The new shack - from the ground up in 2 months?

[Clan Delaney]

This is going to be an adventure for sure, so I thought I'd post my progress here. It might just help me keep everything on schedule.

Sure.

So, here's where I am so far. I inquired about my required setbacks from the town. Ten feet from front and back property lines as long as I keep the shack no bigger than 10'X12'. Great. I marked the 2 property lines, then 2 new lines ten feet from each of them. Now, stake out a 10'X12' footprint.

Aaaand that's all for now. Riveting storyline, I know. Next up: digging four 4' post holes. Guaranteed guest appearances by lots of roots and rocks.

Can I construct something that I can use to boil in by December? Clock's ticking.... I'm taking bets.

[hard maple]

Well it looks like you should have a plentifull supply of water, come spring.
Are you going to build over that small creek??

[Clan Delaney]

Well it looks like you should have a plentifull supply of water, come spring.
Are you going to build over that small creek??

Spring, hell! The remains of hurricane Hannah came through last night. I've got water now. Yeah, that stream is supplied from the run-off culvert across the street, which is fed largely by my neighbor up the hill whose yard is extensively laced with drainage pipe. It flows in the Spring, and then after heavy rainfall. And I'm going to build over it. We've already picked a name for the shack: Occasional Creek Maple.

[hard maple]

Sounds good to me!
They use to build em next to brooks to wash the buckets.
Theres a dairy barn in Goshen NH where a brook runs clear under it!!
Now for my next question...Are you into ice fishing???

[MaplePancakeMan]

Is this a permanent thing? i only worry that a heavy rainfall washes the steam banks away and erodes your footings. I would hate to see a footing collapse.


A fix for this would be to get a yard or two of heavy big crushed rocks(you know the kind they use for drainage ditches. and line the banks on either side under and near the footings.

[Clan Delaney]

Is this a permanent thing? i only worry that a heavy rainfall washes the steam banks away and erodes your footings. I would hate to see a footing collapse.


A fix for this would be to get a yard or two of heavy big crushed rocks(you know the kind they use for drainage ditches. and line the banks on either side under and near the footings.

Sounds good. I know I need to shore up the stream banks before I build over it, just in case.

[Clan Delaney]

Sounds good to me!
They use to build em next to brooks to wash the buckets.
Theres a dairy barn in Goshen NH where a brook runs clear under it!!
Now for my next question...Are you into ice fishing???

Sorry. I never developed an interest in any kind of fishing, fly, ice or otherwise. I'm still a nice guy, though.

[Clan Delaney]

I spent most of my day exploring and documenting tapping possibilities farther up my road. Looks very promising. I did make time, though, to start digging post holes for the shack.

One hole, 3 feet deep, and slowly backfilling with water. Mud. Blegh.

Time to hit the shower.

Money spent: $39.98 for a post hole digger.

[peacemaker]

whats the yoyo for ??

[Haynes Forest Products]

Clan
Dont worry about the water when you get to the depth you want mushroom out the bottom to get a bigger foot print and dont mix the concrete just pour in dry and let the water in the hole do its job it will set up just fine. Remember cement hardens or cures it does not dry. you can also get Hydrolic cement that is ment to use under water and it will harden up just fine with alot of surrounding water. If you get alot of water and muck at the bottom just pound a big stone in the bottom and it wont settle on you.

[Clan Delaney]

Peacemaker- Yo-yo?!? Oh, I see what you're talking about. No, that's a toy teacup I used to scoop mud slurry out of the hole when it was only a foot or so deep. Eventually I graduated to a toy salad bowl. With two grade-school age girls, there always seems to be something useful and/or pointless lying around the yard.

HFP- For that hole, it's heaving I'm worried about, not settling. At a little over 3 feet down, I hit nothing but solid rock. The hill behind us is all ledge, so I may have hit part of it. I'm debating whether I should widen the hole to see if it's a removable rock down there, but my gut is telling me it's not. I think I'm going to have to settle with a 3 foot hole.
Thanks for the tip with the concrete.

[Father & Son]

CD,
2 months is plenty of time. My first year I started my building on Jan 25 (I know I'm a procrastinator) and it was usable one month to the day later. Usable doesn't mean completely finished but the walls and roof were on. As far as finished goes, is anything EVER finished? With me it isn't, always changing or adding. You have plenty of time, just keep plugging away!

Jim

[jrthe3]

3 feet should be fine my dads first shack was built on railroad ties that he just set on the ground we made syrup in that shack for 25 years till i took over and move closer to the road so i could hook up to power

[Clan Delaney]

Started post hole #2 last night, dug till I hit a rock.

Went out tonight, widened the hole, dug around with my hands. Finally pulled out a rock the size of a toaster.

Note to all rocks: don't mess with a might-have-been geologist. I know your weaknesses! I'm looking at you, sedimentary.

[Clan Delaney]

So where are we?

End of week three.

