Pictures

[Maplewalnut]

Alright I think I have finally got it. Let me know if the link in my signature doesn't work.

Before you get to jealous, remember 2/3 of the building it is garage space. Like many others it was a negotiation with my better half to erect such a structure!

The evaporator room is 11'x23', plenty of room (wood is stored elsewhere) for our small operation. It was built with a floating wall separating the garage from the maple part so if I do expand, my vehicle is out in the cold again! The only compromise is that the evaporator will straddle the roof peak intsead of run along it. We'll see how it works.

Boards are a combo of hemlock and tulip poplar cut from the property. Full 5/4 inch siding and full 2x4 and 2x6 studding. Roof rafters and plywood were the only store bought lumber used. Constructed with a loft area over the garage but the evaporator room has an open ceiling to the roof. The loft should provide a great viewing vantage point for friends and family to get a birds eye view of the evaporator when running. Plus it will probably smell pretty good. I'll post more pics when I get the evaporator in position and layout finished. Happy sugaring!


Mike

[royalmaple]

Looks great, nice building!

[RileySugarbush]

That looks great! It will be a fun sugaring season for you in your new digs. Congratulations!

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

nice looking building, have fun

RICH

[Dave Y]

Maplewalnut,
Great looking building! I like the way you did it starting with the logs. good luck with your operation!

[TapME]

Sure looks wonderful, can't say enough about how it looks. I bet it took a lot of time and energy to get-er-done. Lou

[PATheron]

Maplewalnut- Real nice looking building. Your going to be livin large boiling in there. Did the pics go kind of like I was saying? Theron

[Sugarmaker]

Mike,
Very nice building. You can be very proud. It will be a show piece.
Looking forward to seeing the evaporator and stack in place.

Regards,
Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Very nice building!!!!!!!!

[Maplewalnut]

Thanks everyone, hopefully it is big enough. Wait a minute it isn't, nor is my rig, nor is my storage tank, heck I even have to buy taps for this year....oh well at least I'm consistent!

[tappin&sappin]

Looks great, very NICE!

- Jake

[Russell Lampron]

Your starting too small just like did. Nice looking building. Whats the plan? Are you going to change the garage part of it into sugarhouse?

Russ

[Dennis H.]

Great looking new sugar shack! I love the loft area overlooking the evap area.

[brookledge]

Looks good. One thought though is that the steam will probably end up traveling accross the entire peak and give you condensation and dripping onto your loft. So you may want to see how it goes the first year and you can always hang plastic or close it off to keep the steam out of there.
Keep up the good work
Keith

[Maplewalnut]

Russ,

That is exactly the plan, my wife just doesn't know it yet. Negotiations will be as heated as middle east peace talks!

Keith,

Thanks for the feedback. I thought about the steam issue as well and started to close in the sides of the loft wall leaving a 6 foot wide by 6 foot high viewing station that I have hinged like dutch doors right in the middle of the wall. That way when I have company I can open the wall for viewing and the other 75% of the time close the door flush with the rest of the wall to keep the steam out of the loft.

[royalmaple]

You could always build a hood and steam stack and run the stack right up into the cupola.

I was thinking the same thing that even if you have the cupola and it's open that doesn't mean the steam is only going to go right up there. With that much ceiling height you will certainly have some steam hanging around before it goes out.