Maple syrup evaporators? | Food Production and Preservation | Forums

I called out sick today with the flu and feel like crap. I can’t stand to waste a day even for being sick so in between bathroom trips I figured I would do some research on my planned maple syrup evaporator. I have been looking, but haven’t found a layout for the pan itself. I know little about them and none of the commercial sites show the actual layout of the pan. I have seen some in person in the past but not really studied them. Some seem to have fins, different levels and a separate area for preheating sap.

I have a friend who builds high end commercial distillery equipment primarily out of stainless steel. His shop is fully equipped with tools to fabricate just about anything and his tig welding is a work of art. We stuck a deal to exchange maple syrup for his fabrication skills to build the pan. I have a 275 gallon horizontal oil drum I will convert for the stove I just need to put together a plan for the pan itself. Does anyone have any experience with maple syrup evaporators?