My dad (who is a carpenter and is almost more motivated at this construction project than I am) came out on Sunday and together we widened my meager holes dug for 4X4 posts so that we could stand up, plumb, brace and backfill three monster 6X6 posts. The backfill was sloppy. Mud like a six year old boy dreams about. Try all you want, but you can't compact sludge. For two of the holes, I mixed up the concrete with practically no water. By the third hole I'd abandoned that and just dumped the bag into the foot or more of water at the bottom. Mixed it in the hole. We backfilled with a lot of stones. I also threw the cast offs from the bricks I cleaned off last weekend - chunks of mortar and broken brick. Everything but the kitchen sink. I need that for my evaporator.

The last post didn't go up thanks to a rock the size of my youngest daughter, refusing to come out of the hole. We took forever to get a rope around the ****ed thing only to have it break when we tried to haul it up. By then the sun was down, and the rain that had held off all day finally opened up. My task this week is to either get that rock out, or make the hole wide enough to move it to one side so the post can go in.

On the schedule for this coming Saturday: Pole 4, a deck floor and the makings of a roof.

[maple flats]

I have often set posts and use no water, just dump in dry and set the post on top. The cement will take up the water even if you have just moist soil, full of water is no problem if is in not actually running inwhich case you would need a hydraulic cement and the use of a cheap stove pipe as a form to keep the portland from getting washed away.

[Clan Delaney]

I have often set posts and use no water, just dump in dry and set the post on top. The cement will take up the water even if you have just moist soil, full of water is no problem if is in not actually running inwhich case you would need a hydraulic cement and the use of a cheap stove pipe as a form to keep the portland from getting washed away.

I've heard of the technique - pouring in dry mix and letting the groundwater do the rest. Any idea how reliable that is? It sounds like a great time saver, but I think I'd always worry that it didn't work. Anyone ever try it, then pull the post to see?

Right now, If I had a stove pipe, I'd use it as a stove pipe!

[Haynes Forest Products]

Yes do it all the time. And yes I put up a trail sign post in the wrong spot and went back a week later it was solid as Concrete. Have you ever left a bag of concrete out side for a period of time.........see what i mean. Im a little confused. I dont see any beer cans laying around is that because you (1) either you keep a very clean job site. (2) you didnt have any fun. (3) you wanted your posts stright.

[brookledge]

As long as you are using redi mix it will work. If you are hand mixing then it is key to get your dry mix, mixed very good before pouring it in dry.
Keith

[Sugarmaker]

Clan,
Enjoying the pictures of the new sugarhouse. We started setting poles on OCT 20 2000 and had enough done that we made syrup in the shack the next spring. So you should be able to be in and boiling by spring. Interesting with the creek running under/through the building.

Regards,
Chris

[Clan Delaney]

Clan,
Enjoying the pictures of the new sugarhouse. We started setting poles on OCT 20 2000 and had enough done that we made syrup in the shack the next spring. So you should be able to be in and boiling by spring. Interesting with the creek running under/through the building.

Regards,
Chris

If all goes according to plan I'll have some real nice progress pics on Sunday. I'm pushing for a whole shack for the Spring, but I'll take a floor and a roof if that's all that's in the cards.

[mapleman3]

Patrick, It's looking great, i'll have to get up there and check it out!, If I wasn't so busy getting mine ready for the 19th of Oct i'd be there... hey bring the girls down to the house on that morning we are having a pancake breakfast/open house. should be fun!

I may stop by this weekend anyway and take a peek.... I do like the "crik" running under it!!

[Clan Delaney]

Patrick, It's looking great, i'll have to get up there and check it out!, If I wasn't so busy getting mine ready for the 19th of Oct i'd be there... hey bring the girls down to the house on that morning we are having a pancake breakfast/open house. should be fun!

I may stop by this weekend anyway and take a peek.... I do like the "crik" running under it!!

The pancake breakfast is already on the calender. We'll be there!

[Clan Delaney]

Got in about 5 hours of construction done this past Sunday with my Dad.

We got the fourth 6X6 in the ground. Then we realized that one corner (the post in the back right in the last pic) isn't going to be as tall as we'd thought. We're gonna have to use some extra cut from the tallest post and graft it onto that one. How does that phrase go? Something something something twice, cut once? Eh. Minor stumbling block.

After that we got all four posts notched to accept the carriers for the floor, then got 'em screwed in and doubled up. My dad is a BIG fan of building bigger and stronger than you think you'll need, cuz, ya never know.

Plans for this weekend: Get the floor joists in and (cross fingers) get the floor laid. Possibly fix that gimpy low corner post.

Best news of the week: my wife thinks she's located old slate roofing. I would LOVE a slate roof!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

When you skimp or cut corners, you regret is about 99% of the time down the road. You will be glad in a few years you did it right and didn't cut any corners.

[lpakiz]

Are you referring to the old carpenters' saying "Measure Twice-Cut Once!"?

[Clan Delaney]

Are you referring to the old carpenters' saying "Measure Twice-Cut Once!"?

Yup. My grandfather had it routered into a plaque in his woodshop that was cut half an inch too short, so the "e" in once was cut off. Let this be a lesson: listen to your elder('s funny wall hangings).

Actually, in our case it was "Measure twice, put the 14 foot post in the hole on the low side and the 12 foot post in the hole on the high side". Now, if only my grandad had taught me that!

[Russell Lampron]

Clan I thought the phrase you were looking for was "I don't understand it, I cut it 3 times and it's still too short".

