Pan set questions

[wegnerwelding]

Things have been pretty busy around the shop, and thanks for the members who have purchased from me. Its been a ton of fun. I've been getting some inquiries on pan sets lately. I wanted to ask what size fittings would be best and pan configuration would be the most efficient. Mind that I'm not doing any flue pans this season. What I have come up with so far is using a 2x4 pan with 2 dividers in back, and a 2x2 in front with one divider. 8 or 9 inch walls with dividers an inch lower than the walls. 1.5" fittings to connect the two pans, and a .75" drain off the 2x2 pan in front. Would a preheater be a good thing to add to the pan set? also adding a .25 inch thermometer port on the 2x2. Its all out of 22ga. Any input would be appreciated. I want to give my customers the best product that I can make, and want them to be satisfied with the performance of the pans.

Thanks in advance,
Andy
WEGNER METAL WORKS

[vtsnowedin]

Why not get ahold of an old pan and copy it dimension for dimension. The only thing wrong with them is they are made out of tin and held together with lead based solder.The patents on most of the older style pans have long sense run out and when it comes to finish flat pans there isn't much new under the sun.

[KenWP]

Anything you make that you want tested for a year or more I will do it free of charge. I will supply lot's of data as to it's performance.
Trying to find SS welding rods around here is like finding a nickle in a sugar makers pocket. I have one more place left to look and then I am stuck welding with 6013 rods.

[Flat47]

1.5" fittings between pans is overkill, I think. I've seen a lot of larger rigs (3x8, 4x12) with that size and the producers all rediced them to 1". I'd go with 1" all the way around (connecters and drawoffs). That way you're only buying/stocking one size valve and fittings. And, definately thermometer port by each drawoff.

Lots of older 2x4 and 2x6 rigs just used 1/2" and they seemed fine. I would think that a drawoff that's too big and draws too much can be a real pain when you're trying to finish syrup on the evaporator. Seems like the chances of drawing off too much too soon would be pretty high. Only when cleaning is that drawoff valve ever open all the way.

[3rdgen.maple]

My new 2x6 has all 1 1/4 fittings and I would not want them any smaller. A good valve at the drawoff would regulate how fast you want your syrup coming out. In the back pan I would put the divider the length of the pan not the width. Put the float box on the front of the backpan closest to the firebox It will get you max heat to the cold sap and will be boiling by the time it hits the back to make the transition to the other side of the divider then up to the syrup pan. Ken I got a few knickles in my pocket but that is about it. You get me laughing all the time on here.

[wegnerwelding]

thanks for the input. I think i'll go with the 1.25 inch fittings, and thermometer ports next to draw off ports. I'll order the fittings this week and keep you posted.

[twobears1224]

when you put in the thermometer ports i,de put them high and at a angle so you can take the thermometer out without spilling sap.

delbert

[vtsnowedin]

when you put in the thermometer ports i,de put them high and at a angle so you can take the thermometer out without spilling sap.

delbert

Sounds good and I have thought of this as I am 6"3" tall and could read them much better if the dial pointed up at a 45 deg. angle but how are you proposing to accomplish the angle part of your idea? Some SS steel fitting with some mass and size to it on the outside of the hole through the thin pan wall? If it was high enough you could have just a fitting on each side and pull out one thermometer from one side and slide it into the other at each change of flow direction. It would have to be set up so that the dial when slid all the way in to a stop put the tip just above the pan bottom to avoid touching or hurting the pan. Also I would want to check to see how much of the stem needs to be immersed for the thermometer to read accurately. Its not the whole stem but you can't just touch the tip into a liquid and get an accurate reading.

[wegnerwelding]

I think I'll just buy a thread in thermometer and use it as a test fit for standard. If its 1/4" above the pan bottom would that read accurately enough?

[3rdgen.maple]

I dont see why not unless the guy using it runs his pans shallower than that and if that is the case he has more to worry about than a thermometer. I would have to agree though a thermometer that is angle up makes it alot easier to read. You don't need to bend down to get at eye level with it. But with that said a good thermometer is a heck of alot better than none. I am wondering if you were to heat the area around the nipple and insert a tool if you could slowly bend it upwards to get the angle. Some experimenting on placement would be needed and if you read the directions on the thermometer it should tell you how much of it needs to be covered to get an accurate reading. Good luck and if you include the thermometer with the pans it makes your pans a little more enticing.

[Haynes Forest Products]

How often does one pull the thermometer out? Not all therms have the same lenght stems. Could you get a false reading from a temp stem that is hitting the sap at its worst time when its boiling up and the sap is all foam and big bubbles? I like my thermometer to have all the stem in the liquid so I have no dought that is as accurate as possible. Most times when your drawing off your bent over checking with the hydro cup.

[3rdgen.maple]

I would guess that all depends Haynes. Mine is at an angle. I remove it when I rotate the pan and install it on the other side. I do not bend over to drawoff. I take a reading at first boil adjust the thermometer and then tweek in the finisher. Besides If I did bend over when I draw off that is not nearly as ofen as I look at the thing during one days boil. I gotta admit though sometimes I get lazy at the end of the day and sit in a chair at the drawoff. Oh and the angle f the thermometer allows about three inches of the stem so sit in the syrup. Yes there are many lengths hence another reason why I suggested to sell the pans with the one he fabricated it with.

[Haynes Forest Products]

My Waterloo Small pans 6 ports per 18" pan and I triedd the angle ones and didnt like it BUT we tend to be sitting and reading as the evap works so Im always sitting down during the draw only because we do it slower and Im lazy:) Nothing like a old oak school desk with the arm rest table for watching the rig.

[vtsnowedin]

How often does one pull the thermometer out? Not all therms have the same lenght stems. Could you get a false reading from a temp stem that is hitting the sap at its worst time when its boiling up and the sap is all foam and big bubbles? I like my thermometer to have all the stem in the liquid so I have no dought that is as accurate as possible. Most times when your drawing off your bent over checking with the hydro cup.

I was just thinking Yankee/Vermonter cheap and trying to use just one thermometer instead of springing for one on both sides.
For the backyarders that haven't run a traditional rig I'll add this. As your drawing off and the unfinished syrup comes around the division pushing out the finished you can see the thermometer drop as it reaches the stem which is a good visual clue that you have got all that's in that batch and the hydrometer will start dropping in the drawoff pail, or if your bucket and batch isn't big enough to float the hydrometer in the bucket that you should shut the draw off and check it in the cup. If your fooling around just using a cup and are boiling thin it can get quite a bit past syrup while your filling the cup and reading it. Also if the second division has finished syrup in it it will all come by the thermometer telling you its good to go and you won't end up with two draws one after the other while your distracted fireing up the rig.

[vermaple]

A simple solution to reading a thermometer without bending over that I caught on to years ago. Add thread tape to the termometer so it is tight and then turn it so the dial is bottom side up, then when you look down at it you can read it along the length of the needle without any distortion.