My home built 2x4 with drop flue

[Dwerden]

Been working on this for a while now. Can't wait to see how it works this year

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VDMxSiWR7Nj4CBRT8

[Mead Maple]

You should be extremely proud! Clearly a master of your trade and a great facility to be able to fabricate in, I’m jealous! Let us know how it works, you’ll be extending it to 6’ or 8’ before you know it!

[buckeye gold]

I'll make one suggestion. If you can I'd add a drain across those flues, you'll be really glad you did. Maybe a trough across one end and out the side with threaded fitting for a valve. I'm not good at building stuff, but I have wished a thousand times I'd have asked for a drain on my flue pan.

[ir3333]

Why do to want a drain? Do you drain completely after each day?

[buckeye gold]

ir3333, not everyday, but you will be draining sometimes. I guess it's just a preference thing, but for me draining flues without a drain is a pain in the butt. I siphon each one out, even If I only done it once I'd like a drain.

[maple flats]

The drain is very handy when you need to clean the pan, or at the end of the season. Equipment manufacturers started adding them for drop flue maybe about 2000 or 2001 I think. Raised flue is simpler for a drain. I have raised flue, and every 3 days or so, I drain the pan into a food grade barrel I keep positioned under the drain valve. Then I connect a drain hose that goes to drain, and I run my flue pan washer. It does a good job of cleaning the flue pan. It uses permeate to clean, and mine is cleaning a 3x5 flue pan. It has 6 spinning wands which each spray the permeate and it covers the whole pan. I run it using a 1" electric pump that runs at about 80 psi. Someday, I might even get a higher output pump, mine is actually a little under what is suggested. Lapierre made the washer. They have a video on their site showing one in action.
Once cleaned, I use my filter press pump to refill the flue pan (after closing the drain valve, I forgot that once and pumped for 2-3 minutes before I closed the drain. Costly mistake for sure).

[Mead Maple]

My 2 x 8 drop flu set up that I had Thor build for me has a flu pan drain manifold that I requested be pull in. Without that I could not imagine the headache it would be to drain for cleaning and maintenance. I forget off the top of my head how many gallons it holds when it is at capacity but I can tell you one thing you are not moving it. The drain is a lifesaver with a nice stainless ball valve I attached and can drain into food grade buckets just like maple flats explained. OP, if you have the time and capability I would suggest doing this. You’ll thank yourself while it’s clean

[ir3333]

ir3333, not everyday, but you will be draining sometimes. I guess it's just a preference thing, but for me draining flues without a drain is a pain in the butt. I siphon each one out, even If I only done it once I'd like a drain.

Sounds like a great idea but won't the drain be down in the arch? My drop flue pan doesn't have a drain but
it's a 3 channel continuous flow so maybe a drain wouldn't work.I'll have to put a block of wood under one end
and syphon.I don't have very many taps so i am hoping i can reverse it mid season and just clean it once at the
end of the season...we'll see?

[Dwerden]

You should be extremely proud! Clearly a master of your trade and a great facility to be able to fabricate in, I’m jealous! Let us know how it works, you’ll be extending it to 6’ or 8’ before you know it!

Thanks! It has been quite a bit of work and welding 22 ga. Can be tricky. I basically has a barrel stove before that ended up getting sectioned of inside with a ramp and a V pan that i made. It was doing about 12gph with 15"x32" total pan area. I'm hoping this one will do close to double and I will be happy for the amount we make. Next step might be a small RO

[Dwerden]

Was up in the air about a drain, the v pan I built before this one didn't have a drain and I did fine without it. The pan should drain down to the top of the flues with the sanitary fitting to the syrup pan disconnected and a 2' pan should be fine to lift with the flues full at the end of the season.

[Dwerden]

Pics added to the Google link in original post, syrup pan and dividers are done just need to join the 2. Went with 3 dividers, should give me about a liter draw off

[fisheatingbagel]

I'll make one suggestion. If you can I'd add a drain across those flues, you'll be really glad you did. Maybe a trough across one end and out the side with threaded fitting for a valve. I'm not good at building stuff, but I have wished a thousand times I'd have asked for a drain on my flue pan.

I'll second this. I've thought about adding a manifold to my SL hybrid pan, but haven't built up the nerve yet. I made a "fork" out of pvc pipe that connects to a 5 gallon bucket with a shop vac fitting to suck the flues empty. Works, but a pain...

[Dwerden]

I'll second this. I've thought about adding a manifold to my SL hybrid pan, but haven't built up the nerve yet. I made a "fork" out of pvc pipe that connects to a 5 gallon bucket with a shop vac fitting to suck the flues empty. Works, but a pain...

