Replacing double arch doors?

[Bruce Kilgore]

Hi Guy's. It is late to be asking this but have any of you ever found a way to replace the cast double doors with a single door? The problem is that with our new blower fine ash sometimes comes out of the gap between the two doors. Arch is a Leader 2x4. I would like an airtight front but just can not justify the big bucks. I hope that all of you have a great season. Bruce

[SUGARSMITH]

I have the same problem. I was thinking of bolting a strip of 309 ss on the inside of the left hand door, or using an RA-253, about 1-1/2' wide which would allow the right hand door to seal against it, somewhat. Only drawback if it is one is that to open the left door the right would always need to open as well.

[the old guy]

Here Is What I Did. I Took A Stiff Poker, Welded A 2" Bead Lenghtwise On It And Shoved The Poker Through The Eye Bolt Hinges Holding The Doors, Then Twisted The Poker To Clamp The Doors Tight. It's Worked For Two Years. Poker Is About 5/8" And Much Cheaper Than Buying An Air Tight Front Or A Replacement Door.

The Old Guy

[Bruce Kilgore]

Thanks, but Old Guy I'm not sure what you mean. I heading up to the sugar house now perhaps looking at it will help. I do have another option we found a door and frame from an old barrel stove. By the dimentions it should cover the opening. I hope that it will only need to be bolted on. Keep your fingers crossed. Bruce

[VtSugarhouse]

I have heard of guys trying to make a non-airtight arch into an airtight one.
The problem which they had is if they had enough blower they created excessive heat on there doors and warped and cracked them.
Depending on your heat range I have seen where both the cast iron front as well as a steel front suffered damage.

Just a thought!

[Bruce Kilgore]

Hi guys back agin. Any way the latest try did not work. It would but I would have to cut all of the cast door hinges off of the arch front. Has anyone ever tried to have a single door cast? Oh also I'm not going for air tight so much as cleaner. Thanks agin for all fo you in put. Bruce

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It is going to be pretty close to impossible to modify a cast front to the point of an airtight arch. An airtight has a locking system and the arch is pressured. For reference, I blow 760 cfm in my 2x8 arch. If it was airtight and pressured, it would blow ash out everywhere around the front. It also has air chambered around both sides of the door frame and the top and the door has 2 layers of 2600 degree 8lb ceramic blanket.

You can get most arches to the point where they won't blow out ash with some work and some sealing materials like rope gasket and ceramic blanket, but to get it to the point where it is airtight and pressurized is a totally different game.

[the old guy]

Bruce

I Have A 96 Model 700 D & G 2 X 6 Evaporator. It Was Rigged With A Home-made Squirrel Cage Fan. When The Fan Was On, It Would Blow The Doors Open. To Fix This There Was A Rod On Each Side Which Slipped Into Two Two Holes To Hold The Door In Place. Evidently The Rods Were Replaced With Long Eyebolts For The Doors To Swing On. I Just Put A Rod Through The Eyes And It Served As A Kind Of Latch For The Doors And By Adding The Bead Of Weld, I Could Twist The Rod To Get An "almost" Airtight Closure That Would Stand Up To The Force Of The Fan. I Then Wired A Fan Speed Control Switch In To Control The Wind Speed And Sandwiched 1" Of Ceramic Blanket Between The Doors And A Piece Of 3/8" Boiler Plate Attached To The Back Of Them. The Actual Cast DoorS Do Not Get "red" Hot But The Boiler Plate Next To The Fire Does.

The Old Guy

[timbers]

This year i replaced my 2 doors with 1 single door backed with 1" ceramic blanket and expandable metal to hold it in place. The door was cut out of 1/4 metal on our cnc table and closes much like truck trailer doors close. So far it has worked very well. Anybody with a plasma cutter could cut you a new door. Good luck Ian

[Bruce Kilgore]

Well guys,here is where I now stand. I just bolted the two doors together with a piece of steel. It is solid enough. I would like to add the ceramic blanket just not sure how best to do that. On a cool note I found a local foundry that is willing to cast me one solid door for $250. I enjoy all of your in put. thanks, Bruce