I welded nails to the sides of my fire box to hold the insulation blanket to the sides. Any common nail you have should work just fine. They even have a nice flat head to make it easy to tack in place.
I welded nails to the sides of my fire box to hold the insulation blanket to the sides. Any common nail you have should work just fine. They even have a nice flat head to make it easy to tack in place.
2017 25 taps on buckets got me hooked 1 gallon of sweet
2018 51 taps on 3/16 tubing/ DIY oil tank evaporator 8.5gallons finished
2019 60 taps 7 gallons finished ended season short
2020 New 2x4 divided pan ready to get away from the headache that is steam table pans
2021 off year due to pandemic and projects
2022 back at it
I welded 1/4*20*1.25" L bolts that I had around
Got floor poured last weekend and new OTE now in my SS
Need to put 1" fireblanket/ bricks in and get a AUF blower motor .IMG_20181005_180901521.jpg
More pictures to come, thanks to all for insite and answers to all my questions up to this point
Matt
I too just welded nails in both of my oil tank evaporators. They're cheap and they hold well. I also cut the tin from a 55 gallon drumto lay over the nails after I placed the rock wool insulation. It made a good bed to lay firebrick on.
2016- 32 taps, 3 1/2 gallons
2017- 150 taps, 13 gallons after building an evaporator
2018- goal is 240+ taps. 20+ gallons.
2018 Reality- 235 taps, 5 gallons of syrup. Average 50 birch taps and 3 gallons of syrup.
2019- 180 maple taps, 20 gallons of finished syrup.
~ 160 birch taps, 13 finished gallons of syrup.
Latitude 47.278150
www.facebook.com/livingoffmyland2015
Hunt4sap nice looking arch and sap shack. Now from experience I can say that everything that leaves your shack out the flue stack or out the copula has to be replaced by incoming air. That air is going to come thru all those openings in the walls and if you over insulate your arch your going to freeze standing around stomping your feet.
Been looking too. I welded the stick rod to the walls and am planning to just slide the washer over that. Got special ones for cast iron from work for my wood stove kit door.
Pieces of tin or stove metal might be what I end up doing too. Got this link today and will call tomorrow. I looked for a few hours so far then someone on here sent me this link. stud.midwestfasteners.com/category/weld-pins
Bit of a dumb question maybe, considering not many seem to suggest or use them, but what is the issue with using small brad nails and some cheap washers both just tack welded?
-Scott
2017: Found a new addiction/hobby!: 6 taps, Coleman stove/turkey fryer, graduated to barrel arch, 1.75 gal
2018: Increased efficiency - 22 taps on 3/16 gravity vac, 10 buckets, homemade extended barrel arch w/ firebrick, warming pan, 20X30 baffled pan, small home-built RO, 11.5 gal
2019: Same as above now with AUF, home-built float pan, gas sap pump, fewer fire brick but more insulation, maybe a few more taps if the wife lets me. ;-)
Nothing wrong with tack welding nails to hold the insulation. It works great. You may want to step up the size of the nail just to make it a little easier to hold and weld. A common nail with a head makes it pretty easy.
I didn't even bother with washers I just bent the nail to hold the insulation in place.
2017 25 taps on buckets got me hooked 1 gallon of sweet
2018 51 taps on 3/16 tubing/ DIY oil tank evaporator 8.5gallons finished
2019 60 taps 7 gallons finished ended season short
2020 New 2x4 divided pan ready to get away from the headache that is steam table pans
2021 off year due to pandemic and projects
2022 back at it
used stick weld rod on a different arch. got insulation washers from an insulation contractor. found it easier to make the pins up and put on stinger to push thru insulation to the tank wall. after a bit of spark i just pull the ground and un clip the stinger. push the washer on tighter then. this leaves some rod sticking into hot area so we'll have to see how that goes. i could grind or nip off the rod too but it may just break it off too.
2016 7 taps= 1-2 gallons of syrup
2017 135 taps making 17 gallons syrup
2018 75 taps =50 gallons syrup
2019 70 taps making 20 gallons. Single 4x40 RO
2020 bought 40 acres installed 250 tubing taps, 100 bags. 70 gal
2021 500 taps with guzzler. 80 gal syrup + sold sap
2022 600 taps 27 gal sap per tap on guzzler!!! 110 gal + sold sap