Premade droplines

[Ekrueger]

I am new at this and wondered if you guys can show me some pictures of premade droplines for multiple taps per tree? Do you just use the single droplines and splice them together at the tree?

[DrTimPerkins]

See attached. This is an end tree.

Single dropline per tee. Never Y them together.

6496

[Limitpusher]

Ok now I have a question about this. How long do you make pre-made drops? I mean the length of tube from tap to tee. I'm curious about this and don't want to mess a bunch of tubing up by cutting it short.

[Ekrueger]

I am actually trying to understand how the drop lines look for 2 and 3 taps per tree. Do the droplines get connected together(1 "T" in lateral line and other "T"'s get spliced into the first dropline), or do they all individually get spliced into the lateral line?

[maple flats]

Each drop connects directly to the lateral line. For a tree on gravity to have 3 taps it should be at least 36" diameter. On Vac even that should only get 2 taps. For length, that depends, many use 28,30,32 and even 36". I used to use 28" but now use 32" drops (from tap to lateral).

[lpakiz]

It depends somewhat on the diameter of your tree. You need to be able to eventually reach all points around your tree. Take a tape measure with you and try one of the larger trees. You might make up 2sizes, for small and large. Error on the side of too long.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

We make them 36", I've had experience in the past with too short lines on larger trees and it limits your ability to find good wood and can't be healthy for the tree.

[ennismaple]

We make them 36", I've had experience in the past with too short lines on larger trees and it limits your ability to find good wood and can't be healthy for the tree.

Agreed. When we first started making pre-made drops they were 28". Now we make them 36" to give maximum tappable area on the tree. Below is a pic of a bunch of droplines I made at home a few years ago. After you run the lateral line from mainline to head tree you go along with the 2-handed tool and cut in 1 or 2 droplines at each tree. We don't bother making any double droplines for 2 tap trees because we find it much easier to handle and install single droplines.

[DonMcJr]

I think this is how you would do 2 Taps in a tree...

[DrTimPerkins]

I think this is how you would do 2 Taps in a tree...

Yes. That is the way it is normally done, other than the fact that the tree shown in the photo is not large enough for two taps.

[DonMcJr]

What's the diameter of that tree?

[DrTimPerkins]

What's the diameter of that tree?

Can't say exactly, but looks to be about 12" dbh or so.

[FameFlower]

We premake our droplines at 30". If a tree takes two taps, we splice the lateral line with two seperate droplines and we have sixty inches of room to work with.

Two Splices
Lat line ______________\\_____// ___________
________________________________________

[wildlifewarrior]

Hi Guys,

what is the drawbacks to having a single line comming from the mainline and splitting into two or more?

Mike

[unc23win]

Are you talking about lateral lines coming from the mainline having 2 or 3 branches or are you talking about 2 or 3 drops for a tree?

In the case of lateral you can have 2 or 3 branch off from one with a Y or a T if you want. Most people are following the Strive for Five idea meaning no more than 5taps into one lateral line no matter how you connect them.

In the case of drops for trees you want to have each drop connect directly to the lateral line. Meaning no drops connected to each other then entering the lateral line through a common Y or T.

[wildlifewarrior]

Drops to the mainline. So for the picture shown (if it was big enough to take two taps) I would have one T from the line going to one line which then splits to the two droplines from the taps. it is like the second pic that DonMcjr posted but two taps to one line.

Mike

[unc23win]

In the original picture the line loops around the tree. I can't tell whether the loop is live meaning that sap can run all the way around the tree or the loop is dead and sap can only flow from the drop down the line to the left as you are looking at the picture. If the line is live and sap can flow around the tree you could put other drops in after the first one to the right of it however if the loop is dead then the way DonMcjr drew his would work. If the tree in question is not an end tree then you would just put your drops in like Ennis said each drop connecting to the lateral line by its own T.

[wildlifewarrior]

Sorry for making this difficult. I have several trees which are branching from a single root ball 3-5 trees comming from the same underground system (within 18inches of each other). The mainline passes directly by them, so we only have one T going up from the mainline. From that original T up, it may have another T on either side of the original T. Then those 2 Ts go to 4 taps on the various trees of the group.

Tap.....Tap.....Tap........Tap
l___ ___l.......... l___ ___l
........T_____ ______T
...................T
...................l
-------MAIN---T---LINE--------

Does that help?

Thanks
Mike

[unc23win]

Is your main line 5/16"?

[wildlifewarrior]

Yes on gravity

[Starting Small]

Wildlife is my brother and we work together...out of about 35 taps we only got eight gallons over the last three days total. Everyone else seems to be having big runs. Could our line setup be affecting sap amounts? We are also tapping moatly reds, thanks

[unc23win]

Ok well if it is 5/16" then just make each tap connect to the mainline with its own T. Each pre made drop has a T on one end and then the other end gets a spout. in Ennis's picture he made drops and left off the spouts as I think he using seasonal spouts which he will tap into the tree and then connect the drop line.

If you have an end tree make the end of the line loop around the tree like in the original picture Dr. Tim posted that will help hold the line tight. The easiest way is to make the loop first while pulling the line tight and then going back and installing the drops. you can make the loop a variety of ways.

[wildlifewarrior]

Does each taP having its own connection to the mainline improve the flow
I don't mean to hijack the thread.

Thanks
Mike

[unc23win]

Yes is will flow better.

The way you have it I think it will be hard to get the line tight. Where if you pull the line tight and then connect each tap to the line with a drop the line will still be tight. I run my line from my main line to the farthest tree make a loop around that tree and then go back and install the drops for the trees the line runs next to. If you don't have a 2 handed tool you would probably start from your mainline and pull the line tight and put in a drop then some line, then a drop then some line etc.. pulling the slack out building your way out to the end tree where you make your loop.

Don't worry about Hijacking everyone tries to help everyone out. I wish I had a picture for you but I don't at the moment.

[markct]

i think the difference is simply that you have red maples, some flow as well as sugars and others barely give anything, i have hundreds of red maples and before i had vacuum i often had disapointing sap quanities but now with vacuum they produce very well, this year i will have over 900 taps and about 600 of them are red maples on vac

[Ekrueger]

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

[DonMcJr]

That loop around the tree is dead-no sap flow. It would go on your furthest tree on the highest point of your tubeline.

The 2 lines on that fitting that go around the tree are dead and the middle 2 are open for one Tap.

Here's my map I drew up for my 5/16 tube run.

Everyone tell me if that's right and if it is it will give you something to go by too!

[jcb]

See attached. This is an end tree.

Single dropline per tee. Never Y them together.

6496

Why not make the loop around the tree live and tap into it on the back side?

[wildlifewarrior]

Thanks for te help everyone that's makes a lot of sense. When we were putting the rig up we figured there would be no difference between putting the T's up closer to the taps and together than each individual drop going to the mainline.

Looks like we got some work to do this weekend.

Thanks again
Mike

[DrTimPerkins]

Why not make the loop around the tree live and tap into it on the back side?

You can do that if you wish, there are at least a couple of different types of line end-fittings.

[unc23win]

If the tree in question is split into 4 like they described a loop isn't a bad idea because none of the trunks are real big and looping around would give you more area to work with next year and so on. You just have to decide whether this would be your end tree or a different one.