Cheap wire options?

[Groves]

We're in the city and do mostly buckets, but there's a nice row of 14 maples at a church that we tap.

Last year we did tubing for the first time, running 5/16 all the way to a barrell at the bottom. We'd prefer more slope, but oh well.

So.

There's 15-20ft between trees. The sagging was just enough to concern me. I did raise the "mainline" as high as feasible on the top of the line and low as possible at the end.

May be time for a wire to which I can attach the mainline to reduce the sagging.

Does it take a lot of expense to get into a wire mainline?

[spencer11]

if your just using 5/16" just pull the lines tighter, are you using some sort of end line fitting?

[Groves]

Yes, I'm using one of these end line slide fittings on each ends.

https://www.bascommaple.com/item/lapelf/

I'm using the strap, but would prefer the one with the hook that snaps onto 5/16 hose.

As tight as I pull there's still sag when full of sap. Maybe I shouldn't worry. Thought a wire would be much tighter.

[unc23win]

What might work well for you as I am betting you will be taking everything down is the Tension grips.

You use one on each end anchored to a tree. Basically just put one on the top part how high you want it then put one on the low end and just pull the line and keep sliding the grip up the line. The grips actually stretch the line to make it tight. If you wanted you could also use a ratchet strap on the lower end to pull it tighter.

That's how I would do it if I were taking everything down especially when using saddles because all you have to is unhook the lines and take the saddles off and roll up the mainline.

[spencer11]

i wouldnt worry about it, as long as the bottom is lower than the top it will flow right

[wiam]

What tubing are you using?

[Groves]

Some brand of green semi-rigid.

[whalems]

I don't think you will ever get all the sags out of semi-rigid. I will keep on stretching and inside diameter will keep getting smaller, but will still sag.

[Thad Blaisdell]

semi rigid will always sag, too much flex in it. cheapest easiest permanent solution is to just buy some rigid tubing. 30p from leader, or cdl makes some good cheap 5 year, lap makes it as well. Anything rigid will work.

[wiam]

semi rigid will always sag, too much flex in it. cheapest easiest permanent solution is to just buy some rigid tubing. 30p from leader, or cdl makes some good cheap 5 year, lap makes it as well. Anything rigid will work.

That is where I was going with the question.

[adk1]

yes I have learned this. I still ahve 2 rolls of the semi ridgid from Leader, the Grip I beleive it is.. Once those are done, going to use the regular 30P..I thought it was a good idea to get the more flexiable stuff but now I dont think it is for the most part

[Thad Blaisdell]

save the semi for the drops you are going to make..... use rigid for the laterals.

[unc23win]

Rigid is what you want for your lateral line. Some line is pre stretched, but sags still occur.

Once in a while I will cut the line apart at a connection and then take my two handed tool and cut out the slack then pull the line back together. You can cut out about 6” at a time with my tool. You might still continue to get sags depending on the temperature changes.

Probably goes without saying but this is what I do on gravity. There are lots of ways of running line. I like to run my lateral line from my mainline and wrap it around the farthest tree using a T or Y pulling it as tight as I can. Then I go back and put in the necessary Ys or Ts to get the trees I want. Some trees I run beside and others I loop around like the far tree. Each time I make a connection I take up as much slack as I can. Then I go back putting in all my drops taking out as much slack as I can. On the trees I loop around I put the drop that is on the back of the tree in first and use it to pull the line up so that it is downhill either way to the front of the tree.
No matter how you do it, you will probably one day see something you want to improve. That is just the way it is.

[Groves]

Ok, so going with rigid would be one way.


But IF you were to put up a wire, I'm guessing 100 yards or less, does that take more time and expense than recreating my main line? No two handed tubing tool here.

[unc23win]

Yes putting up the wire is faster than redoing the line.

I have never done wire for the 5/16" but I am sure it can be done. The important part is getting the slack out. You would probably want to put the wire up and start at one end and just pull your line up get the slack out tie it and then move and repeat. Most people tie mainline every 2'. Obviously you would want the wire on top of the line and not tie it so tight it crushes the line if thats even possible.

[Groves]

Is there a wire primer someone could point me to?

Is it special wire? Do I need to worry about girdling on my end trees?

[unc23win]

Well I use 12.5 gauge high tensil fence wire. You wrap it around each end tree to anchor it and at one end use the ratchet and spring designed for the fence to pull it tight and hold tension.

If you know someone who has the high tensil tools you could borrow. I don't think you wanna spend the money on the tools.

Otherwise you could use any wire of similar gauge and tensil strength and anchor it at one end then use a ratcher strap on the other to tighten it. I don't think you need 12.5 wire for 5/16" tubing. But you will have to be careful not to break whatever wire you use when you tighten it because it can be dangerous. I would reccomend steel wire. You could use the high tensil springs and ratchet if you wanted the spring maintains tension. Tractor supply has high tensil fence stuff. www.mytscstore.com.