[mapleman3]

So Patrick, you going to bring tubing down from behind you over the road right to the shack??? there's gotta be some up there !!

You working all weekend on it ? My wife and kids are going to Maryland this weekend , leaves me ALL weekend long in my sugarhouse finishing up the interior work and maybe clean the evap.

so much to do before next sunday!

motor on!

[brookledge]

jim
Is that what you are telling her?
Keith

[RickinFarmington]

First time sugar house builder here with a questiion. Does it make sense to seal the inside and ceiling of my new sugar shack? Would a water based poly applied with my garden sprayer be a good choice?

Rick

[PATheron]

Rick- I think Id be apprehensive about that. I dont think youd want anything like that over the evaperator. Thats just me but Im a worrywart. Id just leave it. Itll discolor but it will dry out all throughout the year. Just a thought. Theron

[tuckermtn]

I would also say no to any poly or tyvek, etc...

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

NO reason to seal the inside. If you were steaming in there 365 days a year, maybe a different story but aprox 100 hours a year, it won't hurt anything as it will dry out quickly.

[RileySugarbush]

If you do want to seal the wood, I'd use shellac. That is what I did on my converted camp building. It had been sitting unused (except by rodents) for decades. We power washed the inside studs, rafters and pine walls and roof boards. Let it dry and sprayed it with shellac. It leaves a nice warm amber glow to the wood and sealed in any remaining odors from the mice. It looks good, and we can still see the graffiti from the campers!

[Clan Delaney]

My arbitrarily assigned time frame of 2 months to "finish" this shack is fast (fast) approaching. I think it's fair to call the outcome now and admit that no, I will not be able to build this thing from the ground up in just 2 months. Doesn't matter though. I'm still supremely confident that I'm going to be making syrup in this thing come Spring. The walls may be made of plastic, but it'll have a roof (and cupola!!!! "Hey Pat, that's a spiffy looking cupola. But where's your evaporator?" "Gah! I knew I forgot something!") Note to self: make list of priorities.

No progress this weekend, but last weekend Dad and I got the floor joists in, laid the decking and got the posts cut to the desired height. Have I mentioned how excited I am at not having to hunch over in my shack anymore? No? Well, I surely am.

There's new lumber in this construction, specifically the posts and floor joists. The rim joists and decking, though, are all recycled. The plan is to frame the roof as well with as much recycled PT lumber as we have available.

Floor joists are doubled up toward the back of the shack to help support the added weight of whatever arch/evaporator I end up putting there. The joists were both toenailed and then bracketed, also for extra support.

So, here's pics:

[TapME]

I couldn't help notice the blue cooler in the back ground, must be refreshing apple cider? Nice work.

[Dennis H.]

Look'in good.
Now put the camera down and help those girls out with the sugarshack!

[Clan Delaney]

Look'in good.
Now put the camera down and help those girls out with the sugarshack!

They weild a pretty mean nailgun, huh? They do good work. :)

[Haynes Forest Products]

RICKIN dont use shellack it curls up and falls off with the changes in moisture leave it alone its a suger shack. If you try and spruce it up to much a big can of Milwakees Best will come down on the bldg.

[Clan Delaney]

RICKIN dont use shellack it curls up and falls off with the changes in moisture leave it alone its a suger shack. If you try and spruce it up to much a big can of Milwakees Best will come down on the bldg.

I feel like I should be getting that Milwaulkees Beast reference, but even though I don't, I'm still laughing out loud.

[Haynes Forest Products]

You have never seen the ad with the can of beer falling on some guy that is acting a little to Metrosexual..............................?

[RileySugarbush]

Haynes: Did you have a bad experience with shellac? I coated the inside of the pine walls with it to seal in odors, but it has only been exposed to one season of sugaring. No curling and falling off, but now I'll be keeping an eye on it.

For reference, I was confident in using this since my home is built of cedar logs with a smooth surface and shellac finish. They have been holding up fine since 1967, even in the bathroom and kitchen.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I think if the coats get to thick they curl but thats just what I saw on the cabinets in the old cabin. I think there are better products out there. Water based Verithane. It could be that every time I play cards I get Shellaced.

[Clan Delaney]

Had a really productive Saturday.

Patched in a scrap piece of 6x6 on the shortest post to get four even posts, all 7' above the floor.

We framed out most of the roof - about 3/4 of a the total ceiling joists and rafters are in, as well as the ridge. We actually ran out of lumber, so had to wrap up. It's finally looking like a shack! I spent some time this afternoon framing out the front door and a window on the wall facing the house. Since it's now going to be dark when I get home from work, if I want to do anything during the week it's gonna have to be early, before the kids get up and I have to get them and me ready for school and job. We'll see how that transpires. My wife is betting 2 to 1 against.

I can't post any new pics right now. I'm actually running a two year old copy of Ubuntu Linux off the CDROM drive. I can't access a thing on my hard drives. But hey, at least I can get on the internets.

[Clan Delaney]

Here's the pics from last weekend's efforts.

