Pan question.

[Gumlaw's sugar shack]

Is 16 ga. stainless to heavy to make a pan out of. It's going on a 2x6 oil fired rig. I think i should be alright it might take longer to boil but i just wanted to see what you guy's think.....Thanks for the help.

[vtsnowedin]

The manufactors don't use 16 gauge because it costs a lot more ,is much harder to work with and won't boil sap any faster then 22 gauge if not slower.
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None of that matters to you as your only making one and won't be able to tell any difference in the boiling rate. So if your not paying retail price for the 16 gauge SS you will have one heck of a strong pan that will last forever. Of course "forever" is until you burn it. You can burn through 1/4 inch plate if you don't keep sap in them.

[Gumlaw's sugar shack]

I'm having a fab shop do the work. I saw the pan yesterday and it's all there. They did a great job on it so far. The price is a little less than buying one from leader. But they don't build pan's all the time and 16 ga. was what they thought would be good. I hope it works.

[Grade "A"]

I made one out of 18ga. and that boiled grate, it was just to small of a pan (2x4 flat). I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I had a 3x7 flat pan that I had made a number of years when I got back into sugaring and JohnM has had it for 6 or 7 years out of a 4x8 sheet of 16 gauge stainless and it worked good. I couldn't find a local shop to weld anything lighter than that.

[Brent]

thinner is definitely more efficient with thermal transfer.

problem is most shops don't have a skilled welder and / or the machine to do the light gauge and that's likely why your local shop did not have anything lighter in the shop

[KenWP]

Once it get's hot it will boil just fine and being 16 gauge it should be stiffer when it comes to cleaning it. Will last you a life time or until you decide to go big time and sell it to another so they can boil on it for years also.

[Bucket Head]

My pans are made of that ga. also. Yes, I probably lose a little heat transfer ability, but they boil sap. I get over 40 gal. an hour evap. rate with it. According to the factory ratings for a 2x6, I'm in the ballpark with that performance.

That ga. is easy to weld, very sturdy and its almost dent proof. So your pan should still look good fifty years from now, lol.

I think you'll be pleased with that pan. Good luck with it!

Steve

[Gumlaw's sugar shack]

Thank's everyone I'll keep you posted on how it works.