.

[chad]

I would recommend making the grate out of angle iron with the points down and fill them with sand first they might last longer that way

[SRATHWELL]

179991800018001

Little late posting but I got it finished Sunday afternoon. I insulated, firebricked and built the grate. Did a test boil with water and then started putting the sap to it......

This thing works well. With very little wood I can have a very hard boiling going. If I really push it I can have flames coming out the 6 foot stack......

The insulation did a good job... except for the one spot that it fell off (can you tell from the picture where that is). When it is rolling you can still touch the side (it is hot but does not burn you).

The rebar grate held up fine. I have a ton of space under it and a good draw of air that I think is keeping it from getting too hot.

With just my single little pan and a small prewarmer (which would get to a full rolling boil before dumping into the main) I boiled off approx 68L of sap making 1.75L of syrup.....

Up next I have ordered a steam pan which will effectively double my boiling surface area and I am going to give it a coat of heat paint.

I am going to tap more trees soon as the weather turns here.

All in all I would call it a success!!!

[berkshires]

great work!

[Chemist]

Does anyone have an opinion on the location of the stack? I have seen the go our the back on some arches and out the top on others.

I picked up an 18×25×52 inch heavy duty file cabinet for $10. My summer project will be making it into an arch. I plan on lots of insulation and firebrick.

Most of all I will apply what I learned last year building the much smaller file cabinet arch.

[Cedar Eater]

The reason to route the stack out the back is to maximize the real estate devoted to pans. Secondary combustion occurs behind the fire and you can use that extra heat for boiling or preheating if you don't have a stack in the way. It's easier to support a stack that sits on top, so that's why some people do it.

[SRATHWELL]

Like Cedar Eater said. The reason mine is out the top is because it is easier to support. That was my only reasoning....

[SRATHWELL]

Another Sunday Boil done.

I added a second pan (full size steam tray) and it really sped things up. Went though 60L of sap in just over 3 hours making 1.5L of fairly light colored syrup.

I am extremely happy with the way this thing is performing...


I tapped 2 more trees this weekend and if i can get my hands on a few more buckets I am going to do 4 more this week.