Flip Style Stack Cap

I have always had a China Cap style stack cap and now in the process of installing a flip style cap. My theory as to why I am switching is safety. With my current cap it seems embers hit that cap and deflect and fly in every direction. With a flip style they will shoot straight up and have a bit of time to cool before coming back down.

Anyway, I am at a standstill as too how to mount the cap, and how to orient it to have the cables come down to operate.

Would love to see some close-up pictures of your solutions!!

Thanks!

Noel,
I like the flip up cap style. I think you will get better draft on your arch. As far as embers, yse that can and still be a issue. I reduced my hot embers the most when I added the Air Over Fire system.
I have a rope coming down the back wall that pulls the stack lid open.
Regards,
Chris

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Originally Posted by Sugarmaker

Noel,
I like the flip up cap style. I think you will get better draft on your arch. As far as embers, yse that can and still be a issue. I reduced my hot embers the most when I added the Air Over Fire system.
I have a rope coming down the back wall that pulls the stack lid open.
Regards,
Chris

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Any pictures Chris? Did you "guide" the rope in any way, if so, how?

I don't have pictures but I run mine with small cable so it won't rot through the roof with a rubber grommet. Then I have the cable running trough a couple pulleys to my back wall. I have screw in the wall that I hook it to that keeps it closed.

On my wood fired arch my pull was plastic coated wire. It didn’t come inside, I went outside to open it and hook the wire to a nail. I’ve switched to an oil fired arch and don’t know what kind of cover I’m going to use.

Noel,
I dont have any good pictures of my homemade lid. It has worked good for almost 20 years and we get good draft when its open. Not so good when closed, don't ask me how we know that!:) Like most things maple, the customization factor takes over at some point to fit the project or the sugarhouse. Did you try to do a search on here? Do you have the lid already? Maybe some pictures of it may get some thoughts going too?
Regards,
Chris

My 2x6 had a flip cap which worked well, 2 cables, pull one it opens, pull the other it closed.
My current 3x8 flip cap, not so. The operating arm that flips is welded wrong. Rather than try to cut it off and get the arm right, I just use 2 cables. The first holds the flip cap from opening too far, before I set that the cap would tilt so the cap hung straight down, then there was only one way to close it, I had to climb a ladder and flip it. After 1 day of that I attached cable #1 to hold the cap at just short of flipping over, it is attached to a fixed point on the arch. The second cable (each is light weight SS cable) has a hook on the end, to open the cap I pull until cable one stops it, then I hook #2 to a chain at the back of the arch. This works well thus I won't likely ever change the position of the operating lever. My first one had a stop welded to the mounting bracket, the current one does not. Both just run thru a small hole in the steel ridge cap. If memory serves me, I think those holes are about 1/8" (made by driving an 8 penny nail thru the steel ridge cap) and I think the SS cable was 5/64' This has worked well for about 12 or 13 seasons.

Yeah, I've searched all over the place for pictures of flip cap installations, not many to be found.

I already have it, bought it from Leader.

I am using cable (I have it already) 1/8" or maybe slight bigger.

Two cables will need to be used, and it appears both will need to be simultaneously used for opening, and closing. Nearly 270º of movement with no stopper. Might have to fabricate a stopper of some kind.

Haven't decided whether I was going to go through the roof, or go down the outside.

I even thought about attaching large eyebolts to the "control arm" and using a long pole with a hook/stud on the end to open and shut it. Would need to be about 14' to 16' long though. 1/2" EMT conduit might be an idea, IDK.

Thanks for the ideas so far, keep them coming!

I'm not sure who made mine, I bought it from Bascom from their clearance bin. I later thought it was in there because it was designed poorly (no stop and the wrong position on the control arm), but as I described, I got it to work.

wyn,
Maybe mentioned but if you can spring load it to over center back to the closed position then you can just have a pull cord to open and then lock the pull cord. That is how mine works, release the cord and the lid springs back closed.
Regards,
Chris

That's how mine works too, except rather than a spring, one SS cable holds it just short of the balance point and the pull SS line holds it open.

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Originally Posted by maple flats

That's how mine works too, except rather than a spring, one SS cable holds it just short of the balance point and the pull SS line holds it open.

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I was just out in the barn looking at it and was thinking about that idea as well.

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Originally Posted by wnybassman

Yeah, I've searched all over the place for pictures of flip cap installations, not many to be found.
I already have it, bought it from Leader. I am using cable (I have it already) 1/8" or maybe slight bigger. Two cables will need to be used, and it appears both will need to be simultaneously used for opening, and closing. Nearly 270º of movement with no stopper. Might have to fabricate a stopper of some kind.
Haven't decided whether I was going to go through the roof, or go down the outside.
I even thought about attaching large eyebolts to the "control arm" and using a long pole with a hook/stud on the end to open and shut it. Would need to be about 14' to 16' long though. 1/2" EMT conduit might be an idea, IDK.
Thanks for the ideas so far, keep them coming!

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Noel, I have a flip style cap that I bought from Leader back in 09' when I purchased our 2x6. I took a few pictures yesterday.

I only attached one cable to the "arm". I didn't see a need for two. When you pull on the cable, the lid and arm both rotate the 270° you mention.
Once in the open position; a short tug on the cable pulls the arm down and causes the lid to rotate back over the stack.
Just a short pull to get some momentum built up is all it takes. Couldn't be simpler..

