Blue 5 Gal. cap wrench?

[Bucket Head]

Is there a tool for the "Rieke" caps on the blue five gallon bulk jugs? If so, who would carry it?

Steve

[maple tim]

any pool supply store should carry them for the clorine jugs. my anut used to get them once a year cause she would lose the one from the previous year

[Bucket Head]

Thanks Tim. I'll see what some of the local one's have to offer.

Steve

[PerryW]

I just use two screwdrivers. Stick one screwdriver vertical in one of the divots and the other screwdriver horizontal, and the cap comes right off. One screwdriver and one nail also works.

[Bucket Head]

Perry,

I think we are talking about two different styles of caps/bungs. The caps I have don't have any recess, or divits. Its not like a drum plug/bung. It is a cap with six tabs/teeth, whatever their called, on the outside of the cap. A tool has to fit over the cap to engage the tabs.

Steve

[tuckermtn]

I use an open-jaw oil filter wrench. And before anyone says anything, no its not food grade...never been used on an oil filter though...

[802maple]

I use large water pump pliers, that I drench in motor oil and then tar to keep them from rusting. If the tar gets to sticky I then soak them in kerosene, usually works fine. LOL

My cheap harbor freight 16" water pumps work fine.

[Bucket Head]

I've been using my big channel locks for those caps too. It works fine. I just figured if I could find a wrench that fit them well I could avoid roughing up the caps with the teeth on the jaws. I never thought of the clorine jug caps, which is troubling since I unloaded and loaded hundreds of them when I worked at a hardware store years ago. I guess the mind really is the first thing to go...

Will the anti-rust coating of oil and tar work on other sugaring equipment- like tanks, pans, finnishers, canners and sap gathering rigs? If so, tommorow I will start covering my F-350 with it. Should I use a brush or a roller?

Steve

[802maple]

Just dunk the whole truck in hot tar and then scrap the windows off so you can see. Don't worry about the seats it will eventually wear off. LOL

[Lwood]

I use one of those rubber strap wrenches from sears.

[Bucket Head]

Hi LWood. How is everything in Hebron? How'd you do this year? I never thought about the strap wrench. Thats a good idea too.

Steve

[Lwood]

You know Hebron ..... always busy... So many things going on all the time.... lol

Kind of disapointed with this year.... around 1/2 crop.
Thinking about vacuum for next year. At the very least going to add more taps.

[Bucket Head]

Yeah, I know what a wild and crazy town Hebron is! How is Nelson? Sorry to hear about the small crop. Ours was'nt good last year so I know how you feel. Do whatever you can to get more sap. Too much sap is better than not enough! We are thinking about adding some next year too. We'll see how that goes.

Steve