May Projects

[themapleking]

It's already May and time to start on next seasons firewood.

[backyardsugarer]

I have to finish cleaning my pans (Just drained the other day) and get my wood cut for next year, but it has been too wet to cut around here the last couple of weeks.

Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Hoping to get my footer poured and most or all of the aprox 1000 blocks laid before month's end. :D

[mapleman3]

Continue cleaning and tuning the motorcycle and...... RIDE !!! thats my May plans :D

[Russell Lampron]

Canning syrup to fill some orders, getting a new rear tire put on the Harley and heading to Myrtle Beach for bike week. After that starting on next years wood.

Russ

[Maple Flats]

Got all of my wood ready for next year if I keep this evap. and get an RO for my growing plans. However if I get a larger evap instead of an RO I need to cut more and a new length too. However I have a sawmill and cut the slabs so I have no problem having enough. In fact this year I gave a friend about 10 face cord that had been stacked in the woods for about 8-10 years and was no longer real solid but he was happy to have it for campfires while camping. I also have more thinning to do than I can get time for, usually only cut up stuff over about 5" diam and let the smaller lay on the ground because it takes too long to process the small stuff. Evaporator Pans and pipeline all cleaned 3 weeks ago. Still need to do canner and scoops, plus a couple of misc. items. Hope to finish real soon.

[brookledge]

Maple Flats,
If you buy a bigger evaporator you might find that you don't use that much more in wood. When I had a 3X8 I was making about 17 Gal. per cord Now I have a 3X12 with a pre-heater and I get 25 gal. per cord. If you went to a 2X8 you probably would not burn any more wood than you do now but would make more syrup per cord. As long as the fire box is the same width you should not burn any more wood. Most people have base stack temps around 500-800 degrees so if you go with a longer arch you should improve your syrup to wood ratio.
Keith

[steve J]

Well got some firewood cut but everything is on hold till we get a couple more Turkey's. We got two opening morning

[syrupmaker]

Hopeing to pick up our new (to us) 3 x 10 this coming Sunday, try and figure out how to remove enough wall to get the arch and hoods out. figure it will be an all day project.

Rick

[brookledge]

Rick,
Sounds like the sugarhouse was built around the evaporator. That won't be fun. Hope it goes well for you
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Rick,

Congrats on the "new" evaporator?? What kind is it?? Fill us in with some more info if you don't mind.

Good luck with the project and be sure and send Jim some pics! :D

[syrupmaker]

Wish i could give you more info, but Dad and my brother went and looked at and made the deal.They got all hot in the pants, :roll: so hot there not sure if it is a raised or dropped. Guess Sunday will be the day to fill ya's in.
:wink:
Rick

[brookledge]

It's a sickness. kinda like a kid in the candy store. See something you want and you don't even know what it is. Just that its big and shinny.
Gota love it :D :D
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Rick,

Sure is awesome. Ought to be able to knock off at least 80 to 90 gph and more with modifications.

Keep us posted and be sure to post some pics or email it to the usual ones! :D :wink:

[mapleman3]

So much for Rick buying all my excess syrup like he always did :wink: ok just kidding :wink:

I'll have to jump on the bike and make the 6hr ride out there and check it out...
Joe .. ready for a ride ???? you must have yours all set and polished up :wink:

[RUSTYBUCKET]

Next years wood has been split and set out in the field to dry. Another project for May is to resurrect an old splitter that a neighbor gave me. Got the motor running the other day and the first pull on the lever resulted in a "BANG" from the hydraulic cylinder. Pulled everything apart and turns out the nut holding the packing on the ram backed off. While it was apart, I got a new set of O-rings and I hope to get it back together this week. Anyone have any tips on how to convince everything to slide back in the cylinder. I'm thinking about using something like a piston ring compressor.


Russ

[VA maple guy]

Hi Russ, your idea of using a piston ring compressor should work pretty well. Use plenty of hydraulic fluid on the o rings when you assemble it,and make shure there no burrs or sharp edges on the cylinder that might damage the o rings.
gerry

[syrupmaker]

Well here is what I found- 8O -$450!!! It's a 3x10 king arch, SS sides with SS 14" stack, syrup pan is 3x2, flue pan is 3x5 with 6.5" drop flues and another 3x5 pan with 3" drop flues, Homemade alluminum steam hood with preheater, 12" alluminum pipe for steam, propane fired filter canner with stand. 425 gallon poly transfer tank fits between the wheel wells of the truck.Needs a little TLC, (cracked) and cleaning but should work nicely. 8)

The shack it was in was built out of plywood sides so we were able pop one of the panels off with out destroying it. Rolled it out with some 2x4's and pipes onto the trailer and were loaded up and on the road within 2.5 hrs. Got it home and ooooeedd and aaaawweed over it with a few beers. Started the floor plans in the dirt were the new sugar shack will be built. Can always think better with a brew in hand. :wink:

Have to walk the woods and see how many taps we can gather up by next spring to feed this thing. Maybe even do an aerial main over the road from the neighbors.

Rick

[mapleman3]

Fantastic, you'll be big time sugarin now!!! I bet 500 taps would be a nice start for that puppy! better get out and start marking trees, the leaves will be off before ya know it. I waited too long last year, it was spring and I said I'd look in the summer then fall came and winter....!!! oops


Can't wait to see the ole girl up close!!! congrats!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Rick,

Sounds great! Glad to know you got such a wonderful deal. Time to get at it as the days start gettting shorter in about 5 weeks. Snow will be flying before you know it 8O :lol: :lol:

[Al]

Sounds like an all come and play should be turned into you all come and work a little party. With Rooster in charge we should get done in no time. :D Congrats on a good deal.
Take care

[themapleking]

A 3x10 I wouldn't build a shack any smaller that a 20x14 thats what mine is with a 3x8 in it. Plus all of the other maple stuff tha goes in there.

Need any hemlock for boards. I'm clear cutting all of the hemlock out of my sugar bush. I have so **** many logs I lost count. Give me a jingle if interested or if you know anyone who buys the logs. I'm guessing around 15,000 board feet when I'm done with it.

Get more taps and sign up for maple weekend. You seen how busy I was that weekend. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[nhmaple48]

Rick, it sounds like you've got a 3x12, 3 pan Vt. set of pans to go on a 3x10 arch. Or else a 2 pan 3x8. Just curious. Paul.