My cable is a length of 1/8" 7x19 stainless sailboat rigging wire. It leads down over the roof and along side the sugar house.
It did take me a while to remember to open the stack...putting it through the roof may have been a wiser choice...

Pictures attached. I also shot a short video, but can't see how to load it. If you want to send a PM, I'd be happy to email or text it to you.

John

Attachment 20366 Attachment 20365

The Lapierre one we have flips from flat closed to straight up in the open position - so only 90 degrees of rotation. It requires 2 ropes to operate but is simple and easy.

From experience - use #14 wire for the first 6 feet or so because the rope will touch the stack and burn through right when you are firing it!

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Originally Posted by johnallin

Noel, I have a flip style cap that I bought from Leader back in 09' when I purchased our 2x6. I took a few pictures yesterday.

I only attached one cable to the "arm". I didn't see a need for two. When you pull on the cable, the lid and arm both rotate the 270° you mention.
Once in the open position; a short tug on the cable pulls the arm down and causes the lid to rotate back over the stack.
Just a short pull to get some momentum built up is all it takes. Couldn't be simpler..

My cable is a length of 1/8" 7x19 stainless sailboat rigging wire. It leads down over the roof and along side the sugar house.
It did take me a while to remember to open the stack...putting it through the roof may have been a wiser choice...

Pictures attached. I also shot a short video, but can't see how to load it. If you want to send a PM, I'd be happy to email or text it to you.

John

Attachment 20366 Attachment 20365

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That does seem easy! Do you have any problem with wind blowing that open without a wire holding tension on it while closed? That was one concern of mine.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by wnybassman

That does seem easy! Do you have any problem with wind blowing that open without a wire holding tension on it while closed?
That was one concern of mine. Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

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It has blown open once or twice, but only when I had the cable going straight back and hanging along the back wall of the sugar house.

I've not had that happen since I started leading it to the side and hanging along the side wall.
Can't tell you why that works - and it was by accident that I discovered it - but we've had some real daisy cutters blow through here without blowing it open.
The stack is only 3' from the back wall, so it might be that the cable was swinging around in the wind - it doesn't take much to flip the cap open.
When it's laying on the roof and hanging to the side, I think movement is limited.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by johnallin

Noel, I have a flip style cap that I bought from Leader back in 09' when I purchased our 2x6. I took a few pictures yesterday.

I only attached one cable to the "arm". I didn't see a need for two. When you pull on the cable, the lid and arm both rotate the 270° you mention.
Once in the open position; a short tug on the cable pulls the arm down and causes the lid to rotate back over the stack.
Just a short pull to get some momentum built up is all it takes. Couldn't be simpler..

My cable is a length of 1/8" 7x19 stainless sailboat rigging wire. It leads down over the roof and along side the sugar house.
It did take me a while to remember to open the stack...putting it through the roof may have been a wiser choice...

Pictures attached. I also shot a short video, but can't see how to load it. If you want to send a PM, I'd be happy to email or text it to you.

John

Attachment 20366 Attachment 20365

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This is Exactly how I have mine setup too. Wind has maybe blown it open 2 or 3 times in 5 years.

Coincidentally, I'm in the process of changing mine. I made it myself. I have a single arm with one cable that had a spring close it, but high winds eventually flipped the cover back too far and stretched the spring out too much. So for the last number of years, I've had to give it a flick to get the cover to flip over shut. I'm pretty good during the day, but after midnight it's hard to see the cable and lid so I have to try again and again adding some colorful language for effect.

I've finally made it a priority and gotten up there to see what my options are. I'd prefer to take it down and weld another arm onto it that is in the up position when the lid is flipped open, but the screws are corroded on. I think taking it down will be twice the work. I think if I drill through the existing arm, maybe I can bolt a new arm on. Thanks for the cable idea. Maybe I can make that work.

Anyway, that's all a long way to say I wish I had a cap with two arms and two cables.

I was excited about the one cable idea. I got the cap mounted and must of twanked it just a bit because it was no longer loose and floppy like it was. Still moved relatively easily, but couldn't swing it around with a quick flick of a cable. So I ended up using two cables and put a stop on the one so it only opens so far. Screwed a stainless eye-screw into the roof right at the edge for something for that cable stop go up against, and to keep the cables off the roof a bit. A couple bungee cords at the bottom of the wall keep the cables tight, and pressed closed or open. Should work as long as snow/ice isn't a problem. But if sap is running, snow/ice on a black 12/12 roof usually isn't a problem. lol

Thanks for the comments and ideas!


Attachment 20371

Looks good. That wont blow open for sure. Honestly I think that I was putting my stack up 2 Days before Maple weekend and I had one Cable Handy so that's what it got , and it Has worked, if I had had more time I may have done what you have there. Looks professional

bassman- what did you use for the actual cap, a frying pan? You willing to do custom installs? :)

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Originally Posted by mudr

bassman- what did you use for the actual cap, a frying pan? You willing to do custom installs? :)

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😂😂

It's a cap from Leader.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

Did u ever get it mounted? I just saw this thread. I was in same boat last year. I built my own flip top and made it open using (2) 1/16 cables. Works great. Routed them straight down through the ridge cap. No leaks, can open and close from inside. Stays open in wind!