Rework AOF system on old King Evaporator

[maple flats]

Chris, that should work far better than what you had before. Great job!

[Sugarmaker]

Folks,
Had a supervisor in the sugarhouse this afternoon. This is our Great grandson, Cooper. He was inspecting the evaporator rework, the tubing and the pans! He loves being outside!


Picked up the PVC for completing the AOF piping from the blower. Will fab some supports for the tubing and screw it together rather than gluing it.

Regards,
Chris

[Pdiamond]

Chris,
You have a good supervisor there. I'll bet he helps you in the spring when you are making syrup too!! And your evaporator is really looking good. Are you going to do a test boil with water to make sure everything is up to your satisfaction?

[Sugarmaker]

Pdiamond, Folks,
Hoping one of the kids, or grand kids, or great grand kids get the maple making bug! Cooper will be 2 about the time syrup season is done next spring. He and I were looking at family pictures on the sugarhouse wall. A lot of them have horses in them. And he loves ponies! I was thinking that we are very near the point where The letters that I have from my ancestors talk about making maple sugar "eggs" for the kids at Christmas time, in or around 1820's. Hard to believe! Would be like the 8th great grandfather of Cooper!

Back to reality. I had not thought about firing it up with water. Will see what the weather is like. I did order the smoke stack yesterday from State-line Stainless. He is busy with double and triple wall chimney pipes. So it may have to go on the arch after the pans are in place? I am going with the full 6-2 base stack height. That will go from the rectangular base to 12 inch round at the top. Should be easier for installation and manufacture too.

Voting and working on the air delivery for AOF are on the agenda today.

Thanks for checking on me! Hope things are good in Maple land! LEME is heating up! Lots of good seminars on Friday and many on Saturday too. The Suppliers will be wall to wall. If you haven't attended this 2 day event it might be time!
Regards,
Chris

[Sugarmaker]

Folks,
Slow steady progress on the old arch refurbish project.
Set up the AOF air inlet system,


Fastened it together with screws at each joint. Couple hangers for support. Done!


I kept the air controls for each side, in cases I would need to tune one side of the arch compared to the other.


Hope to get the new rope gasket in a week or so. This is 7/8 rope made by Rutland.

Have to build a support for the round portion of the smoke stack to reomove the portion of the tapered smoke stack.

Regards,
Chris

[Sugarmaker]

Folks,
Ready to take down the next 2 foot section of base stack. Have supported the upper 12 inch smoke stack with some boards screwed to the pipe and setting on the cross ties.
Regards,
Chris

[Sugarmaker]

Chris, that should work far better than what you had before. Great job!

Dave,
Thanks! I see your scaling back your operation. I have been considering the same thing. I have at least one string of tubing I am not going to put up but that's only 20 taps. I have things set up and sized that I can do the work by myself. And my health is ok, but not getting any younger and dont have anyone really interested in making maple syrup in the family. Probably time to start coasting! The evaporator refurb allows me to do a project and improve the old arch. Not planning on stopping yet.
Regards,
Chris

[Sugarmaker]

Folks,
I captured Mr Peter Gregg! Yes the one and only! Drug him to our sugarhouse after he had spent all weekend at LEME! forced him to look at my old evaporator and had a good discussion with him!
Was great have him take the time to stop by before his long trip home! We really enjoyed having him and the Maple News at LEME this year! He said he will be back next year too!
Regards,
Chris

[Sugarmaker]

Folks,
Some work int he sugarhouse to test fit the pans on the reworked arch. The rear pan drain hole position check:


Outside drain:


View through the rear doors:


Fit good on the new rail gasket channel system:


More in the next thread,
Regards,
Chris

[Sugarmaker]

More on the pan fit up,

Check of the rail gasket 7/8 rope:


The added channel looks just right. Will raise the pan off the rail to pick up more boiling area and increase sap boiling rate:


Front pan power washed:


Pans were custom built to my specs by Creekside welding, set on for fit up. Looks like this is going to work well!


Regards,
Chris