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Thread: Vent for secondary combustion in maple evaporator

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    PA
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    18

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    This should help! I made a grate from steel fence posts that sits right above my vents, inspired by berkshires grate. I also threw a few pavers along the sides. They aren't fire brick, so there is a chance they will crack but for the price difference, I don't mind replacing a couple each season. IMG_20180216_154329.jpgIMG_20180216_155711.jpg
    Rick

    7 taps in Suburban Pittsburgh
    6 sqft Homemade Evaporator from Heating Oil Tank

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc9...PpyLCPlJ3GZxbA

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Eden Prairie, MN
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    1,636

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    That's much better! If you can, you should double the number of bars in the grates. You don't want the coals dropping down into the ash pit. Better if they sit on the grate and the air coming up through will burn them up. Less ash, more heat. Plus the air is better distributed across the width and length of the fuel. make sure there are no short cuts for the air in fort of or back of the grate. Block off any with more of the at brick. Air that goes around the fire will decrease your effective draft and cool the pans.

    You are going to have fun with tis! I made lot's of great syrup with my old steam table pans!
    John
    2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
    180 taps on sacks
    75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
    Eden Prairie, Minnesota

  3. #13
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    Feb 2018
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    PA
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    I can do that! I just need to go grab another fence post from Lowes. Makes sense that you would want all the hot coals to stay above the air source so that it has to blow through them.
    Rick

    7 taps in Suburban Pittsburgh
    6 sqft Homemade Evaporator from Heating Oil Tank

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc9...PpyLCPlJ3GZxbA

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    PA
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    Ooh, I also have some chicken wire I could tack under the grate to hold the coals up. I might give that a try first and go from there.
    Rick

    7 taps in Suburban Pittsburgh
    6 sqft Homemade Evaporator from Heating Oil Tank

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc9...PpyLCPlJ3GZxbA

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,675

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    I don't think you want the chicken wire but you only want a space of about 3/8" opening between the posts. If you look at the picture where posts were suggested, those posts when installed give a U shape to hold ashes and then the spacing to the next post is on top of the open U shape. That way ashes fill the U to protect the post and air flows thru the space. I'm not sure the T post you used is ideal for that.
    Last edited by maple flats; 02-16-2018 at 06:32 PM.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    912

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    Chicken wire will just burn up. Definitely more fence post, and yeah, I'd recommend the "U" style rather than "T" style.
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gals
    All on buckets

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    912

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    BTW, if you're curious to know any more of the details about my franken-stove-evaporator, here's a link to a post where I showed how I made it: http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...g-stove-cheap!
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gals
    All on buckets

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    18

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    Thanks for sharing! I am going to boil tomorrow with this wire fence stuff I stuck in there. I don't think it will last long but I can at least test the idea. Probably my best bet is to go grab a u shaped fence post and fill in the areas in between with it so that the coals don't drop through. Thanks for all the info! This has helped a lot!IMG_20180217_091235.jpg
    Rick

    7 taps in Suburban Pittsburgh
    6 sqft Homemade Evaporator from Heating Oil Tank

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc9...PpyLCPlJ3GZxbA

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