May Journal

[mapleman3]

2nd day of May, weather still unsettled, more rain comming today. still have to clean tubing, that will be done this week, been selling syrup alot still, may have to buy a drum to fill orders if it keeps up 8O

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

No a lot going on down here. Hopefully, my footers will get dug this week for the new sugarhouse and I have scheduled the concrete to be poured on Sat if the weather cooperates and the footers are dug. Also, depends on how the wife is doing also. My dad sold his house on Sat, so he is moving next month. I am hoping the people that bought it will allow me to at least leave the evaporator there for a few more weeks if neccessary until I can get the floor poured. I have decided to pour the entire 48x24 building with a concrete floor. This will also include the garage/storage which I have originally decided not to do. With some changes I am making, it will probably only cost a few hundred more, so I guess I go for it.

I am trying to get the footers poured so I can get my dad to lay the blocks before he he moves next month and starts on his new house.

2nd of May and we are getting some snow mixed with rain today. It is hard to believe we are still getting this kind of weather. We had some snow 2 or 3 days last week. 8O 8O 8O

[Parker]

Well, Kevin let me use his tubing washer,,,that thing works great!!!I got everything washed but foultons (75) and hattans (120),,I would like to know how many miles of tubing I have up!!! it took 2 of us 2 solid days and 1000 gallons of water,,,found some serious leaks,,not spending enough time on leak patrol this year really cost me some sap I think,,but now I have them marked with flagging,,,,we were washing the hoit road bush and I could hear a big leak but could not see the water jetting out anywhere,,then I noticed water running down the trunk of a rockie,,I looked up and the water was bubbeling up like a fountian out of the crotch of the tree 16 feet up,,I tapped into a hollow tree!! at least I got the inside of the tree cleaned out......

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Was able to get my footer dug yesterday and the rebar and grade stakes in it. Hope to pour it Wed or Thurs evening as we are leaving on Fri for a week's vacation.

Also, got all my lumber delivered yesterday and a bunch of extra and got about 60% of it stacked. I would like to get most of the rest of it stacked this week, but will have to wait and see to be certain since my work schedule doesn't give me much extra time. :D

[JohnM]

Clean up is done here. Firewood supply under shed. Flat pan is bottom up on my block arch until early Feb O6. Sweet maple trees, nice and greeeeeen.

Have a great vacation Brandon! 8)

[Parker]

The rock maple leaves are at the stage where they kinda stand out from other trees in my neck of the woods,,,,seems to last for 2-3 days,,,I have been driving around and hiking to high points in my area that have a good view in an effort to find "The lost sugarbush",,found a few decent 200-400 tap woods way way out in the boonies,,no way to get the sap out,,,got a ride in a piper supercub? pontoon plane yesterday,,,talk about being able to see!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could make out stone walls,,see people logging,,all the junk cars in the woods behind peoples houses,,and mabey, just mabey a couple of big sugarbushes,,,,I brought my G.P.S. and will download the quardinates into my mapping program,,gonna take a few hikes over the next week or so,,,,with the bush in Hill I dont need any more taps,,,but like someone here said before "its a sickness aint it" Good luck to all

[sweetwoodmaple]

I must be sick as well. Hiked my neighbor's woods a week ago and found another 400 taps, but will take 1500' of line to get all of them. My wife is wondering if this will ever end. I said 'nope'.

Really need a larger evap, but had such a lousy year that there is no $$.

Brian

[mapleman3]

WANTED
1 large sugarbush in proximity to My Sugarhouse, prefer all sugarmaples, possibly pre thinned and easy access! also much preferred water and electric in convenient spot, Sap quality and sugar content must be of highest %, Land must have perfect drive up spot for tank dumping...oh also refrigerated sap storage is a must!

Hmm think thats asking too much :?: :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

maybe I should put that add in our local paper 8O :wink:

[Al]

Nope just move! Looking at a piece of land about a mile from home. Looks like all scrub bush from the road. It's surrounded by sugar maples so maybe further in back there hiding. Calling today to get premission to walk around. Really can't afford it but they don't make property anymore and none within a walk from the homestead. Just dreaming of course but it may work out.

[mapleman3]

I know Al, I actually would like to check local here to see if I can lease someones woods, but it's hard to go snooping through looking!

I got all my tubing washed, I hooked up a pump and hose from the house, filled with bleechy water, then rinsed, vacuumed back, rinsed, vacuumed back... I had a few splits in some lines, not sure if that was from sap freezing or too much pump pressure at cleaning time. flagged them and will go back and repair in the late fall when I look for other "chew" leaks. I think the way I cleaned made for alot of "action" in the tubing, should be good N clean.

