bricking up the Lil 20x66 drop

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

bricking up the Lil maple pro 20x66 drop
finally got a start on getting bricked up
went with the 8lb 3/4" superwool max blanket with the splits..

Here's were I'm at so far.. should have all the sides finished soon..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricking001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricking003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricking004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricking007.jpg

[Dennis H.]

Looking Good.

Are you going to just brick the firebox area or are you going to brick the entire arch?

I am working on my arch right now and I just haven't decided if I want or need to brick the back half or just use ceramic blanket and archboard.

[red maples]

Its easier to clean if you brick the whole thing. you will get light ash throught the whole arch and a nice little pile under the stack. I vacuum out mine with a shop vac... easy. I just figure since your bricking it now get the extra bricks and make clean up easier later!!! besides through out the season its a good idea to get a flue brush and brush them before each firing you will get a better boil and its easy to sweep it up as you go!!

[Brent]

while you're deciding what to do with the back half, measure the flue height and see how much clearance you will have between the bottoms of the flues and whatever you plan. I think the concesnus is the there should be a bit of clearance, but not more than about an inch. Keep in mind if you use bricks, the blanket will compress over time.

I did the section under my flues with a rigid insulating board that I got from a pottery/kiln supply house. After 1 season it still looked like the day I put it in, and it is rigid enough to take vacuuming, which the blanket won't take too well.

Looks pretty good so far. Well done.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I vaccuum off the top of my grate system every time before firing up from the last boil with a shop vac. Does a good job and just takes a few seconds as I have a Craftsman with a big hose. I always have some ash on top due to forced air, it doesn't fall thru.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

the whole thing will be bricked over, as for the bottom I'm going to try to use full size up on the top part under the 7" drop flues i think. if it only gives me 3/4" with the full brick do you think it will work ok?

i was thinking it needs about 3/4 to 1" gap under the flues? like Brent said the blanket compresses then it will have an even bigger gap so maybe shoot for 3/4" and with shrinkage, maybe it will end up 1", after i get what ever brick in there i had plan to go over it with sand to fill any loose gaps between the brick, or should i just use the mortar and fill all the gaps in that way and then cover all the brick with with layer of mortar to make a smoother surface for cleaning all suggestion appricaited...

Finished all the sides the best i could do, i coated all the brick i figured i got that big pail may as well use some of it up. don't know if this is the right way but it looks like it will work OK..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricked005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricked008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricked006.jpg

[red maples]

looks to me from your pics you'll have plenty of room. I have about an inch on mine but mine has a piece that connects all the flues together for a drain I don't know if they all have that or not and that sits very close to the bricks so the flames must go through the flues to get out and it works great!!!

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Unfortunately mine does not have the drain, its just straight down drops. well guess ill have to get the pan out there and see what it looks like..

Update: Heres some pics of the 20" x 4' flue pan(this model has 8, 7" drop flues), as you can see neither brick is looking good under it,

now i must remember there is not any pan gasket on there yet, which i have the pan gasket Bascom sent me its not the rope type I'm assuming its 1" blanket type gasket.

but as it sits now i have a full brick there and a piece of split size, the full brick actually hits the flues now if i dont push it down real hard and it just sits there and the split brick is pretty far away.

my thoughts are to put sand down and get the hight of the split brick up as close as i can get it with the addition of pan gasket in there
or
im wonder if the gasket will shrink and blanket under full brick would shrink enough to even it out.

any other thoughts or suggestions,
i plan to not buy any arch board and want to use brick.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricks023.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricks021.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricks019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapbricks027.jpg

[3rdgen.maple]

put one more layer of blanket on the bottom and go with the splits:D

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

thanks i did think of doing that, but at the expense of the stuff (i do have half the roll left), thought sand would be cheaper way to go which i have a couple bags of play sand laying around here.

[red maples]

oh yeah splits I just looked at mine this morning to double check and I have about an inch below the flues!!!!

[3rdgen.maple]

Heres the problem I have with the sand idea. You have a galvanized arch and sand holds moisture when not in use. Moisture and metal dont play nice together.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

3rdgen,
I agree to a certain point. Our old evaporator was galvanized sheet metal and filled with sand and rusted out...after 60 years of use. If you can keep all the moisture out of the sand it won't be a problem. I prefer using the vermiculite though. Lighter, easier to use and why risk the moisture problem if you don't have to.

[Dennis H.]

Yeah and a bag of the stuff only cost $13. I think there is something like 4-5 cubic feet in each bag, more than enough for a small evap.
That is what I am using to build the ramp in the back half for my raised flue.

[3rdgen.maple]

3rdgen,
I agree to a certain point. Our old evaporator was galvanized sheet metal and filled with sand and rusted out...after 60 years of use. If you can keep all the moisture out of the sand it won't be a problem. I prefer using the vermiculite though. Lighter, easier to use and why risk the moisture problem if you don't have to.

You did better than me. My last arch lasted less than 10 years filled with sand. Its was all stainless from that point on. Maybe I just live in a higher than normal wet area lol. After all it has rained here non stop all summer and only 3 days in the past 2 weeks has it not rained. Anyways I think he will be setup good with just an extra layer of blanket then the splits over that. Even better in my opinion is a double layer of arch board as it doesnt compress. Cheap too. less than 9 bucks a sheet.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

OK finally got it all done yesterday, went with another layer of 3/4" blanket and it left about 3/4" gap between drop flues and bricks. will test boil water in a few days. once archery season is over(this sat ends)..will get a few pic's of that gap at the flues..

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

I'm happy with it so far, it has about 3/4 under the pan flues, once the pan gasket is on and the pan gasket and blanket under the brick shrink some, it should be I'm assuming around 1" to 1-1/2 will be between the flues and the bottom of the arch, guess trail and error will be the end result. will find out what happens on a test boil

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/evapshack007.jpg