Evaporator arch to...?

If I don't sell the arch and pans, how else can I use it?  Something rockety, maybe?  

Sap collection is the limiting factor as to why I'm not using it now.  Pump systems are spendy.  Heck, even gravity systems are spendy.  Bucket collection on a scale large enough to fill this thing is gruelling.  And? The monoculture maples and birches are dying.  They were never meant to have been in the ground this long.  Former tenant of the previous owner had them in as landscape trees.  And then got boogered because he didn't know that he wasn't allowed to spade the trees out (removal of soil on this property is verboten by covenant).  We tried to make lemonade from the lemons, so to speak and tapped.

But now the stands are dying after 20+ years.  Time to turn them over to something else.  And find a new use for the evaporator if I can't sell it.

Ideas?

Thanks heaps,

I'm in New Hampshire and might be interested in buying your arch and evaporator.  What size/type is it?

Davis Tyler wrote:I'm in New Hampshire and might be interested in buying your arch and evaporator.  What size/type is it?

Cool!  It's 11'x3'.  Pans were custom made from all new material about 10 years ago.  I think I can get you the shop's name that made them.  Bricks are the same age, no float box.  Everything was done by hand here.

It's a wood fired arch.  Grimm & Co.  Couldn't tell you how old the arch is.  I've no idea.  My boys will pull out the pans this weekend and I'll get you a photo of those.



Those panels blew off our barn roof over the window and are no longer there.  Should be clear sailing getting it out from there.





Seriously a sentimental thing.  Really going to miss it.  The first thing we bought here on the farm.  If you're interested, I'll give you a price.

oh wow, that's WAY bigger than what I'm looking for!

be a shame to scrap it; have you tried posting it on http://mapletrader.com/community/  ?  A lot of larger-scale commercial sugar makers are on there; should not take long to sell at the right price

Davis Tyler wrote:oh wow, that's WAY bigger than what I'm looking for!

be a shame to scrap it; have you tried posting it on http://mapletrader.com/community/  ?  A lot of larger-scale commercial sugar makers are on there; should not take long to sell at the right price

It would be a shame to scrap it.  I'm on a few sugarmakers' fora.  Once I've got the pans out for photos, I'll post it.  It's a lovely thing.  But there is a chance that it won't go.  I have a beautiful BCS that I've been been trying to sell.  No complaints with the price, just not ideal timing for a lot of folks, you know?  So I may have two lovely and useful tools that I can't use.

Anyway. I'm wondering if I can use it for keeping the hightunnel warm over this coming winter.  And actually, if we can move it, it would be closer to the remaining maples and maybe then we can get one last batch boiled down while keeping growie babies nice and warm.