Homemade float box

[Gumlaw's sugar shack]

Hello. I am looking for ideas on how to build a float system. If anyone has pic's or has built one themself let me know Thank's.

[Haynes Forest Products]

What are you putting this on as far as size of flue pan?

[Gumlaw's sugar shack]

It's a 2x6 Homemade

[3rdgen.maple]

Haynes brings up a good point. Is it a flat pan system or a flue pan. Drop or raised. The more info you supply us the more answers you will get.

[KenWP]

To bad you didn't live near here. Fellow down the road wants 20 bucks for a factory buit float box with valves and what not to go with it.

[Gumlaw's sugar shack]

Sorry Guy's... It's a flat pan on a homemade 2x6 rig I picked last season. It has 2 3/4 inch ball valves on either side in front of the preheater pan to draw sap into front pan. I would like to set up a float box when I put new pans on it this fall.

[Haynes Forest Products]

If I follow you your going to design a float box to fit new pans you dont have yet MMMMMMMMMM are the new pans going to be home builds. Well lets give it a shot. The float box has to attach to the flue pan with a transfer pipe from the box to the pan. The box needs to be as tall as the flue pan so it can maintain high or low levels. The transfer pipe has to be big enough so it can maintain equal levels between the box and flue pan and still allow sap transfer. The first thing you need is the valve and float so you can build around it. Float valve needs to be able to withstand boiling water. do you have the valve yet?

[3rdgen.maple]

Alright now we can start to get somewhere but first more questions for you.
First off where is moores ny? If you are any where near me come on over and I got an old flat pan setup in storage that I can maybe part with the float box setup. Pans stay with me for backup. It is nothing elaborate. What I had was a stainless steel float box that was connected to a fitting on the side of the pan. Sap entered into a simple dairy float that you can get at Tractor supply cheap. It did warp a touch but never effected it's performance. Now when you say preheater I think you are refering to your pan behind your syrup pan. What a preheater is, is a setup where the sap is heated before it enters the pan on your arch. There is also a preheater pan like the leader halfpints have where it sets on top of your pan on the arch. If that is what you have then a float box is pretty much rendered useless as all you do is feed the evaporator with a regulated flow out of a spigot. So how many pans do you have on the arch. I assume a syrup pan and another one behind that. Are these pans connected with piping somehow? If so then a float box makes sense for you. If you can a picture also speaks a thousand words as sometimes we don't quite get a mental image of a description correct.

[3rdgen.maple]

Oh boy missed that one Haynes. So you do not have pans yet? That is hole new ballgame. Gumlaw where are you? a stop over might help you out if you take a look at the two setups I have to help you get started.

[3rdgen.maple]

Okay mapquested Mooer ny you are very close to vermont and a long way from me. Sorry maybe someone else on here can offer you a tour that is closer.

[vermaple]

I would like to set up a float box when I put new pans on it this fall.

You are not very far from Swanton, I would go shopping for ideas at some of the dealers in Swanton. New pans may be prohibitively expensive but some times you can steal some ideas.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Jrthe3 needs to step in here and give the info on his Granger float valve. Is he in the witness protection program? Or did his wife find out he really is doing maple syrup and checked him into rehab

[Gumlaw's sugar shack]

Thank's for your input on this issue fella's. I should take a ride to swanton and check out leader and lapierre. I was just wondering If anyone had some plans. I have the new front pan that was built by a metal fab shop here in town. The rear pan will be made this fall.

[caseyssugarshack93]

here is Jrthe3 float system, i took the picture off his photobucket, hope it helps some,

[KenWP]

That is the type of float box the fellow at Baldwin Mills had for sale. I have no idea why he took it off and when he found out I made syrup he stopped talking to me for some reason.

[Bucket Head]

Checkout my photobucket link. There are some photos of my floatboxes there.

Steve