Leaking around the spiles

[girmann]

Just a beginner hobbyist here, but I tapped two trees last year and had one leak around the spile the entire season. (probably lost 1-2 gallons of sap due to leakage) I didn't exactly drill the hole the right size, it wasn't perfectly round, and it was straight into the tree. So I figured that I knew what the issues were and drilled them differently this year.

Unfortunately, I am having the same thing happen this year. I wonder if it's the spiles I'm using, or if I'm doing something else wrong. I drilled a hole as accurately as possible, at an angle, and inserted the spile only hard enough so that it didn't come out easily by hand. I know that it's common to have some leakage, especially in the first few days of tapping, but the leakage I'm getting from one tap looks excessive. Since I only harvest 5-6 gallons of sap/yr, 1-2 gallons makes a big difference.

Any advice?

[Starting Small]

Could you pull the tap and just try again on another tree?

[girmann]

Could you pull the tap and just try again on another tree?

Why didn't I think of that! I'll give it a shot.

[smokeyamber]

Tap it in a bit tighter ? If my taps were just barely in there my buckets would pull them out... I also would suggest investing in a tapping bit, I did that this year to hopefully reduce having to pull the bit out to clear the flutes and creating oversize/oval holes when you drill back in. Time will tell if this helps, but I think it will just looking at how much different the tapping bit looks.:D

[girmann]

ARGH! I'm a moron!

Last year (and this year) I somehow convinced myself that 1/2" is smaller than 7/16". That's why they're leaking - I drilled the hole too big! I went out and bought a 7/16th" bit and tapped another tree. Almost no leaking.

[Brent]

If you tap at too steep and angle the hole entrance will be oval ... not round.
Spiles are round.
We find most spiles push out some after a good freeze and need to be re-set.

[johnallin]

Brent, Just currious and not meant to be a challenge... but how can a round bit - if held steady regardless of angle - make an oval hole?
The cross section from verticle may be oval, but the hole is still round if a 90 degree section is taken. What am I missing here?
Thanks.

[mike z]

If you start centered, then lean it one way or another the bit will travel and enlarge the hole usaully causing it to be somewhat oval shaped.

[Brent]

It does not seem to logical but try it in an extreeme and you'll see it.
Start a hole at the normal, say 10 deg up angle. Once you're in enough that the drill won't slip tilt it down to 45 deg or so and finish. Put in a tap and you'll see that if pees pretty badly from the top and bottom. My wife tapped her buckets with steep angles last year and at times it looked like more sap went back to the earth than in the buckets. I told her it was good Karma

[johnallin]

I see, how that can happen if the angle of the bit is changed. That's what I was thinking, must have mis-understood the post. Hope you guys have a great year up there in the homeland.

[MustardSeedMum]

Put in a tap and you'll see that if pees pretty badly from the top and bottom. My wife tapped her buckets with steep angles last year and at times it looked like more sap went back to the earth than in the buckets. I told her it was good Karma

:lol: My drilling leaves a lot to be desired as well. My husband was shaking his head when he saw my work.

[Brent]

:lol: My drilling leaves a lot to be desired as well. My husband was shaking his head when he saw my work.

Two hands for beginners, or those who can't drill straight. Put everything down but the drill. Brace one elbow on the tree and things will go in much better.:)

[kinalfarm]

I'm not sure how much you know but sometimes if you tap when it's below freezing you can crack the bark around the tap when you drive it in which also causes leaks. But as someone already mentioned after a hard freez they loosen up too.

[mike z]

Try as I might, I cannot avoid a couple leakers every year.

[MustardSeedMum]

Two hands for beginners, or those who can't drill straight. Put everything down but the drill. Brace one elbow on the tree and things will go in much better.:)

1 out of 3. No wonder. Appreciate the tips!

[maplemonkey68]

ARGH! I'm a moron!

Last year (and this year) I somehow convinced myself that 1/2" is smaller than 7/16". That's why they're leaking - I drilled the hole too big! I went out and bought a 7/16th" bit and tapped another tree. Almost no leaking.

I think we've all had those moments at some point!

[wnybassman]

Try as I might, I cannot avoid a couple leakers every year.

Same here.

[Sterlingsapper]

Besides being crazy about making sugar, I am a furniture maker, and I think that I might know the problem. When a hole is drilled into a piece of wood, especially a round one, at an angle, one side of the hole has an obtuse angle and the other acute. The acute side is thin and prone to splitting. I think what is happening here is that the spile splits the acute side of the hole and then you get leaking. By the way, it still happens to some of my holes!! I haven't had the issue with the smaller 5/16th spiles, which makes sense, as they aren't as tapered as the old school ones.