vacuum tubing fittings

[spencer11]

i am running 4 trees on tubing to 5 gal. buckets this year and then connect them to a mainline and run a vac next year. i put the tubing on the fittings with the how water dunk method(dip the ends of the tubing in hot water so they go on the fitting easier) do i need to redo all my fittings with a tubing tool or can i just leave them? if i need a tubing tool is it worth to buy one for about 80 taps on vac? thanks

spencer

[Jeff E]

You should be ok if you didn't really overheat the tubing. You will know really quickly if they will leak with vacuum. If so, pretty simple fix.

[spencer11]

okay thanks jeff. i was really hoping i didnt have to redo my tubing. any info on tubing tool? and if i should get one?

spencer

[Jeff E]

I have the 'one handed tool' you see in the Leader catalogue. I tried making my own, and it just didnt work as good. I have friends who have made there own after seeing mine, and they did fine. A little handier with a welder and cutting tools than me!

I would think if you are doing 75+ taps and, if you are like everyone else, more in the future, getting or making a tool is worth the effort. When you have to do repairs during sap time, that last thing you want to do is fuss around with fittings when you have a leak. Saving the frustration by having the right tool is worth a lot, in my opinion.

So, if I were to recommend bare necessity tools for a tubing system, I would say you need:
1. a one handed tool
2. a good tube cutting tool
3. if you are working with several mainlines, a main line tool, for inserting 'T's, couplings, etc.
4. if you have more than 250 taps, a 2 handed tool for making drops, installing drops, repairing laterals.

By the way: WAY TO GO SPENCER!!! Love seeing young men getting after it. Your well on your way to a bright future.

[spencer11]

thanks jeff! i think i will end up getting a 1 or 2 handed tubing tool a mainline tool and maybe a mainline drill. can you just use a cordless drill to drill holes for saddles in the mainline? or do you really need a mainline drill tool? thanks

spencer

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Cost is important, but if you can by all means get the main line hole drill. Not because it does a nice job (it does) but because it is just plain FUN to use --- it is by far my favorite task of all the many things that need to be done to get tubing in the woods.

[500592]

I got a two handed tubing tool I was going to build one but after getting one it would have been a longer process than I had first thought

[spencer11]

im just gonna buy a 2 handed tool and a mainline tool and im gonna try and make a mainline drill and see if it works. thanks

spencer

[500592]

Here's another bender and it's already got a moisture trap. http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-BENDER-MACHINE-WORKS-WASHER-RELEASER-HAYWARD-WISCONSIN-MODEL-1600-GOOD-/190628699156?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c625b1c14#ht_1313wt_689

[spencer11]

thats the one im watching on ebay! i wasent quite sure if it would work but i figured i would give it a shot. whats the max i should pay on it?

spencer

[500592]

The last one one bay like that went for a hundred without the mouisture trap so like 120 maybe a 100

[spencer11]

okay thanks. at the price it is at now i dont think it will getto 120. thanks

spencer

[500592]

If you do get one be careful of the plastic vac fitting very easy to break:(

[spencer11]

can you replace the vac fitting? i would think the glass would be very easy to break to?

spencer

[500592]

Ya I made one but you can but a new one for twelve bucks

[spencer11]

okay thanks thats good to know.

spencer

[lpakiz]

I made a new steel one from a 1/2 NC Bolt. I had to Drill the length of it and "Face" the end on my lathe. Also turned the hex head down to fit 5/8 tubing from vac pump. Works great.

[spencer11]

i dont habe a metal lathe but would like to kmow how to make it. do you have any pics?

spencer

[lpakiz]

Sorry, pics are difficult for me. You would need a lathe to do this. Know anyone who has one? High School shop class??

[spencer11]

im taking a lathe wood shop class now but i dont know if they will do metal? but there is a machine shop right down my road and next to my friends race shop.

spencer

[spencer11]

i didnt win that realser on ebay! i tryed to place my bid with 9 seconds left and ebay logged me out and i couldnt log on quick enough. so mad. hopefully there will be more soon.

spencer

[Jeff E]

Spencer,
I dont have a mainline drill tool. I use a drill bit (5/16) with a piece of lateral line pushed over it, so only about 1/2" of drill bit is exposed, this keeps me from drilling to far into the mainline. I also do this when tapping, so lateral tube over the bit is a depth gauge, exposing 2" of drill bit.

[spencer11]

what kind of bit do you use? i was wondering if it would "walk" on the mainline? but i do like the depth gauge idea with the tubing. im gonna start using that. thanks.

spencer

[Jeff E]

Standard wood drill bit. THe tubing is soft enough that if you are somewhat careful, the bit wont 'walk'.

[spencer11]

cool. so thats what im gonna do...now i just need a releaser???

spencer

[Jeff E]

I havent been following real close, but if you are not running vacuum this year, no rush on the releaser, as you dont need it for gravity.
Did I have it right that you are shooting for vacuum next year?

[spencer11]

yes i am running vacuum next year. i would like to get one just to play with it and figure out how it works. i love this old rustic mechanical stuff.

spencer

[500592]

What did it go for and on eBay you put your max bid in and it bids automatically for you

[spencer11]

it went for $76 i believe. someone just bid before i was going to and when i hit bid it made me log in again.

spencer

[500592]

I got one I may put on eBay but I don't know yet

[spencer11]

if you do let me know. just pm me.

spencer

[500592]

ya i will but i need to fix it first if someone can help me i posted a few questions in the thread right below yours cause i may make a bigger releaser out of it

[spencer11]

okay just let me know and what your asking for it.

spencer

[spencer11]

will i really need a mainline tool for connecting mainlines? its just seems very expensive for what it does.

spencer

[500592]

No lots o people don't have in

[spencer11]

if i dont get one do i just push them together? or heat the ends in hot water like you can do with lateral line?

spencer

[vtmapleman]

I normal 'lightly' heat the mainline with a torch - you do have to be careful to not overheat the line. A mainline tool does make it easier to connect the lines especially when installing the larger tubing. When you really need the mainline tool is after you have streched the line/tied it up and then decide to connect a branch line. Once you cut the mainline it will separate, sometimes up to a couple of inches. There is no way to easily pull this line back together - thus the mainline tool.

[spencer11]

what i plan on doing when i do get mainline up. it to treat it like rapi-tube and use strapping and posts to hold it up instead of wire. when you say seperate do you mean slide off the fitting? and i have never handled mainline before-is the blue leader mainline flexable like the lateral line or is it hard? thanks

spencer