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View Full Version : 2x3 evaporator, finished and fired



Someclown
11-29-2020, 06:59 PM
Thanks to maple trader and everyone who post their own arch builds I was able to read, ask a couple questions and look at lots of pictures to build my own 2x3 evaporator expandable to 2x4 when needed.
Most of the metal was free (kijiji) except the sheet metal $98 Ca.4x8x16ga., 24 fire bricks free (buddy), ceramic blanket was $150 Ca. 3/4"×24"×30' (2300 degree)amazon, wheels off an old cart, door off old wood stove, and best deal of all 2x3 s.s.pan 20ga.FREE just had to do a 3 hrs of labour for a buddy with a metal fabrication shop (sorry, 3hrs of my time, $90 not free).
Today was +5*c outside which would mimic a spring day of boiling so I figured I would test boil. Without really pushing it I boiled 8 imp. Gallons of cold water in 1 hr.10 min. Maintaining close to 2" in the pan. Once I get going and fire at a steady interval and put my pre heater piping I'm going to do well with my boiling times. I have limited amount off trees so I'm happy with this boil rate and size. I did add auf 200 to 250 cfm gmc truck heater blower, but have to tweak that as it seemed to cool the fire down. I run it into a 2" square tubing with 3/16" holes in the top and sides every 6" through the rear center up to the front under the grate about 5 " but no valve yet to control the flow. I'm sure once I start playing with that it will come around. The flue is 6" and seems like its going to be ok.
Maple flats, I was only able to get the flue opening 3.5"x20" but seems to still draw pretty well, and the boil is under the full width of the pan as I banked the ramp a bit,
thanks for your suggestions on that in a previous post.
Here's a few pics.
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Someclown
11-29-2020, 07:04 PM
A couple more pics.
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Sorry for the sideways pictures I keep forgetting to turn my phone in the proper direction when taking pictures to post

Z/MAN
11-29-2020, 11:16 PM
Great job! I built almost the same unit my self and it boils like crazy.

Someclown
03-30-2021, 08:31 AM
Great job! I built almost the same unit my self and it boils like crazy.
Thanks Z/MAN, after doing 2 boils so far I am boiling an average of 10 imp/11,8 US gallons and could push a bit more depending on my attention to firing, also Im outdoors.
I changed my auf fan to an old oil burner water heater fan which seems to be better than the truck fan and also has an air regulating flap to add more or less air. I use a copper coil covered with a piece of chimney pipe around the stack which goes into a 1/2 size long 4 inch steam pan as a warming tray and that gets to a steady temperature of 100-103*F before going into the flat pan. Firing usually every 8 minutes with wrist size or smaller white birch and maple, and have to sometimes dial back the heat as the boil gets so violent it boils out of the pan, I dont use defoamer but maybe should try it. Also added aof but have to do some modifications to that, maybe bigger air nozzles
Overall I'm very happy with the boil rate and how it all turned out, just the fact that it has my boiling times down to way less than half from last years barrel arch that was boiling about 3gal/h has made me a happy man.
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Still haven't figured out how to insert pictures 

NhShaun
03-30-2021, 12:51 PM
Nice little build and increase in boil rate. Looks rugged and i like your door design. The problem with increasing your boil rate and saving yourself time, you'll end up adding more taps/sap and end up back where you were in the first place. At least that's my problem haha.

wobbletop
03-30-2021, 01:09 PM
Jealous. Very nice build.

What do you figure the cost of materials is?

I don't know how you're not scorching the sap with your preheater wrapped around the stove pipe. What are your stack temps?

Someclown
03-30-2021, 04:18 PM
Jealous. Very nice build.

What do you figure the cost of materials is?

I don't know how you're not scorching the sap with your preheater wrapped around the stove pipe. What are your stack temps?
Most of my cost is in the original post but here's some figures
I paid $150CA for the ceramic insulation but its 2ftx3/4"x30ft roll so I just put double layer and have extra (amazon flash sale)and $98CA for the sheet metal, I figure I'm into it for about $350 only because a lot of the other material I had from previous or acquired it for free (kijiji and friends for syrup)
The sap is going through the copper fast enough that it isn't scorching and if I find it's getting to hot I just move the metal covering I guess being outdoors helps from scorching as well. My stack temps are 600-800 internal depending
The door was off and old hunter comfort wood stove I had in my garage and used as my very first year evaporator with a steam pan but that had finally warped to no repair, just cut it out and welded it on. My wife always asks me why are you keeping that junk, get rid of it, until I showed.her my new evaporator and the price of a similar one from a maple dealer HAHAHAAA, now not so much.
You are right about wanting more.taps as well, but I have limited access to trees were I live so that kind of puts a damper on things, I have 61 taps in as of today and as we all know this year is not a good production year from what I've been reading on here. I'm quite happy with the amount as it's only personal and gifts to family.
I'm going to have to fix the small section between the flat pan and the stack were the warming pan is as there's no insulation there and it's only 16 Guage steel, I had 2 pieces of 1/4" aluminum plate stacked on top of each other to try and keep that metal a bit cooler but the aluminum kinda had a melt down and ended up in a blob on the ground lol, I figured that might happen. I will replace that with a 1/4" piece of steel after this season, I think that's why my warming pan stays around 103F