[Clan Delaney]

And here's today's work, what little we were able to get done before the rain moved in. Got the last of the rafters and ties cut and nailed in. I was able to finish up the framing I'd started for the front door and picture window. The last pic I edited to show where the door and window on that wall will be.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Clan From the looks of things the snow load calculations came out to 30 to 45 feet of snow befor you will need to shovel. I still dont see any beer cans on the job site so things are looking rather stright. I have some pics of old grape, cider press I found in a back yard used as a planter get me an email add and ill send them I cant figuar out how to load them on this site Chuck

[peacemaker]

hey great foammy did u see them Beamers ......beamers suck


looking good clan what are u gonna use for the roof
..

[super sappy]

I see beamers and I love beamers- I went to Wileys today and bought 25, 2- 3/8 ' beamers just to have around. I love beamers. -ss

[peacemaker]

i think its more of a addiction to beamers .... beamers and great stuff look out world ...lol

[Russell Lampron]

Okay what am I missing here? Am I going to have to go to Urban Dictionary to find out what a beamer is? In the automotive world it is slang for a BMW but I don't think that is what you guys are referring to.

You're doing a great job Clan. It looks like the progress is a little off pace though. It has been just over 2 months. Is this going to turn into an over budget project that drags on for years like the Big Dig?

[TapME]

Clan, your making some good progress keep it up.

[super sappy]

RUSS- Beamers are the hardened steel screws that clan used to hold the lap joint together on the PT post. They were origionally called ledger locks for attaching a ledger beam to a side of a house, or for fastening trusses to the truss plate support .etc. They are 3/8 drive and come in long lenghts also. the nice thing is that you can shoot them in with a cordless screw gun ,no pre drilling, no wrenches quick and super strong. Along with spray foam and JB weld, Beamers are just great products. -ss

[peacemaker]

spoken like a real addict ... lol beamers are great they will hold anything .... expensive but great ....

[tuckermtn]

the timber frame shop I used to work in in BC called them "oly locks"...I think the local hardware store here has them as "timber locks"

they are very handy...you can get them up to 12" long...

[Russell Lampron]

Thank you for the explanations. Being an auto mechanic I'm not up on my carpentry slang.

[Clan Delaney]

Oh! Timberlocks! Okay. I didn't know what y'all were talking about there either. I thought someone had identified that smear of a car driving by in one of the pics as a BMW. **** good eye.

These things are great. No more pre drilling or lag bolting... futzing with a ratchet for 5 minutes per screw. We used an impact driver to install them. Goddam I love that thing. It's smaller than my drill but dayam does it pack a punch! It'll even sink them suckers flush.

[super sappy]

Oh boy my memory is gone - Timber locks - Not ledger locks> they sent me a box a few years ago to try and I loved them. the Scorpion screw Co calls them Beemers. Dont feel bad Russ I pop the hood on my car or truck and its like reading chineese I barely recognise anything so I found a good mechanic with an old house that needs lots of work and we trade hour for hour. -life is good -SS

[Sugarmaker]

Clan,
Nice work extending that post. Remember recovery is EVERYTHING!!
I may have learned something about beemers or beamers or BMW's not sure.

Nice looking framing work!

Yes as mentioned soon you will want a lean-to addition then a deck, then a walk, then a R.O., it goes on and on for years!

Hey I see a red door and want it painted black. (anyone recognize that tune?)

Chris

[peacemaker]

clan have you decided what kind of roof u are gonna use

[Clan Delaney]

clan have you decided what kind of roof u are gonna use

Like, wood vs. metal? I'd LOVE to do a metal roof, but will likely do a wood and shingle. There's a great store down in Springfield that sells used building supplies - I can get left over packs of shingles for 4.50 a pack. I'll have to do some math to figure out how many I'll need.

And a cupola of course.

[peacemaker]

yeah the tin is very high now ... it may be cheaper to shingle it

[Clan Delaney]

Just did that math... should take 6-7 bundles of shingles. So, around $35 worth. That hurts a lot less than I thought it would!

[peacemaker]

and osb is like 6to 7 a sheet

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Clan-You might want to do the math also with the equasion if a sparks lands on your roof from a wood fired arch and catch's the shack on fire=Not so :cool:

Go with tin young fella.

[Clan Delaney]

Clan-You might want to do the math also with the equasion if a sparks lands on your roof from a wood fired arch and catch's the shack on fire=Not so :cool:

Go with tin young fella.

I suppose anything is possible... but do you really think it's that likely? Once that boil starts the steam is gonna saturate the whole of the roof structure. I just can't see sparks winning in that scenario. Still... note to self: buy fire extinguisher.

ANd don't forget, the homemade wood fired arch is only till I can get a proper, um, wood fired arch.

Hmmmmm.

Tin, huh?

Time for some research.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

I have heard of 2 different sugarhouse burning=1 to the ground and the other one a passing motorist spotted it and stopped and told the sugarmaker who put it out/Still can't figure out why he went back to shingle's again?? But he now runs a sprinkler on the roof while he boils.

[Sugarmaker]

Clan,
Aren't those Twix gone yet? Man I can eat those by the handful!:)

Tin is really the way to go on the roof. "do as I say not as I do." We have shingles but we also have a tall stack above the roof so that helps move most of the sparks away from the sugarhouse. Take a look on our web site for some ideas. I have seen a 6 foot orange glow above the stack when its rolling along consuming 85 gallons of raw sap per hour.

