My plan 2022/23

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Originally Posted by Andy VT

I think you deleted a whiplash post :lol:
In your defense you are a stream-of-consciousness poster. Just part of the charm. My stream of consciousness is probably just as back-and-forth... I'm just not fast enough to write it down before it switches -- usually.
Wise to be considering age and resources.
Also, I think recognizing that satisfaction isn't ultimately attainable in a sugaring setup helps keep things in check. If the four-digit operation doesn't quite satisfy and the 5-digit or even 6-digit operation doesn't quite satisfy, the difference is how many digits you have tied up in it!
I have to check my receipts, but I think I'm still a 3-digit operation... but barely. At least my yearly losses will be kept within 3 digits. If my time is free. :lol:
Oh, and your homemade arch is really lovely. If you find you have a bit more resource, it would greatly benefit from a real door!
Andy

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LOL I did delete a whiplash post, but I am still trying to make it happen. The 10% chance my wife giving the thumbs up went to zero, but there is another way to skin the cat and I feel 50% certain I will get it. I have to sell a few things, some of them because they become redundant if I do buy the other thing and other things I hope to sell I have not used for awhile. At one point in selling things, I get pot committed.

I could have purchased a real door, I struggled with how I could merge it into the cinder blocks. The existing concrete door actually works better than it may look.

However if the 50% comes true it will not matter.

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Originally Posted by Swingpure

LOL I did delete a whiplash post, but I am still trying to make it happen. The 10% chance my wife giving the thumbs up went to zero, but there is another way to skin the cat and I feel 50% certain I will get it. I have to sell a few things, some of them because they become redundant if I do buy the other thing and other things I hope to sell I have not used for awhile. At one point in selling things, I get pot committed.

I could have purchased a real door, I struggled with how I could merge it into the cinder blocks. The existing concrete door actually works better than it may look.

However if the 50% comes true it will not matter.

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I hate to add to the whiplash, but I must say that the cinderblock evaporator you finally wound up with is the best I've ever seen on this site. Would be kind of a shame if you only used it a season. Also, I think a proper pan (which you're getting) will make much more of a difference than a proper arch - precisely because you've put so much effort into your cinderblock arch.

GO

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Originally Posted by berkshires

I hate to add to the whiplash, but I must say that the cinderblock evaporator you finally wound up with is the best I've ever seen on this site. Would be kind of a shame if you only used it a season. Also, I think a proper pan (which you're getting) will make much more of a difference than a proper arch - precisely because you've put so much effort into your cinderblock arch.

GO

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Thanks.

I will be giving my cinder block evaporator a good try with the new divided pan and base stack, this upcoming season.

Over the last 24 hours I had thought the difference from what I was paying for the pan, base stack, base stack base and float box would be getting close to the price of the whole evaporator system. It was tantalizing close, but because we are saving for two other more important things, my wife was not supportive of the idea. I thought a way I could get around it was to sell a few things, but then I remembered the price did not include the 15% sales tax and that additional amount was a hill I could not climb. Lots of emotional ups and downs debating it, but I am at peace now sticking with what I have. It should work well.

Potentially I could add a metal door, but then I guess you have to attach the metal door to a metal plate, thick enough not to warp, and then attach the metal plate to the cinder blocks in an air tight way. I think for this season I will stick with my patio stone door and if I am unhappy with it, adding the metal door might be a 2023 project, with the challenge it has to be removable, because I disassemble and remove the evaporator after the maple season, so that the structure becomes a summer gazebo and deck.

We had strong winds and snow squalls last night. I will be walking my lines on the steep hill to make sure there are no branches or trees on the lines.

(Edit: My wife and I walked the lines and they were fine, no trees or branches down. I plan to walk it after each snow storm or wind event. I will also walk the other closer lines occasionally, just to keep the path easily walkable.)

Today I gathered up all of the mason jars and bottles returned to me and took inventory of them and also of the ones I had left over new from last year. I had enough for 120 L of syrup. Last year I had 109 taps and made 109 L of syrup. This year I will have 172 taps and hope to make close to 172 L of syrup.

