Cupola ??

[gunnergo4th]

I have new 2x6 raised flu coming and my building is actually a steel shipping container 8'x20'. So it has a flat roof so I've built a 2x6 cupola and has 2' high sides. Do you think it is too big because it does to me? With the container being 8' high I think the steam should go straight out

[Haynes Forest Products]

I take it you dont have a steam hood. If you dont I would because you will be forming a nice layer of Ice on the inside walls and ceiling. I would sell the coupla and get a hood and then just run the steam pipe out. Now as far as to big I wasnt around when my Coupla was made but its 5'wide 5'high and 9' wide with 4x8 with drop down doors. It could double as a Deer stand so I feel your pain Go with the hood :cry:

[3rdgen.maple]

They can't be to big only too small. You built it correctly however a 2x6 arch requires a 2x6 coupla at the very least. But with a flat roof and being in a steel container Haynes might be right.

[Littlesap]

I just built a small sugar house, 10x12 with 6.5' walls and an 8 pitch roof. I built the cupola 2' wide by 2' high by 6' long as that was the size of my arch. It seems a little big to me but this will be my first year with it so I'll take the word of 3rdGen and the others that bigger is better. Have a look at my photo string and you can judge for yourself.

[vtsnowedin]

The sugar-house I am building is 20x14 for a 3x8 rig. I built the cupola 6x3 to use three even rafter spaces and to be at least as large as the 3x5 flue pan below it. I only built the side walls two feet high and some sugar houses I have seen go three or even four feet so that may not work as well as I want. If so I'll just have to jack it up. I'm building 4x4 foot bat-wing doors in both gable ends to open up if needed so that is my safety valve. I've seen some newer sugar-houses with very low cupolas but they are just for show as a steam hood and stack was always in the plans for that operation. It just doesn't look like a sugar-house without that bump on the roof.

[3rdgen.maple]

Thing is guys if you think it is too big and seems to be overkill come sugaring time, well when you get a bigger evaporator it may be to small. Everytime I have upgraded the evaporator after one season Im on the roof and building a new bigger one. I got a couple of them I gotta bust up and burn. Vtsnowedin I agree 1000 percent I have said the same thing on here before. It ain't a sugarhouse unless it has a coupla. There is just something about them that makes the building complete.

[Brian Ryther]

Without starting a new post.... I just finished my cupola. My problem Is that when the doors are closed I cant get them open. I have them on a cable winch to close them. Sudgestions please. New photos in Photobucket (2010 Maple)
BR

[C.Wilcox]

Without starting a new post.... I just finished my cupola. My problem Is that when the doors are closed I cant get them open. I have them on a cable winch to close them. Sudgestions please. New photos in Photobucket (2010 Maple)
BR

What's keeping them from opening? What about a simple pole to push them open?

[Brian Ryther]

The simple pole would need to be 25' long. High roof.

[3rdgen.maple]

Brian When I made my coupla I made the top a little wider than the bottom so the when the cables were released the doors drop down since they are angled that way. Works very well. No poles to push them open. \_/ If you are well beyond that stage I would place a 2x4 just inside the coupla towards the top and fasten a couple compression springs on it so that when the doors are closed it compresses them and when the cable is released it will pop them open. Hope that helps.

[jcb]

Without starting a new post.... I just finished my cupola. My problem Is that when the doors are closed I cant get them open. I have them on a cable winch to close them. Sudgestions please. New photos in Photobucket (2010 Maple)
BR

We had that same promlem. What I did was mount a 2x4 about 18" long on a hinge. then at the bottom I drilled a hole and put a rope from there down so I could pull it from the floor. The lever ation of the 2x4 kicks the door open. works great hope this helps. If this is not clear please feel free to contact me