Anybody have a tubing fitting stripper they wanna let me borrow?

[sweetwoodmaple]

Anyone ever almost run off the road trying to scope out trees while driving? 8O :D

Been there, almost done that.

[mapleman3]

As we drive places My family is used to saying" Yeah Dad we know... It's a Maple" 8O

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[mapleman3]

Yep it's too easy to mark up the barbs with a knife... don't want to lose vacuum 8O

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Parker]

I have a tubing stripper,,works great,,who wants to use it first,,give me a call with an adress and Ill mail it out,,just remember to keep it out of reach of the kids,,, it has a razor edge,,the other night my 4 year old was going to give the cat a manicure with it!!!!!! Close call........might have had to rename the cat "stumpie"

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Got the footer poured for my new sugarhouse this evening. 11+ Yards of concrete in a 24 x 48 building, but wanted to make it as strong as possible. We are heading to Nashville for a week's vacation this Fri, so I hope to start on blocks the following Sat.

I should have some pics posted of the sight and footer on my website by tommorrow evening.

Take care! :D

[mapleman3]

Kevin, yes I can find leaks... hiss, fast bubbles , sap running faster than an ants run.. ect.

Parker, I may take you up on that... in the future as long as it doesn't run into your tubing time. Thanks

Brandon, Hope your trip to Nashville is great!! talk with you soon.

[gearpump]

Just got back from a trip up to VT to go and see the CDL open house and sugarhouse in Canada. What a hell of trip. The Canadians think nothing of having around 30 to 40 thousand taps. The CDL reasearch sugarhouse that is pictured on the cover of the 05 Waterloo-CDL catalog was the prize of the tour in my opinion. They call it the million dollar sugarhouse for all the right reasons. You have to see it to believe it. The storage tanks in there basement are big enough to for my truck to fit in! the R.O.'s can process aound 6000 gallons of sap in an hour at full tilt which pumps the sap into tanks in a chilled concentrate room at 35 deg. F. The evaporator they have looks like something NASA built. Lots of stainless and we were lucky enough to have the guys that run the process to fire up the rig for show. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up to hear that thing rumble! If I am not mistaken I think they go thru 30 gallons of fuel oil an hour. The other part of the tour was to the IPL tubing plant to see how that is produced, it was really simply how it is made, just a little chopped plastic some heat and and a vacuum to pull the formed tube, then it travels along a trough of water to cool it down. Neat stuff. I think if I go next time I will try to learn how to speak french. I was quite lost at times in a warehouse on full Canadians!

Marty

[Parker]

Marty- how did you hear about the trip?? Sorry to have missed it,Sounds like it was a blast,,----When I was at your sugarhouse last year I remember the waterloo finisher you had that you made the heating unit for,,I am looking for another canner/finisher and I like the waterloo degisine cause it has the drain on the low spot of the tank,,I was wondering if I could hire you to make me a heating element for a waterloo tank if I got one,,I see Bascomes has some used ones??

Brandon- Sounds like you used plenty of concrete in the footings,,sure is exciting to get going on a new building,,sounds like your doing it right the first time,,

I just got back from helping my family at the Brimfield, Mass antique show,,sure are a bunch of nice rockies in that part of the state,,I wanted to pull over and take a hike up a mountian sideI saw that was covered with what looked like rockies but no time,,,,,and that would be a long way to truck sap,,,,,ha ha good luck to all

[Parker]

Marty- how did you hear about the trip?? Sorry to have missed it,Sounds like it was a blast,,----When I was at your sugarhouse last year I remember the waterloo finisher you had that you made the heating unit for,,I am looking for another canner/finisher and I like the waterloo degisine cause it has the drain on the low spot of the tank,,I was wondering if I could hire you to make me a heating element for a waterloo tank if I got one,,I see Bascomes has some used ones??

Brandon- Sounds like you used plenty of concrete in the footings,,sure is exciting to get going on a new building,,sounds like your doing it right the first time,,

I just got back from helping my family at the Brimfield, Mass antique show,,sure are a bunch of nice rockies in that part of the state,,I wanted to pull over and take a hike up a mountian sideI saw that was covered with what looked like rockies but no time,,,,,and that would be a long way to truck sap,,,,,ha ha good luck to all

[gearpump]

Parker- I saw the trip posted in the last issue of the maple news. The only draw back was the the traveling. 3 hour drive from NH to St. Albans, then there was a 5 hour bus ride to the facilitys. No problem on making a burner for your finishing pan. I learned at lot on making that one. I also lost some eyebrows on the first test model! I can get 10 gallons of syrup up to temp in about 10 minutes with the burners on high.