I will buy mason jars in mostly 1 L sizes and a few 500 ml sizes to give me another 60 L of capacity.

The old bottles and jars were returned clean. I will remove any labels left on them and I will put them in the dishwasher on sterilize. I will have new lids and caps for all of them.

I do have about 41 bottles in 500 and 375 ml sizes and a few flasks.

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Originally Posted by Andy VT

Oh, and your homemade arch is really lovely. If you find you have a bit more resource, it would greatly benefit from a real door!
Andy

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My pan maker is also an evaporator maker. He already offered to sell me a door. I could ask him if he could add the door to a metal plate that would fit. It would not be cheap. The whole thing would have to be removable so that I could access the ashes at the end of the day.

I could either secure it tight to the front face of the cinderblocks, by having other cinder blocks on the other side, or with 5’ long threaded rods and nuts, I could “clamp” it to the cinder blocks.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/00bM...jpbWDbMkxtijpg

I am open to ideas.

I suspect it would cost me $400, maybe more. That whole plate would get hot and I would have to be careful never touching it.

swingpure
reading back at your post about getting old i thought i'd give you something to keep in mind . just my thoughts though.

while it is wise to consider age as we get older. i feel that we should go on and doing those things that make you happy and enjoy them as long as you still can. i'm 83 and last year i had 140 taps all on buckets spread out all over. i may move around a lot slower now but i plan on enjoying my self as long as i can. life is to short to not do what you want as long as you can and don't worry about getting old.

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Originally Posted by nhdog

...i may move around a lot slower now ...

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I find that I move around in the woods a bit slower and quite a lot more deliberately (carefully) than I used to. The younger folks move around faster, but they tend to fall down more by taking missteps or slipping on snow/ice. I very rarely fall now compared to them or when I was younger...which is just fine by me.

You're 83 and hauling buckets? Kudos. I gave up on buckets 3 years ago in favor of tubing and pumps but I have 6 or 7 buckets at the neighbors that I will pull via garden cart or sled, depending on the snow.

After slipping and shattering my scapula last february (luckily I have a good cru of friends who saved my season for me) I won't go anywhere in the yard without the YakTrax on.

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Originally Posted by nhdog

swingpure
reading back at your post about getting old i thought i'd give you something to keep in mind . just my thoughts though.

while it is wise to consider age as we get older. i feel that we should go on and doing those things that make you happy and enjoy them as long as you still can. i'm 83 and last year i had 140 taps all on buckets spread out all over. i may move around a lot slower now but i plan on enjoying my self as long as i can. life is to short to not do what you want as long as you can and don't worry about getting old.

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Thanks. I still feel young and can put in a physical 10 hour day. I am not as strong as I was, but strong enough. My goal is live out here on our rural lake until I die. There are a few people in their 80’s here doing their chores, but have found smarter ways of doing things. Congrats to you getting your buckets at 83. I will aspire to be like you. I agree you should try to live life the best you can, while you can. I don’t even take tomorrow for granted, but hope to have lots of tomorrows.

So if I go ahead and buy the door and I think I got my head wrapped around how to do the plate and attach the door to the plate and how to put some firebrick on the inside of the plate to keep it from getting too hot and losing heat out the door.

What I am not sure if I will have enough air openings for the draft.

The height of my evaporator is 18.5”. The opening size required for the door is 16x16”. That would give me one inch above the door for the plate and an inch and a half below the door. The plate would go from the top of the evaporator, tight right to the bottom of the concrete pad. My firebox opening is about 22.5” wide. Potentially I could have openings 3” wide and 4 “ high either side of the door and I could drill holes in the plate below the door.

Would that allow for enough draft for my base stack and 8” wide stovepipe?

The yellow rectangles are not to scale but give an idea of where the larger openings would be, and the yellow circles give an idea where the holes would be, but there would be more of them, slightly smaller.


https://share.icloud.com/photos/084c...D9twcb-92YEL2Q