Chris

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

CLAN pretty hard putting roof fire out when you are standing on the ground with a 10 lb fire ext

RICH

[Clan Delaney]

Clan,
Aren't those Twix gone yet? Man I can eat those by the handful!:)
Chris

Naw, this bag is like an Everlasting Gobstopper. Never runs out. (Cuz I'm always running out for more!)

[Clan Delaney]

I can get these (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100027670&N=10000003+90272) at Home Depot (or so they say...)

I'd need (mathmathmath) 9 of them. About 280 clams. Expensive, but look at that pretty green color! Says 20 year warranty, but I feel like it'd last a bit longer than 20 years.

[maplecrest]

why dont you put an add in craigs list for tin roofing. you have run great distances for bricks. call around to the building supply co. see about odd pieces you can mix and match. price of scrap is down

[Russell Lampron]

Sometimes building supply companies will get a custom order that comes in the wrong length. The shipping cost are too high to send it back so they will sell it at a discount. The roofing on my sugar house was one of those orders. It was supposed to be 17'6'' and was cut 17' exactly. The guy that I got it from worked for the building supply company and he got it for free. I cut it to lengths that would make it cover my roof.

[3% Solution]

Clan,
Look at my avatar!
What do you see ........ shingles!!
How much snow stays on that roof?
All of it, till I shovel it off!!!!!
We're not getting any younger!!!!
Granted it takes me about 20 minutes to clear the snow, but it's not as easy as it once was!
Let's imagine that was a metal roof with 2 1/2' of snow on it........ it starts to rain in January and the temp goes up to 40 ........ wet, heavy snow ..... oooooooppss there it goes ........ slid right off the roof.
Worth the little bit extra??
You bet!!!
Just my two cents!!!

Dave

[TapME]

Clan, to go a little further than Russ even if it of a different color they make a paint for it. My question is are you still using gas or are you going with a wood setup this year. If it is wood you may want to reconsider using shingles and if there is any thought of going to wood I would think the metal as a better alternative. Do you have any reclaimed building stores around they may have some metal roofing.

[Clan Delaney]

Clan, to go a little further than Russ even if it of a different color they make a paint for it. My question is are you still using gas or are you going with a wood setup this year. If it is wood you may want to reconsider using shingles and if there is any thought of going to wood I would think the metal as a better alternative. Do you have any reclaimed building stores around they may have some metal roofing.

I put up a want-ad on craigslist tonite, to see what's out there that someone might want to part with. Yes, I'm doing a wood fired block arch this year, and plan to do wood for the foreseeable future. Plan on trading in the station wagon for a simple pickup so I have the ability to run around and collect free wood on the "off season". I've got the ReStore (http://www.restoreonline.org/) down in Springfield. Haven't had a chance to check it out in person, but I hear good things.

[TapME]

Are you going to put that arch on the wood floor of the shack? Just a concern in asking that question. It could present additional situations that need to be addressed.

[Clan Delaney]

Are you going to put that arch on the wood floor of the shack? Just a concern in asking that question. It could present additional situations that need to be addressed.

Yes. And no. Obviously not directly on the floor. First, a layer of cement board, then a series of blocks that will hold up a second, double layer of cement board. The arch will be built of top of that. I plan on rigging a forced draft, so the loin's share of the heat is going to be forced up. Then I'm going to keep a fan blowing through that gap between to cement boards... keep the air moving and prevent any possible heat buildup.

[peacemaker]

clan wouldnt it be cheaper to build a barrel evap of some sort ...i bought a barrel stove kit for my preheater for like 40 bucks at tsc ...

[jrthe3]

i made syrup for years in a shack with a wood floor the arch set right on the floor never had anything happen

i find tin rooffing all over every shipment has a pease on the top and bottom that they call cover sheets so the order don't get messed up can find them any where

[Clan Delaney]

The roof is on!! I repeat, the roof is on!!!

The, uh, roofing material itself is still a work in progress. Again, I blame Daylight Savings Time. Pffft. Savings my ***. All we needed was another hour. Sun went down at 4:30 and we pushed it to 5 before it got too dark to be safe.

I also learned that apparently my fear of heights increases exponentially with the lack of adequate lighting. I was at least functional on the ladders all day but as soon as we lost the light... practically useless. Oh well, it was good for some reminiscing with my dad of that time we climbed the monument on Mt. Greylock and I stopped at the first landing and refused to go any farther. He did the same thing to his dad when they visited the Statue of Liberty.

Dad brought some rolls of self-adhesive rolled roofing and we at least got 2 courses up on one side. We'll get side 2 and the ridge this Saturday. Haven't tossed out the metal roofing suggestions. Still looking. If I find something though, it can go right over what we'll already have up there.

I know I've talked some big cupola talk 'round these parts, but I won't be getting one done on this shack for this season. It'll have to be a summer add-on. I'll rig some hinged panels on the gable ends for this year, maybe throw in an old fan to move things along.

Pics!

