modifying an arch?

[MainelyMaple]

we picked up an arch that is 40"x12', the syrup pan is 40"x6' and is in great condition, however the flue pan was tin and full of holes. so just today we picked up a 4x10 flue pan. does anyone see if i would running into any problems by modifying the arch and making it stick out 4" on each side behind the syrup pan to accomadate the wider flue pan, as well as add on 4' to the total length? i think it should work fine, just looking for other opinions, thanks

[maplecrest]

raised or drop flue? weight issues of the flue pan resting on the rails.the pan might roll over the rails. my drop flue sets right on the rails. but if goes over the edge the pan seems to follow over the rail with sap in it. then hooking the flue to the front pan might be interesting. is it leader, grimm, small bros?

[MainelyMaple]

its a raised flue, could we just weld angle iron where the flue pan sits so it has walls to rest against? the syrup pan is leader and the flue pan grimm

[brookledge]

Personally I would try to sell it and then get the right flue pan. If the fire box is left alone the extra width as it goes into the modified part will not give you good heat on the sides so you will have poor boiling on the sides.
Another big problem will be hooking the two pans together.
Also you may want to consider keeping the 4X10 flue pan and getting a 4X4 or 4X6 flue pan and end up with a 4X12 or and sell the rest of things.
Getting back to your question anything is possible but I think you will not be happy with the performance if you modify a narrower arch.
Good Luck
Keith

[KenWP]

With 80 taps how you going to get enough sap to run that evaporator by the way. Take 80 taps to just fill it up once.

[MainelyMaple]

we are gonna have 500 taps next season, and i understand this is still over kill but we got a good deal on everything and will eventually have over 2000 taps in a couple years. so we plan to just store the sap for a couple days till we have plenty to boil

[vermaple]

Is there any way that the tin flue pan can be repaired to get you through a year or two?
A good 40" arch that hasn't been modified and screwed up will go a long way towards finding a 4' arch to use with taht 4 x 10 flue pan when you get up towards 2000 taps. Demand for good used 2-1/2',3', & 40" rigs is always high. 4' rigs are not so hard to find. I would do every thing I could to maintain the resale value of both the pan and the arch for the future as you are in transition equipment wise.

vermaple

[tessiersfarm]

I would go for it. I never had any luck selling anything I didn't want and paying for something I did want with the procedes. It may not be purfect but I think it would work. If it was me I would stretch the arch in both directions with the intention of adding a 4x6 syrup pan in the future, and fill the gap with fire brick for now. Hooking the pans shouldn't be too big of a challenge just slide the syrup pan and fue pan to line up on that side and offset all on 1 side, or just a stainless fitting or 2 from FW Web and you will be in business. The worst case is you will not get a good boil in 8" of your flue pan, but you will still be ahead because of the added length and you will get a little boiling out there anyway.

Good luck!

[mapleack]

I'd either get pans to fit the arch or an arch to fit the pans. Sugarmakers are a creative and inventive lot as a whole, but you're asking for alot of diffcult headaches if you try to make a pan thats too wide work. I'd keep looking and get a set thats all the right size.

[MainelyMaple]

do the pans have to be tight to eachother? if we spread them out a bit (maybe 10"-12") we wouldnt have such a sharp angle. and it would make more of a streamlined look and i think the heat would flow a little better. your thoughts?

[3rdgen.maple]

Mainley Maple I think the closer the pans to the firebox the better use of the heat source. Could you seperate the pans? Of course you could but the question is are you willing to give up the heat in that area and the longer the transition is from one pan to the other the more heat loss you are gonna get there also.

[WMF]

Do yourself a big favor and either get a 4 foot arch and 4 by 4 front pan or try to find a 40" flue pan.
You are going to end up with lots of problems connecting the pans and do you really want to make an evaporator that would be 16 feet long even longer by setting the flue pan back?
There is no way to justify a 4 by 16 on 500 taps and you will tend to make dark syrup by having so much sweet tied up in the pans.
A good SS 4 by 10 flue pan is a valuable bartering tool to have even if you hang on to it until you expand.

[brookledge]

As I said earlier I wouldn't recommend it as others have said, so why don't you try to find the proper sizes and then if by sugaring season you haven't come up with anything, go ahead and modify it.
That 4X10 SS pan will be a good bartering tool as WMF said
Keith

[acers]

Hi i am getting a 18x48 evaporator do you have any idea what the gph on one of those is

[3rdgen.maple]

Ahhh the old question pops up again. Acers too little info to give any ideas of your evaporation rate. Give us some details as to what it is, one pan, two pans, flat pans, flue pans, preheater well you get the idea.

[acers]

The evaporator is one pan it is a flat pan too

[3rdgen.maple]

Acers I'm gonna take a guess at around 9 gallons an hour.