Marty

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I went yesterday morning before leaving for vacation and spent a couple of hours getting stuff rolling on the sugarhouse. Ordered 1,000 + cinderblocks and ordered reinforcement wire for every course on the upper side of the building where the parking and entrance to the garage. 12" blocks on the upper side and 8" blocks on the other three sides. On the inside walls, will go with 2 courses of 4" blocks on top of the concrete floor after it is poured. Blocks, mortar and sand along with everything else is supposed to be delievered next Thurs, so I hope I can get started on blocks on Sat.

Also ordered trusses. They have been having a price war down here and got 24' trusses for $ 37.95 @. Went with 4/12 trusses due to cost. I would have like to have had 5/12, but for $ 15+ more, not worth it. We don't have the snow load that most of you up north have, so there is a ton built with 4/12 down here. Don't look quite as good, but not worth nearly $ 500 more. 56' building and trusses every 2' feet, it adds up fast.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Mike]

For you guys from NY, I hear theres a Maple show tomorrow over near Fort Drum....... Matt from Lapierre will be there. Not sure how big the show is.....................

[VA maple guy]

Hay Brandon, I'm just a little qurious, why are you going to put two 4" corses of block on your inside walls? Are you putting stud walls on top of these block?
I took a look at your sight pictures, your 12" wall with wire every course will be more than strong enough.
If you have any questions reguarding the construction of your sugarhouse,
feel free to ask. I've been in the building trade for 25+ years.Good luck with your sugar house.
Gerry

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Gerry,

Thanks for the offer to help. The 4" blocks are for my inside walls. After I pour the floor, I am going to lay two more course of blocks to get me 16" above ground level for the outside walls and will lay two courses of 4" blocks for the inside walls. The main reason is to be able to spray and wash the floor without getting water on the wood. No reason to lay a wall all the way up from the footer for the inside walls, seems a couple of courses of 4" blocks on top of the concrete floor would work good. :?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Was able to get started with the blocks yesterday. Got the 2 lower corners laid 6 blocks high and ran about 2.5 courses across the back wall. Took a while to get it laid off and get all the mud cleaned off the footer from the gulley washer we had a couple of days before. Will have to lay 2 more courses on the back wall corners to get it to where the floor level will be. All in all, 115 blocks yesterday, so it was a start. :D

Also spent about 3 hours yesterday evening stacking the rest of my lumber so it would be drying. :D

[mapleman3]

Brandon, looks like things are coming along fine, bet you can't wait to get building!! hope everything else is going great, in no time you'll be working with a new sap hauler next to you :D

well just been playing around a bit here found this little fun item below
http://www.k-x-4u.com/mapleleaf.gif

[Al]

Now there you go Jim. That's what you need outside your sugarhouse especially on late night boils. People would know your in. What a attention getter a large rotating neon red maple light would be. It could double for a bug zapper in the summer.
Have a great day!

[mapleman3]

That would be "Sweet" yes pun intended!!! :lol:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Spent about 4 hours laying block yesterday evening and about 6.5 hours today and have about 388 laid so far. Also, hauled some 57's(gravel) in the building and started filling and leveling and spent some time stacking lumber.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I will be able to most of the rest of the blocks laid on Monday to get it up to the concrete floor level. I have 300+ on the the 3 outside walls. The other end wall I am leaving a big enough opening to haul gravel inside the building until I can get it built up to concrete level and then I will close it in. :D

[Mike]

Brandon, Have you any plans for a bigger rig and if so whats the max on taps you think you can get??

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mike,

The center of the building will be the sugarhouse which will be 20 x 24, so I built it plenty big in case I decide to go larger. Don't forsee that happening, at least not any time soon. I am pretty content making 75 to 100 gallons per year, but time will tell. Since the building is 24 x 48 not including wood storage, I have plenty of extra space and the bedroom, kitchen and garage will come in handy also! :D

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Spent most of the day laying blocks and moving more gravel inside the building. I am nearly finished with all the blocks. I have 2 more course on one of the long walls and about 10 blocks on the opposite wall and closing in the one end and bingo.

Hopefully I can get the rest of the blocks laid and the gravel in the building by this weekend. I have drain pipe in place as I am going to install a floor drain in every room except the garage and also have a comode drain in place in the event I add a septic tank in the future. :D

[lharris1]

Brandon: Richard, and I drove by your constructioin site Sunday evening after our family reunion. Looking good so far. Lots of work ahead. Hang in there.