Thanks for the ideas MapleTraders

[b_mclarty]

After reading countless posts on MapleTrader and researching articles like "Guidelines for the Improvement of Combustion Efficiency for
Maple Producers" by Atkinson and Marchetti, I designed and built my first evaporator. It is another "oil tank" based design with a few innovations that I added myself.

I started last spring and finished in time to run a test boil on water one weekend and boiled sap on the next two weekends before the sap in my area went "buddy". I'm very pleased with its performance so far and have a couple of minor tweeks that I want to add before next season.

I posted some photos of the construction at...

http://s662.photobucket.com/albums/uu349/bkm_photos/Oil%20Tank%20Evaporator/

Anyway, I just wanted to thank all of the people on MapleTrader for sharing their knowledge with others.

[Ausable]

For what it is worth - I'm really impressed by the work You did. Just finished looking at the pictures you included and You did a great job there do - documenting your project - start to finish. That baby should really make the maple syrup....... Mike

[C.Wilcox]

Holy moley.....if there was an award for oil tank evaporators you'd take the blue ribbon with that beauty. That is some seriously high quality work.

[DanE.]

That is amazing.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Its good to see and find someone else that is willing to keep welding things on till the wife treatens to have you commited. Great job, cool rig.

Now what did you say to the first person that asked HOW MUCH TO BUILD ME ONE:D

[wattwood1]

Wow.....just flat Wow. What a great photo archive too. Rob

[farmall h]

Very well done! Really like the Maple Leaf tray.:o :)

[SeanD]

Yeah, that's the gold standard now. Do you work for Orange County Evaporators?

[WF MASON]

Your Hired!

[Dan W]

Great work!! You will get many years out of that one and you can be proud to say you designed and built it yourself. What did you use for a blower and where did you find the dampers? What is the digital display on the back wall?

[Z/MAN]

Wow! Wow! Wow! That is impressive! That will be awful though to beat. How fast does it boil?

[b_mclarty]

Great work!! You will get many years out of that one and you can be proud to say you designed and built it yourself. What did you use for a blower and where did you find the dampers? What is the digital display on the back wall?

Thanks DanW... The fan is a 6 inch inline fan with 530 cfm. I chose it because I thought that, with its higher static pressure rating, it would push the air around all of the bends better than the squirrel cage fan that I originally tested. The dampers I made myself out of 2 inch pipe nipples. The digital display gives me my flue temp as well as sap and syrup temps.

[b_mclarty]

Yeah, that's the gold standard now. Do you work for Orange County Evaporators?

Thanks SeanD. I'm an old high school shop teacher having fun and trying to keep things interesting. You might have just come up with the next reality TV show though. :lol:

[b_mclarty]

Wow! Wow! Wow! That is impressive! That will be awful though to beat. How fast does it boil?

Thanks Z/MAN. I didn't get a chance to push it too hard this year (just getting used to it and making sure everything functions properly) so I only ran my fan at about half speed.

It takes about 15 gallons of sap to fill the preheater, float tank, drop flue and syrup pans. On my last boil, I was able to take 36 degree F sap to a full boil within 15 minutes of lighting the newspaper under the kindling in the fire box.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Mclarty If you need any more of the switches that you used let me know Ill send over a bunch. I have about 50 that I took of production equipment and I havent found a good place to use them. BUT now you got me thinking I have some of the Emergency shut off push switches maybe I can mount them around the shack and out side of the bldg. like a gas station for emergency shut down of my oil rig mmmmmmmmmmmmm THATS THE TICKET

[Harken]

Great rig !! Did you insulate the curved area at the base of the stack ?? Mine is the same shape and is getting close to being burnt through after 4 seasons.

[b_mclarty]

Great rig !! Did you insulate the curved area at the base of the stack ?? Mine is the same shape and is getting close to being burnt through after 4 seasons.

I debated about double-lining the curved portion of the tank that leads to the flue collar when that area was still accessible but decided against it. I mortared in a row of split brick on end so that the first 9 inches around the back of the arch is protected.

I'd be interested to know where you're finding the damage so that I can watch for it on my evaporator.

[Clan Delaney]

Can I just.... stop by and... watch it boil? It's like you built an evaporator to incorporate every idea that's ever been imagined by a sugar maker! The only thing it's missing is a canary that chirps when your syrup is ready!

[Ausable]

Can I just.... stop by and... watch it boil? It's like you built an evaporator to incorporate every idea that's ever been imagined by a sugar maker! The only thing it's missing is a canary that chirps when your syrup is ready!

I agree Clan - Now if b mclarty's new evaporator was operating inside of johnallin's Sugar Shrine --I mean Shack -- It would make one think they had passed over and entered Maple Syrup Makers Heaven.

[70 Buick]

Absolutely beautiful!!
I am about to build my own
unfortunately I have never welded
it should be interesting but nothing like that

[Harken]

I'd be interested to know where you're finding the damage so that I can watch for it on my evaporator.[/QUOTE]

The worst place is the area where the pan sits against the stack base ...probably because the pan holds the heat in. The other problem is that hot spot tends to burn any foam etc in the back of the pan.http://yfrog.com/b9syrup003j
I should have used heavier metal instead of reusing the cut- off end of the tank.

[twobears1224]

awhile ago i made a post on building the ulitmate fuel drum evaporator...well,i think this is it...great job!!

delbert