Fittings and tubing

[jld186]

I'm hoping people can share methods for connecting fittings and tubing other than those expensive one-handed and two-handed tools. Thanks.

[500592]

Look around plenty of peopl on here have made them cheap

[DrTimPerkins]

As expensive as these tools are, it isn't advisable to install fittings without one. Cheaper alternatives: borrow one from someone or build one. Other than that...Christmas is coming up soon, and new maple toys are always welcome under the tree.

P.S. For those who suggest you don't need tools if you use oil or other lubricants.....DON'T....this can deform the tubing and cause leaks.

[adk1]

Yeah, a buddy of mine built me a two handed tool for $50. Works slick.

[lastwoodsman]

I always look at the purchase of tools this way.

If I am doing the work myself and not paying someone labor, tools are the cheap part of any job. When starting a project and if I do not have the tools I will go out and buy anything I need. Still money ahead of hiring someone.

I have found there is a big market of remanufactured tools with full factory warrenties- I never have had a problem for the do it yourselfer.

To have the correct tools can make someone well not a pro it sure helps.

Spend the money you will not regret it-- this tubing stuff can't be done well and easily by hand. Save yourself the frustration.

[adk1]

That is true. However, for the small producer like myself, I can see spending $250 on a mainline tool when I only have to install one fitting to connect two sections of mainline together.

[lastwoodsman]

adk1

I understand where you are coming from.

Although I have found myself living in denial. Two years ago I was boiling on a 1x3 old deep fryer from a local casino. Happy as a lark. Thought the 100.00 of propane I used a year was costing me to much.

Soooooooo

Thought last year I would build a little sugar shack.

The 2x6 flat pans I got with the used waterloo arch were a big step up and more than enough to last me well into the future. After one season --I learned about flu pans and thought well heck I can use the same amount of wood and boil three times as much sap.

Now I need more sap to feed the pans.

Now after setting up a LLC, and saving all reciepts for taxes, tracking milage, I have flu pans ordered, stringing 800 feet of 1/2 inch gravity and 800 foot of 3/4 inch tubing. Now working on vaccum and bender releaser for the 3/4 inch.

Oh yea, another chainsaw, new bigger wood splitter, touring local sugarbushes, and God only knows where it will stop.

Crap can you say addiction!

A word of advice from a new junkie, you will be buying a tool shortly. You can feel that shiny red paint in your hand and that next 1000 feet of tubing coming in the mail with all those fittings. Yea and see that vacuum pump coming--don't forget the free webinars that are out there too!!

Chatting with Dr. Tim!

Gotta go I am starting to shake again!!!!
Good Luck---
Woodsman

[adk1]

Oh I agree, I am already there. Looking into a woods just down the road from me right now that I might be able to tap. Just judging from the roadside, I would get another 50 taps all on gravity pretty easily, and I havent even made syrup yet!

Like I said, a buddy of mine made me a two handed tool for $50. He is making me a one handed tool as we speak for $30. next it will be a mainline tool. I will have all three tool made for me for less than one mainline tool costs

[SevenCreeksSap]

Last Woodsman, I have exactly the same symptoms. I'm building my own tools. another use for the welder I bought JUST to build an evap. JLD186, you might as well just face it now and figure out a way to make it easier. I asked this a few threads back and got several great pics of hand made tubing tools. check that out and find a buddy with a welder and hit the flea market for some vice grips.

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

For me I am a small producer, and this year converted from a few taps running into 5 gal. buckets, to tubing. I don't have a tool. I find it easier to put the tubing together if I have a friend or some one else around. I usually run the laterals, and tension them with the end slider fitttings. The I go back throught and put in thee y's and the t's. If I hold one end, and someone elso holds the other when you make the cut, they don't spring back, so then you just push the fitting on the one end, and have your buddy push the tubing onto the other end. this might sound complicated, but it's really not that hard.