fixing up old sugaring equitment

ryguy777 · June 15, 2013, 05:22:11 PM

has anyone made use of old rusty maple sugaring equitment? i have about 150 old galvinized buckets, most of them are perfectly fine, some of them a little rusty but i think i can clean them up. i also have in old galvinzed pan thats pretty rusty, still solid though. anyone have any thoughts about fixing these up and using them again? i know it can be done but would it be safe? i think if i got all the rust off and rubbed it down with cranola oil or something it'd be fine. whats your guy's thoughts?

ryguy777 · June 15, 2013, 05:23:31 PM

i also have loootttsss of taps that need cleaning up, i was thinking about trying electrolosis on them

celliott · June 15, 2013, 05:28:05 PM

Personally, I wouldn't. Older galvanized stuff used lead solder in the seams, and if sap sat in the buckets, there is a good chance it could get picked up. Same with the pans, the heat could release some lead when you are boiling, especially if they have been rusty.
A good alternative to buckets is milk jugs or 5 gallon pails with covers, and you set them on the ground, and run a tap with a dropline right into the bucket.
Now, you could try it, and test the lead content of the syrup. It might be fine for your own use and not to sell, but who knows. Do you have an arch to go with the pan? How big is it?

ryguy777 · June 15, 2013, 08:18:15 PM

no arc, its 2 feet by 3 1/2 feet. i was planning on just setting it on some cinder blocks, havent gotten to an arch just yet

bill m · June 15, 2013, 08:54:38 PM

You can get food grade epoxy paint for the buckets but as for the pan there is no way to save it. The zinc in the galvanized coating will contaminate the syrup.

ryguy777 · June 16, 2013, 11:16:50 AM

thank you bill! you wouldet happen to know of the name of that epoxy coating would ya? i guess i shoulda looked into it more about the pan before i got it, it was very cheap and i got a little too exited i guess.... my uncle says you used to be able to send out pans and get them refurbished and im wondering if anything like that still exists

ryguy777 · June 16, 2013, 11:46:29 AM

is there anything to do with old taps? maybe soak them in vinagar? since vinagar is a natural rust remover

millwright · June 16, 2013, 08:18:19 PM

I have had good luck sending rusty taps thru several cycles in the dishwasher. Are you sure the pan is galvanized? I have never seen one , they are usually stainless or black sheet steel.

bill m · June 16, 2013, 08:43:04 PM

Any good hardware or paint store can get food grade epoxy. Most evaporators sold today are made from stainless steel. Older ones were made of English tin and a few from copper.

ryguy777 · June 16, 2013, 09:28:21 PM

well im pretty sure its galvinized, its an oldy. maybe, just maybe i can try to put a picture of it up, along with the other equitment i have to repair

Axe Handle Hound · June 18, 2013, 07:50:56 AM

If you're just looking to have a pan on some cinder blocks I'd recommend you scrap the old one you have. It may have pin holes in it that you won't find until after you've spent lots of hours and possibly some $ fixing it. There are a number of guys selling simple flat stainless pans for syrup cooking that will last you a lifetime and are inexpensive. For the taps, I'd find someone with a concrete mixer and toss them in with a shovel full of clean sand and forget about them for a while. When you take them out and wash them off they should be pretty clean.

Stephen1 · June 18, 2013, 08:23:21 AM

Years ago we had a pan out of 'brittish tin' it evevtually rotted and one season was full of a thousand pin holes. It was a shower in thefire box. We didn't make any syrup that year.
It looked like galvanized for sure, found out after what it was.
I agree I wouldnt use it. It would be cheaper to find some usded aluminum pails than trying to paint what you have I bet.

ryguy777 · June 18, 2013, 09:34:05 AM

ya know, it may just happen to be english tin or british tin... its one of those old two section flat bottomed leader pans with two draw offs and a hinge on the front inbetween the daw offs, i dont know if anyone knows what im talking about or not.... i heard you used to be able to send these pans out and get them re-tined.... it doesnt leak anywhere ive set it on saw horses and filled it up with water

ryguy777 · June 18, 2013, 10:16:39 AM

this is the pan

Stephen1 · June 18, 2013, 09:34:39 PM

I have heard about retining. I have had 2 tanks galvanized before. I wonder if you called one those places they could point you in the right direction.

ryguy777 · June 18, 2013, 10:43:22 PM

i'll have to see about it

celliott · June 18, 2013, 11:08:32 PM

If it is a leader brand pan, then you might try to contact leader here http://www.leaderevaporator.com/
They would probably be able to point you in the right direction if you could re-tin it or repair it, and what it's really made with\of.

Axe Handle Hound · June 19, 2013, 08:28:52 AM

I wouldn't spend more than $350 having it repaired. For that price you could get a new one. Keep in mind that you might not see leaks when the pan is cold, but as it heats up the metal expands and if there any holes that's when you'll find them. If you're lucky they'll be tiny and will sugar themselves shut after the first cooking. Might also recommend doing a lead test on the solder. I'm not a person who gets all wound up over leaded solder, but if I were in your situation and had a pan in that shape and the solder was lead based I'd let it go in preference of a new pan.