Used 2'x6' arch and 2'x4' flue pan ?

[Amber Gold]

I have the opportunity to buy a used 2x6 arch, not sure of the manufacturer, but it's in similiar condition to the 2x8 that was just listed on ebay. Basically it needs to be cleaned up, repainted, there's a small whole in the tin, and it needs to be bricked. It's at a local sugar shack for $100. Does this sound like a good price and is there anything that I should look for when I check it out? I currently boil off of a 2'x2' finish pan set on concrete block so the only additional pan that I would need for this arch is a 2'x4' flue pan, which I have some questions about.

1. With a 2'x2' syrup pan and a 2'x4' flat pan, what can I expect for GPH?

2. What if I used a drop flue pan instead, what can I expect for GPH?

3. Where's a good place to buy used pans and what can I expect to pay for each type of pan?

4. If I was to boil twice a week, approximately how many taps could I handle with either setup?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[tuckermtn]

we started with a 2 x 6 raised flu on a very sketchy home made arch. we got around 25 gph. repairing tin on an arch isn't rocket science.

we started with 140 taps, then went up to 250, then when we went up to 350 taps we went to a 2.5 x 8.

for used pans, check with Bascoms...may be hard to come across just a used 2x4 flu pan- most of ones at Bascoms are syrup pans. I think when we bought our new 2 x 4 flu pan it was close to $1200- but that was 4+ yrs ago

[Amber Gold]

Is there a performance difference between a drop or raised flue? Also can the arch accept either type?

[mapleack]

Performance should be very similar between raised flue or drop flue, provided the flues are of similar depth. Arches are made to work for one or the other, however an arch intended for dropflue could probably be converted to work with a raised flue pan. It would be more difficult to convert a raised flue arch to work with drop flue pans.

[Amber Gold]

Is there a way to tell which type of flue pan the arch is designed for?

[mapleack]

In a raised flue arch there is a ramp at the back of the fire box that goes the whole way up to the top of the side rails of the arch. This directs the fire and hot gases up and back through the flues. In a drop flue arch, the back of the firebox stops well below the tops of the side rails.

[Amber Gold]

What gauge sheet metal should be used for the arch? The sheet on the bottom of the arch needs to be replaced.

Also, what do you recommend for a paint? Is a high temp wood stove paint appropriate? I'm going to sandblast and refinish arch.

This is a question about lining. I have 40 split bricks from this years concrete block arch. Are these adequate or should I use full bricks or a combination of both? I was thinking of lining with a ceramic blanket and was wondering how much of a difference it made and what the cost was?

Thanks for the help.