[peacemaker]

nice job clan there is a fella down the road from me he boils in the down stairs of his barn he made a cheap plastic sheet hood that turns and he blows it out the side wall of the barn ... i think your exhaust fan idea would work that way well

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

things are looking good CLAN

RICH

[TapME]

How about a squirrel cage that came off an old forced hot air heating system as a fan to move the steam? They are usually powered by a motor and belt and can move a lot of air. You could mount it in the rafters out of the way.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I tried that with the squirl cage and all I ended up with was a hole in the peak of the shack. The problem with steam is its heavey. A fan will be moving alot of air out of the shack but not the heavey air that is full of steam. A fan sucks out the light air due to the path of least resistance. Convection moves the steam laden air better than anything else and that is UP. A bldg that has a fan that moves alot of CFMs needs an equal amount of air coming into the bldg to get GOOD air movement. What happens is the cold incoming air cools the steam laden air and it rains and gets slow to move. Coupla,Hood,Coupla,Hood,fan na da

[Elynch77]

Sorry to jump in but I have a problem and you all might have some ideas. I should get home in early January and need to put up some sort of structure. I am in Western NY and that means 3 feet of frozen earth. I am building most of the structure in pieces in the barn and setting it up in pieces to stay out of the cold. The part I need to figure out is how to get the posts dug. I used a tractor mounted auger to do a porch last year and it was useless. I ended up with a shovel and a big steel bar. Took forever and that was November and only a foot of frozen ground. So short of explosives what is the answer?

Ethan

[Haynes Forest Products]

55 gallon drum with both ends cut off put it on the spot that you want to dig. Make sure that you put some vent holes near the bottom. keep a nice fire going not a big flames out the top but a good steady bed of coals do that till the ground turns to mush.

[peacemaker]

great idea haybes why not on skids for now ..

[mapleman3]

Patrick, The shack is looking great! I'm hoping you can get a rig to put in there and stay in there a few years!!! I'l have to come up and take a look at it , looks pretty solid!!

Nice job!! :)

[Sugarmaker]

Patrick,
Nice looking sugarhouse. If you got the roof on, you can make syrup under it with not much else required.
Based on your time line and the status of your project I would guess that you may be a program manager:)


Regards,
Chris

[Russell Lampron]

I think a door at each gable end would be enough to let the steam out for this season. You will want a cupola for the season after that though. My parents had doors in the gable ends of their sugar house that they would open up on those days when the steam wouldn't go out of the cupola fast enough.

[Elynch77]

Just thinking about your steam issue and thinking back to past problems. Used to work at a power plant with a huge heat recovery system and several other enclosed areas where ventilation was an issue. With your evaporator pulling a ton of air and the doors on the building shut most of the air needed to fire the evaporator has to come in from the vents and then down. In order to establish the airflow needed to vent the steam you need to either vent from down low or have a small fan bringing in fresh air maybe even giving a little positive pressure on the inside of the building.

Ethan

[Elynch77]

Just doing some thinking on the combination arch on wood/steam out the building issues after reading the whole thread end to end. (Quite day) It is as much for my own planning as a recomendation but I was thinking about putting the arch on 4" cinder blocks laid flat. I will be running a 2.5 x 8 with any luck and was planning a pad the size of the evaporators footprint. Just behind between the wall and pad I was planning on using a double squirrel cage from Northern tool or Harbor freight to pull air from outside through duct work through the fan and into the back of the cinderblocks. Air comes out the front a little warmer and gives fresh air for convection to do its thing. Another fan could be added a little higher for forced air.

Ethan

[danno]

Hey Ethan - when setting up the arch I'm using now, I put it up on 2 sets of 4" blocks. My last one was right on the cement foundation. Advantage to blocks - more ash space under grates - thus less frequent ash clean out, easier wood loading as arch doors are a little higher (this one was not really a factor for me). Disadvantage to blocks - pans are higher in the air, more difficult to see into the pans.

[Clan Delaney]

Just thinking about your steam issue and thinking back to past problems. Used to work at a power plant with a huge heat recovery system and several other enclosed areas where ventilation was an issue. With your evaporator pulling a ton of air and the doors on the building shut most of the air needed to fire the evaporator has to come in from the vents and then down. In order to establish the airflow needed to vent the steam you need to either vent from down low or have a small fan bringing in fresh air maybe even giving a little positive pressure on the inside of the building.

Ethan

I was thinking both gable ends open, and a fan set up to cross-vent. Got a shower vent fan in the garage that might work. Need to fiddle.

[Clan Delaney]

Sat. and Sun., things are moving right along.

Finished "shingling" the roof. It's actually a textured, adhesive underlayment... comes in giant rolls. It'll keep the rain, snow and ice out for this winter. Then when I can score some proper metal roofing, it can go right over this stuff. My stack will exit through the back wall, then turn straight up, to some point above the roof. Will fashion brackets to hold it out away from the building.

Now that the roof is finally complete, I can work on all the stuff I have my own tools for, namely the walls and windows. I've got 2 done. Used up the last of the recycled 2x4's, and creatively cut up the scrap plywood from the roof for sheathing. The 4 windows installed already all came from the house when we put in vinyl replacements. That corner where the giant picture window is will have a counter top the primary workspace. But I get ahead of myself.

