What the arch sits on

[dano2840]

i was wondering what to put my arch on, ive seen some people with it up on cinder blocks so they can clean the ashes out easier, but that makes the draft door almost useless because theres that big big gap infront, but if you just put it on the ground its hard to clean the ashes out through the draft door, what do you guys do?

[mapleack]

DanO, I've got my 3x10 up on two courses of blocks to make firing easier. I can put wood in without hardly bending over. The only downside is that I had to build a platform down one side of the arch to see in the pans without a ladder. I've also never had a problem with getting too much draft by having that big opening under the draft door. One thing I would reccomend is that if you're setting it up over that brand new concrete slab you were talking about is to line the bottom of the ash pit with firebrick to protect the floor. I had cracks radiating out from the ash pit under my old 2x8, I don't think it was a coincidence.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Why not start out with the whole bottom of the arch with cement blocks like a honey comb and fill with sand as insulation and then build up the arch sides and the slope in the back. If you put a steel plate in the ash pit you could clean it out easy.

[ehausinfrats]

I was checking out your pics of your evaporator. How far up from the floor did you elevate to the botom of the arch?
advise

[mapleack]

I was checking out your pics of your evaporator. How far up from the floor did you elevate to the botom of the arch?
advise

I assume you were asking me, the arch is sitting on two rows of cement blocks, so its about 16 inches from the floor to the bottom of the legs on the arch. Other than roasting your face when you open the doors it makes it very very nice to fire, no more sore back at the end of a long boil. I just added some more pics to photobucket, a few that show the ash pit better and the blocks.