This pan was a challenge enough to build, with corner joints and heat sinks the welding didn't go that bad. I'm not sure how they do the manifold but just the thought of fillet welds on this thin of stainless In tight areas like the flues where you can't get heat sinks in and clamped has bad news all over it. I have a 2 gallon milwaukee cordless vac I think I will use if I absolutely need to

[ir3333]

your skills are impeccable..i'm betting you could whip up a seven finger header to put a syphon hose on

[toquin]

Dwerden, I use a Shop Vac to drain my V flues couple times a year. I lose a little sap but it only takes a couple of minutes. Very nice work on pans! I know how hard it is to weld on that flue pan.

[racinee]

not sure how it would work but maybe hook up the shop vac hose to a food grade bucket to create suction, then a small hose from the bucket to suction in the pan...kind of like the vacuum filter. That way wouldn't waste any sap

[ir3333]

[QUOTE=Dwerden;389390]Been working on this for a while now. Can't wait to see how it works this year

That's spooky...here's the one i made for this year2187021871
18 x 60

[Dwerden]

[QUOTE=Dwerden;389390]Been working on this for a while now. Can't wait to see how it works this year

That's spooky...here's the one i made for this year2187021871
18 x 60

Nice job! I'm calling this a 2x4 but it is actually 2feet outside. Actual pan surface is 20" x 48". Lots of stuff said 2 feet was to wide on this short of arch

[Dwerden]

Finished up the door latch today and scored a 6x8 reducer. I have 6" pipe in the shack but built the base stack to fit 8" incase i ever thought i needed more flow. I'll just use a foot of 8" and the reducer to 6" . Will work out because I only had 6" of pipe sticking out the roof lol so now ill have 4 feet

Pics added to the Google drive in original post

[Pdiamond]

ir3333
The maple leaves on the front of the arch are really a sweet addition to a good looking arch. job well done.

[Dwerden]

ir3333
The maple leaves on the front of the arch are really a sweet addition to a good looking arch. job well done.

Good idea I will blast some out this weekend. Also wanted to add a small "SS7000" (super sapper 7000) as we all call it

[Dwerden]

Added more pictures, finally got the arch home from work and got to set the pans on. Looks killer. Google drive in original post for pics

[Dirtdummy]

What is the distance between the bottom of the flue pan to the arch? Thanks

[Dwerden]

What is the distance between the bottom of the flue pan to the arch? Thanks

9 inches without brick,

With the bricks about 1/2 . I used 2" bricks and my flues are about between 6.5 and 6.75", plus pan gasket

[Dwerden]

Lots more pics added, its in the bush and bricked. Just some odds and ends to finish up before this weekend

[Pdiamond]

You have done a mighty fine job with that build. Is there any reason why you didn't put dividers in the rear pan.

[Dwerden]

You have done a mighty fine job with that build. Is there any reason why you didn't put dividers in the rear pan.

To be honest it was kind of an oversight. The way everything is set up now I would have to change some fittings or the float box. I'll try it as is for this season and tweak accordingly. If it will do 25gph then I will probably do nothing

[4Walls]

That is an absolutely beautiful build. Well done sir. I like that you have named it. We call ours Sapzilla because we have converted it to run off pure used veggie oil and it roars.
Where about in Ontario are you?

[Dwerden]

That is an absolutely beautiful build. Well done sir. I like that you have named it. We call ours Sapzilla because we have converted it to run off pure used veggie oil and it roars.
Where about in Ontario are you?


Thanks! I Have a ton of hours into this thing. I am in wyoming ontario

[Big_Eddy]

Well done!

[ir3333]

ir3333
The maple leaves on the front of the arch are really a sweet addition to a good looking arch. job well done.

Thanks for the compliment.I actually used this last year and modified the firebox this winter (added a ramp)
I also upgraded my rear pan to a drop flue.I'm anxious to see how the much changes improve my GPH rate
and efficiency.

[Dwerden]

Well some quick tests show this things doing about 25gph. We only had about 50 gallons of sap last weekend, I ran it hard for a half hour then turned the blower off because we had some people coming to the shack and didn't want to run out of sap lol . It did about 11 gallons in 25 minutes

Happy with the results so far. Next year with a hood and prehwater hopefully I can squeeze 30gph out of it . I have 100 gallons back there waiting to boil so I should get a little better idea of what it can do

[Dwerden]

Using the 3.5 gallon head tank as reference I did many checks today in evaporation rate. Most were around 25 with a few upwards of 32. Very happy with how it's working. The only modification I would like to try is putting a couple of firebrick laying flat under the base stack on the floor. Thinking this might force the fire up at the back of the pan a bit and boil a bit harder.

[craigwade2005]

Impressive build!!

[Jimbo23]

That looks awesome great work!

Just curious how you joined the 2 pans together - couldn't see that in the pics. I'm thinking of making my arch longer, and wondering about how to join two pans I have rather than spent 2023 dollars on a new longer pan...