Before pics:

[Clan Delaney]

Aaaand After Pics:

[Sugarmaker]

Pat,
Starting to look like a sugarhaouse with lots of natural light too!
Where's the snow?

Chris

[TapME]

coming along great. keep it going. couldn't help but see those maples across the road from the shack. Are you going to add them to the list?

[Clan Delaney]

Pat,
Starting to look like a sugarhaouse with lots of natural light too!
Where's the snow?

Chris

Whoa whoa whoa! Who's ordering snow? I'm not ordering snow! I still need two %$&*#@ walls! Walls fist, then snow. :)

[Clan Delaney]

coming along great. keep it going. couldn't help but see those maples across the road from the shack. Are you going to add them to the list?

You can tell which ones are maples?!? I had to stand under each one with an Audubon field guide in my hand to be sure.

But funny you should mention that....

I scouted out that land late summer. Even looked for the property owner. Turns out it's in a trust in the name of some couple who lives nowhere around here. In short, I doubt they'd mind a few buckets.

It's pretty swampy over there (next to a brook) and that's in summer. Come spring that ground'll suck the boots right off your feet. I located (lemme see... still got notes...) 13 trees for 14 taps. There's more, but that's just what is directly across from my property. I gave it some thought, and decided against trying to tap them. If I bucketed them, I'd have to slog over there almost daily to collect. If I ran lines to a collection point, I'd still need to get all that sap up the hill to the shack. That'd mean a vac or pump, an likely running that under the highway through a culvert.

So, like I said, I ruled it out. But lately I've been wondering... what happens if I reach a point where I find I don't have enough sap to keep the evap running? I'm gonna be looking at those trees and re-thinking whether all that work really is worth it.

[MaplePancakeMan]

looks good now when you're done come on by and make me one too haha...


i'm trying to work with an architect to figure out a good way to extend our barn without making it an eye sore and put a 12' wide by 24' long addition.

[Clan Delaney]

Finally! Four walls! Gable ends closed in! Doors that work like doors!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that all I need now is an evaporator.

Most of the final work got done last weekend, and on a few evenings since and this weekend I did some finish work: counter, shelves, door latch.

I took a LOT of pics, too many to put all of 'em up here, but I will do a few. If you want to see everything to date, I finally got them all up online. Check them out. (http://picasaweb.google.com/pat.delaney/SugarShack2009#)

[tuckermtn]

looking good Clan...

[mapleman3]

Looking like a guest house now!! pretty comfy!! gonna have cable??

it's going to fit the Half pint looking rig just fine!!!

[dano2840]

mine will be done in less than a month, all it needs is the roof and 1"x on the out side.
i might put direct tv in my sugar house next year:) not this yearthough, cant afford it. i can only put the tv i got for free from a milk tester who test the milk at a friend of mines farm, gunna hook up the xbox for the friends to play on, and the Big stereo is going in there to oh and a couch i got is going out there......some of the girls in school have expressed interest in helping me sugar:):):) man i cant wait for february!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Clan Delaney]

mine will be done in less than a month, all it needs is the roof and 1"x on the out side.
i might put direct tv in my sugar house next year:) not this yearthough, cant afford it. i can only put the tv i got for free from a milk tester who test the milk at a friend of mines farm, gunna hook up the xbox for the friends to play on, and the Big stereo is going in there to oh and a couch i got is going out there......some of the girls in school have expressed interest in helping me sugar:):):) man i cant wait for february!!!!!!!!!!!!

TV. XBOX. Stereo. Couch. And girls that want to come out and "help you sugar". Is that what the kids are calling it these days? LOL And I thought my shack was the bees knees cuz I put a radio on a shelf.

Just remember, you're friends have gotta earn their keep! They each have to haul at least 5, no 10 gallons of sap for you.

Post some pics of this shack. I'd like to see it!

[MaplePancakeMan]

Nice Progress Clan... ground breaks this weekend for mine... we'll see if it gets finished before Feb. If not oh well i'll work it out some how. Its gonna be an 18x 24 addition to the barn then the whole barn gets a black metal roof. However after this storm i need to find a new bush to tap.. lots of sustained damage here i'd say at least 50-60 percent and i'd feel more comfortable not tapping them this year.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Dano, ha don't let them distract you too much a burnt batch and that will sour your mood hahaha.. have fun though play some rock band and sugar at the same time... sounds like a party to me.

[jrthe3]

dano back when i first started on my own all the girl in my high school thought the sugar house was a place where i took girls to have s@x with them

[tyrod2]

dano back when i first started on my own all the girl in my high school thought the sugar house was a place where i took girls to have s@x with them

Something to think abought. Naaaaaaa Wife will never go for it.

[Clan Delaney]

dano back when i first started on my own all the girl in my high school thought the sugar house was a place where i took girls to have s@x with them

Silly girls. Shacks are for sugaring!

