Barrel Stove Kit

[valleyman]

I go back and forth between building an arch or coverting a barrel. Today I'm leaning toward the barrel kit. I'm seeing the kits available and they look good for my needs other than I want to put the pipe coming off the back of the barrel and the part that comes with the kit is curved to fit the arc of a barrel. Is this a big deal if I used that part and sealed the curved part to the flat of the barrel back with gasket material. Does anyone have suggestions?
Thanks.

[RileySugarbush]

I suggest you build an arch. Barrels are cheap to start with, but the darn things are curved! Nothing you want in your arch wants to be curved . Fire brick, pans, grates, a flue shelf....All are much easier to build out of straight and flat material. If you are going to cut and weld, make it easy on yourself!

[benchmark]

I wouldnt use the stove pipe adapt., too much work. If your going to use the barrel, trace the stove pipe that your going to use, measure about 1" in, i.e. if your using 6" cut a 5" hole and cut 1" slots out to your 6" mark and bend the tabs out.
If you plan on expanding in a year the barrel is a quick alternative for now. Once you figure out how many taps your going to have, then build an arch accordingly. If you do build an arch dont build it to small.

[3rdgen.maple]

My personal opinion is build an arch. I think you can get it alot more heat transfer to the pan than a barrel with less work. Don't get me wrong I have seen some nice barrel arches, I picture them in time rusting out and falling apart. I'm not a barrel expert though but I agree everything else is square and the barrel is round. But whatever works for you might not for me, just have fun with it and make some syrup.

[BarrelBoiler]

we are working on a oil tank coversion when thinking aboutthe stove pipe collar we took an stove pipe elbow, to check the fit, to a steel fabicator/supplier and got a 6 inch dia.pipe piece cutoff to use to make ours

[RileySugarbush]

Check out Davyjones' plans.

Simple to build, I think even easier than a barrel.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=49beef89200472b14b1caddec242e4d5&prevstart=0

[Dennis H.]

Hey Valleyman, take it from me, if you plan on keeping the evap for any length of time build it from the ground up and don't use the barrel.

I made my current evap out of a barreland it works great, I get right around 10gal/hr out of it, but it took more work in the end to convert that barrel to evap than it I just used flat steel and angle iron.

I have gotten 2 years out of my evap so far and I can get many more also, it is located inside. I also bricked the thing and sealed most of the gaps and cracks so that I can use a blower. If it had to sit outside it wouldn't last many years but then again neither will a regular evap.

I used the barrel stove kit also, but I only used the door. I have my flue coming out the back. I made my own flue collar, the rest of the stuff in the kit went onto the junk pile.

[RickinFarmington]

I too have a barrel stove arch with all the soup up mods you can build into it. I second or third the opinion of the other guys that you should skip the barrel and buiild a proper arch. The same amount of fabrication work involved, but with a much better end product.

I made 12 gallons on my first year and am already wanting a more efficent system.

The other thing to remember regardless of what arch you build, is to size it for standard sized pans. Look at all the used pans on the market to get an idea of sizes. I would try and make your arch 2x4 or 2x6 so that in the future you could grow to a proper flue/syrup pan set up. Just always think expansion. I expect Dennis H is thinking that right now.

Have fun,

Rick

[3% Solution]

valleyman,

First to answer your question;
Use the pipe piece and use it where it goes, it will draw the fire and heat up to the bottom of your pan producing a better boil, with less work.

Now, my opinion (because I have gone the barrel route);
Built an arch (I did), it's going to be easier and you'll get more heat out of it.
All of your materials are going to to come with square corners , not a rounded edge on any of it.
It's just going to be easier to put the arch board and fire brick to it.
You will be much better off for it.

Summary;
Only you know what you can hand out for money and sometimes you can only do what you have money for.

Good luck with either way you go with.

Dave

[KenWP]

And if you build a square Arch the fire box is not only easyier to brick and insulate but being square also has more volume when it comes to putting wood in it. Thats one thing I run into with the rounded edges is the fire wood fits better one way then the other.

[heus]

I always thought about using one of those fuel transfer tanks for an arch. They are completely square, with pretty thick steel.

[KenWP]

I have the top frame from a old wood stove floating around. I have throught of useing it for a evaporator but it takes a 28 inch wide pan to fit it. Just have to keep makeing improvements until I have it perfect. Yea right.

[Dennis H.]

Yes Rick I am thinking of up-grading already.

Just not sure what size to make and if it even in the cards for this year.

[valleyman]

Thanks!
Now you guys got me thinking the other way now... back to building an arch. I have such a small time operation going. I can do about 20-22 taps for 2010 season.

I know its overkill but that's half the fun. Either setup I go with, I plan on using three 12x18 resteraunt pans until I can afford a real pan