Cupola Design

[Ty Pilarczyk]

Hi everyone!

After several attempts and setbacks through the years, my family and I are finally making a go of making liquid gold!

The pics attached are of the sugarhouse so far. We are a family of savers and have scrounged up enough materials over the years to make a basic shack. It isn't the prettiest, or even the best build. But it should serve its purpose well.

With rafters beginning to go up on Labor Day, my attentions turn to the cupola. I have some basic guidelines and ideas but need some more insight. Might I ask to see your cupola pics and/or designs? Especially of the insides...frames, cables/ropes, etc.?

Much appreciated and will keep you posted on our humble sugaring abode!

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[VTnewguy]

14055529_1277794965584566_1219782970_n.jpg14068264_1286834111347318_3265390355219445744_n.jpg This is how we did ours two years ago. Simple door hinges allow it to open and close.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Will you be making any sort of hood or are you going with the let the steam find its way out idea.

[minehart gap]

Something that I learned the hard way: make sure that your cupola doors open out. Condensation rains on the evaporator if they open in. The downside to opening out is that you will need a bracket for the cable system to open and close the door.

[Ty Pilarczyk]

Haynes no hood, just natural draft.

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[NhShaun]

Here's a not so good photo of my cupola. But the design worked well for me as I was building the entire sugar house alone. If you don't plan on using a hood I would recommend going overkill on the cupola size incase you decide to upgrade and expand your evaporator someday. Saves you from cutting your roof apart to extend it if the steam gets to be too much down the road.
Cupola.jpg
20180212_172435.jpg

[canaanmaple]

Does anyone know if having the doors open down (hinge on bottom) or open up (top hinged) effects the venting one way or another? thanks!

[maple flats]

Mine are hinged on the bottom, I never tried hinges on top. The only issue is that you want them to open to slightly beyond level so they drip outside if it's snowing or raining and then you need a pulley up high to pull them closed . I have ropes to close mine, but both are then joined and go down as 1. On that one I have a knot to show how far to open them. I use a boat type cleat to tie it off, and the knot always gets placed at the same spot on the cleat. If I go too far and let them rest on the roof I'm barely heavy enough to lift them, and I'm not a light weight by any means.

[minehart gap]

Dave, with your hinges being mounted on the bottom of the cupola doors, when it is snowing and time to close the doors have you had a problem with snow on the doors dumping into the sugar shack?

[johnallin]

My doors open out from the bottom. "Hinged" on a 1" pipe placed 1/3 down from the top which extends into pillow blocks mounted on cupola. They always want to close and keep any rain or snow out.