[dano2840]

teehee now why would they think that ;) i have a couch to sit down on and rest my feet...........hehehe

the sugar house is only used for 2 or 3 months outof the year.............mine as well put it to good use during the off season when the parents are in the house that i live in, wont get walked in on in the ol' sugar house, lol

[dano2840]

i will get some pics up this week, that or i will have you guys go the the ag aprenticeship programs website isnt that great i get school credit to use to graduate for sugarin' i love it haaha

[dano2840]

Silly girls. Shacks are for sugaring!

im guna right that as a famous quote on the wall of my shack lolhahaha

[jrthe3]

ok i will come clean i did had to get some use out it the other 10 mouths of the year

the funny part is the wife loved to hang out in the shack when we were dating now can't get her near it

[stevepipkin]

I'm lucky. My wife loves to maple. She only weighs 100 pounds but she's out there emptying buckets and running the evaporator. If the weather's too crappy, its hard to get her away from a nice warm evaporator.

[dano2840]

well my wife...... oh wait im not on a leash yet hehehe i can go from highschool sweetheart to highschool sweet heart, my only prob is i haven had one yet because i need to figure out how to stop working 365ds/yr, on christmas day last year i was hanging pipe in the woods, i just dont have time for a social life but thats where all the girls who are gunna come over and help comin i will get to know them better and start something with the nicest prittyest one!!!! im so smart LOL

[MaplePancakeMan]

Lucky you ! hahaha.... my g/f hates maple season... i don't know when to tell here that might be a deal breaker. She is nice and pretty though hahahah

[dano2840]

if im gunna get a g/f its gunna be partly into the sugaring season when i make some money to spend on her,,,, Is this working thing and g/f a backwards cycle???????????

[dano2840]

hey is there any one near waitsfield that would be willing to come over when i tapp and tell me if my vac system is up to par, it was given to me and i was told that the realese gate sticks some times so it has to be babbied, i dont see why it would stick and i havent tested it to see if it does it probly wont gett tested untl its hooked up to the trees, but i dont know anything about them, exept they are ur friend,

[Clan Delaney]

I haven't done much with the shack since we got it closed in. Strangely, it's already begun accumulating items that have nothing to do with sugaring: a table saw, soda cans... so I spent part of the day moving out the non-essentials and then installed my lighting.

I mentioned these when I picked them up - high intensity LED's that my brother recovered from a commercial signage installation. They only consume 1 Watt per module and are bright as... as something that's wicked bright. I just ran them along the underside of every other roofing tie, then wired then into the power supply.

No matter where I stand, I don't even think it's possible to cast a shadow in there. It's a weird feeling light, too. Not what most of us are used to. It's more blue-white than yellow.

[MaplePancakeMan]

looks awesome Clan! but are you going to be making maple syrup in there or performing surgery? hahahah. Those are some seriously bright lights but they say LED lights are easier on your eyes and more like natural sunlight.

[Clan Delaney]

looks awesome Clan! but are you going to be making maple syrup in there or performing surgery? hahahah. Those are some seriously bright lights but they say LED lights are easier on your eyes and more like natural sunlight.

Haha... surgery... that's funny. I might be in the overkill range. Maybe I'll disconnect a few strings and see what difference it makes.

[Sugarmaker]

Clan you will like the extra lighting! Much safer!

Thanks for the update.

My sugar-house collects everything! I got the go ahead from Cheryl to build another building for a shop to put the lawn stuff and the truck and the saws and the tools and the work bench and the ..... not sure of the size yet:) Just need the money!!

Chris

[Clan Delaney]

Here I go again, diggin' up my old thread...

Ladies and Gentlemen (wait... are there any ladies on the Trader?) I present....

my chimney, uh.... Stack!

Lotsa pics, you can see them all here. (http://picasaweb.google.com/pat.delaney/InstallingTheStack21410#)

But my favorite is attached below. It looks like a cutaway pic.

[johnallin]

Clan, cool picture - but I thought you had four walls on that sugar shack.......is one removable? :o

[Clan Delaney]

Clan, cool picture - but I thought you had four walls on that sugar shack.......is one removable? :o

Ha ha! One wall.... is a DOOR!

[vtsnowedin]

Well Clan I just read your whole thread front to back. Yes it is a slow night. A very nice project you have there but you havent said if you have made any syrup in it as yet. The best pictures are the ones with the princesses in them. Mine are past college but your pictures bring back memories. Enjoy while you can as they are gone before you know it. I built a 20'x14' sugarhouse this winter to fit a rig' She who must be obeyed' gave me for my birthday. Lots of your post hit the 'been there done that' button for me.
Here's hoping you have a good season. :)

[Clan Delaney]

Well Clan I just read your whole thread front to back. Yes it is a slow night. A very nice project you have there but you havent said if you have made any syrup in it as yet. The best pictures are the ones with the princesses in them. Mine are past college but your pictures bring back memories. Enjoy while you can as they are gone before you know it. I built a 20'x14' sugarhouse this winter to fit a rig' She who must be obeyed' gave me for my birthday. Lots of your post hit the 'been there done that' button for me.
Here's hoping you have a good season. :)

I made just under a gallon on very dark and delicious syrup in the final days of last season. made it on a bricked-in propane turkey fryer and a steam table pan. This year: used homemade barrel boiler, pan and pre-heater. Just bricked it in tonight. Gonna need lotsa help from those girls hauling sap and firewood this year.