A Different Kind of Boiler
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- Member
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Fri. Jul. 03, 2009 2:41 pm
- Location: Clearfield County, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM520
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Hitzer 50-93 at camp
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354 double door woodburner
While not related to heating a structure, thought you folks might get a chuckle out of this.
It is probably the MOST politically incorrect maple syrup evaporator ever, and may be the only anthracite fired one anywhere. I got tired of dealing with wood after a couple years of firing my operation. and no way could afford an oil burner to make syrup. This started life as a large woodburner, and I procured a couple Keystoker K6 burners to incorporate in the firebox. Fabricated and welded up the back frame, Installed firebricks in the whole frame and built the pans. Mostly all out of stainless sheetmetal scraps from local shop. Front pan is a conventional flat pan, and the back pan is a fire tube pan, ala a fire tube boiler. I fabricated this whole contraption, and only had a mig welder to weld the stainless. I am not the best welder, and mig welding stainless doesn't give the prettiest welding, but it doesn't leak, and is pretty economical to operate. I don't sell syrup - We give it away to friends and family so whatever I did had to be cheap to run. The burners probably would run better on buckwheat, but I burn rice in my EFM, so thats what I use. I have used when we decide to make syrup, off and on for 10 years. Man a scrap pile and a welder are a dangerous mixture.
It is probably the MOST politically incorrect maple syrup evaporator ever, and may be the only anthracite fired one anywhere. I got tired of dealing with wood after a couple years of firing my operation. and no way could afford an oil burner to make syrup. This started life as a large woodburner, and I procured a couple Keystoker K6 burners to incorporate in the firebox. Fabricated and welded up the back frame, Installed firebricks in the whole frame and built the pans. Mostly all out of stainless sheetmetal scraps from local shop. Front pan is a conventional flat pan, and the back pan is a fire tube pan, ala a fire tube boiler. I fabricated this whole contraption, and only had a mig welder to weld the stainless. I am not the best welder, and mig welding stainless doesn't give the prettiest welding, but it doesn't leak, and is pretty economical to operate. I don't sell syrup - We give it away to friends and family so whatever I did had to be cheap to run. The burners probably would run better on buckwheat, but I burn rice in my EFM, so thats what I use. I have used when we decide to make syrup, off and on for 10 years. Man a scrap pile and a welder are a dangerous mixture.
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- Member
- Posts: 3936
- Joined: Fri. Aug. 16, 2019 3:02 pm
- Location: Oneida, N.Y.
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harmon Mark II
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Looking
- Baseburners & Antiques: Looking
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: newmac wood/coal combo furnace
Now that is something! Nice job.
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- Member
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Fri. Jul. 03, 2009 2:41 pm
- Location: Clearfield County, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM520
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Hitzer 50-93 at camp
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354 double door woodburner
As far as ashes, I open the door every couple hours and remove them with a little shovel. If I let them go too long, they will ocasionally "bridge " from one burner to the other. Considering you need to add wood to a conventional evaporator every ten minutes or so I am opening the doors about 75% less.
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- Member
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Fri. Jul. 03, 2009 2:41 pm
- Location: Clearfield County, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM520
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Hitzer 50-93 at camp
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354 double door woodburner
The back - (chimney end) originally had a 8" flue opening. It seemed I wasn't getting an even heat across the pans, so I cut additional openings and installed 3 - 6" Flues. A K6 willl run ok on a 7", so 3 6's are close to two 7's. Sometimes I overengineer and think too much.. When in doubt build it stout
- Retro_Origin
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- Joined: Sun. Feb. 21, 2021 7:46 pm
- Location: Schuylkill county
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1957 Axeman Anderson 130
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat / Pea
This would be neat to see in person! Thanks for sharing! I'd buy my syrup from you if I could! I swig that stuff right out of the jug! No pancakes needed!
- swyman
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- Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
- Location: Blissfield, MI
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
I did the same thing when a local high school kid was making it. Was to good to waste on pancakes so I would just pour it on a spoon and enjoy..... well it taste really good in an old fashion also!Retro_Origin wrote: ↑Fri. Feb. 24, 2023 1:11 pmThis would be neat to see in person! Thanks for sharing! I'd buy my syrup from you if I could! I swig that stuff right out of the jug! No pancakes needed!
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- Posts: 3936
- Joined: Fri. Aug. 16, 2019 3:02 pm
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- Other Heating: newmac wood/coal combo furnace
My mom has a friend that drops off a jug of homemade syrup occasionally. She thinks it's too thin. She's ended up with maple.sugar more than once.
- Retro_Origin
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- Joined: Sun. Feb. 21, 2021 7:46 pm
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- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1957 Axeman Anderson 130
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat / Pea
Went to my grandparents to visit. My grandmother is pretty thrifty and always finds stuff on sale. I saw a full jug of maple syrup in her fridge and poured myself a fat spoonful. After fully parking that sucker in my pie hole I realized my dear grandma had simply refilled that jug with regular cheap junk syrup! Yuck! Can't easily spit that stuff out either!
- oliver power
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- Location: Near Dansville, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254
- davidmcbeth3
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- Posts: 8505
- Joined: Sun. Jun. 14, 2009 2:31 pm
- Coal Size/Type: nut/pea/anthra
That makes no sense. Gotta use maple wood as fuel source for maple syrup.
And those vats are too clean. Gotta have 50 years of crud on them to make true maple syrup.
I don't even want to look at the price of a gallon of genuine maple syrup.
And those vats are too clean. Gotta have 50 years of crud on them to make true maple syrup.
I don't even want to look at the price of a gallon of genuine maple syrup.