blueprints for syrup pans

[Breton heart]

Does anyone know where I can find blueprints to make a 2'x4' boiling (syrup)pan with sections? Have access to a SS fabricator.

[Clan Delaney]

Personally, I can't say I have. I know there's guys here who build pans as a business or hobby, though. My gut feeling is that the do-it-yourselfers just draw up their own plans and go. It's not rocket science (but knowing how to weld helps. :) ) I'd imagine just cut corners out of a full sheet, fold up the flaps for sides and weld. Then cut dividers to fit and you're good. Well, then there's holes for draw-offs and whatnot, but by and large, pretty straightforward. Get in touch with dano2840. He's talking about building a 2X4 flat pan in this thread (http://www.mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=5382).

[dano2840]

im building a 2x4 3 section pan in metals 2 at school, im going to have 6" sides and 2 5" dividers, im going to cut a piece 64"x 40" and notch out the corners and bend the 4 sides up and weld the corners and then weld in the dividers, and weld a 1/2" valve on either side, then weld in the dividers

[Breton heart]

Thanks dano 2840, for your input.Im fortunate that there is an Amish business that fabricates these stainless steel cookers that have a firebox underneath (they are round )and the upper part is for cannining or making very large batches of sauces or what ever. He works from 12 to 20 guage ,tig welded. I am the first to ask him to make a syrup pan although someone from Ohio called to have him make a holding tank for sap .In the divders how large are you cutting the flow holes ? the shape of the cut ,and the placement of them, if you were standing facing the front of the pan.If a two divider pan (2x4 pan )the first one is at the front first div. the next one is placed at the futher end of the second div. yes? Thanks Breton heart

[dano2840]

ok so im going to have my draw offs at the front (near the fire box door) 1 on each side, going from right to left (dividers) you right divider will have your hole cut out in the end in the back of the pan( near your stack) the second divider on the left will have the hole cut in the front, (near the fire box door) then say your drawing off syrup on the right side, your sap would come in the rear left corner of the pan, and flow to the front right corner through the dividers if your drawing off on the left the sap will enter the front right corner and exit the rear left corner ( or you could turn the pan 1/2 turn so your left rear corner would become your front right corner, so you could draw off on the same side all the time but still have the flow going the other way from teh previos nights boil to keep nitre and sugar sand down to a minimum,) so you will have 1 valve on your frnt rt corner and 1 on your rear lft corner Valves are at the other end of the pan than the hole in the divider, im going to make my holes in the divider triangular because thats what you see on all pans, a right triangle, basically take a 45 degree piece off the end of the divider, im making mine 3"tall and 3" wide, it depends on how deep off sap your going to run in your pans, i plan to run an 1"-3/4" in my pans, if your going to run 3" ( i dont recomend any more than 1 1/2) then you would want the triangle to be at least 4"x4" but i would run an inch, its a 2x4 so you dont need a float system just a valve on the end of your feed tank, cracked to the rate its boiling off at, works fine, have him make it out of 18 gauge or 20 18 is better im making my pan 6" tall with 5" tall dividers, also you will want the edges on the top of the pan to be bent over( sharp edges and your hand dont work well w/ eachother)

[maple flats]

I like 4 section pans better, at least for 3' wide or less. A 4 section (3 deviders) allows you to draw off at the rear of either side. Mine has a float box at the rear on each side witch is fed alternate sides every other day and draw off will be on the other side. This was also how my half pint was and my 2x6 front pan (3 deviders that is) I think on a 3 section (2 deviders) you will either have to rotate the pan daily or change draw from rear on one side and front on other. If this is the syrup pan coupled with a flues pan it seems like the syrup pan would need rotating to reverse flow.

[dano2840]

i agree but the sections are only 6" wide, and seem to small to me, idk if it affects things or not,

[Breton heart]

Thanks dano, thats what I needed some dimensions and numbers. Also thanks to Clan Delaney for directing me to dano. This is my third year backyarding only 15 to 20 taps ( mostly norway, red and silvers but I can tap more.I have a home built cinder block fire bricked arch and three deep s.s. hotel lasagna pans.I will also put sap on the old papa bear stove at night to get ahead for the day.So this year I want a regular syrup pan to speed the process up. I go out to Somerset Co. Pa (4 hr. drive)to visit family and stop at the sugar house's and I should have taken measurements. But they were boiling away come to think of it., but that is the closet real syrup producers. Breton h.

[Breton heart]

To Maple Flats, The Syrup pan would be all I have on the cinder block arch, no flu pan which is basicly a pre heating evaporater that feeds into the first pan correct?

[shawk]

Here is a link to the pan that I designed and am in the process of making. It is a 2x4 with 10" sides. I am making the partition triangles a little smaller though. I went with the 10" sides after watching some of the videos out there of sap at a hard boil I decided the deeper pan might prevent a possible splash on someone.

www.beehavenacres.com/files/pandesign.skp

Here is a link to google sketchup so you can view it. Have to give credit DavyJones for introducing it.

http://sketchup.google.com/

[Rockingham Maple]

The untested 2x4 pan that I built for my evaporator has an inlet box on the side and is basically divided into 4 sections. the back 2x3 section is 3 chambered with the dividers 8" apart and the front 2x1 section is open. I made the sides 9" high with a 1" flat on the top and a 1" inner bend.

The divider that I placed between the front and rear sections is the same height as the sides so that I can mount my 2x3 preheater hood on top and leave the 2x1 finishing area open where I can keep an eye on it.

I kind of like this setup because even if I didn't have a hood it is really easy to put one on later.

When I get back from vacation I will be figuring out how to tput my pics on here so you can see it. Hope this helps!