Removing fittings, reusing tubing

[ibby458]

When I sold my syrup, I bought a whole ssugar bush worth of used tubing from him. It filled the bed of the pickup over 1/2 full. This is purple Lamb tubing he took down to replace with rigid tubing for leaving up all year.

I've read all the posts about cleaning tubing, and I think I can get it clean, but taking it apart is a killer. I was using a propane torch with a tiny flame to soften the tubing, but it didn't work that great and that scorched tubing stinks!

I bought a heat gun yesterday, but I'm not all that confident it'll be any better. I think it might soften the fitting too much.

Is there an easier way to do this?

[Fred Henderson]

I know very little about tubing but I think that there is a tool to take it apart. The guys doing it in the woods must have one. I would love to be able to attend a semiar on tubing installtion at the beginers level. Sellers of tubibg are missing the boat by not offering these types of classes.

[mountainvan]

I had a similar situation awhile back. the only easy way to get the fittings off the lamb purple that I know of is with a utility knife. I cut everyone out. wish I did'nt cause the blue fittings come apart in the woods when used with the rigid tubing. check the tubing well cause that tubing get fungus growing in it easily which will lower your sapflow/volume. sorry to be such a downer.

[forester1]

There is a tool you can buy from dealers that will cut the tubing off the fitting without harming the fitting. It works good but like all tubing tools seem overpriced.

[markcasper]

ibby458, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news! I HATE Lamb purple tubing and fitttings. My first stuff I bought in 96 and am still using it only because I have to put it up and take it down every year. Theres only 150 taps worth. Getting it even mediocre clean is hard at best. The mold and fungus attaches itself to the vinyl tubing alot easier than the rigid or poly.

From your post it sounds as if you are trying to get the tubing off without having to cut off that 1 inch thats on the fitting. I have a small handheld butane torch that I use to get it hot and smoking, then it'll at least come off the fitting. Then cut that bad part off. Better yet, just cut the tubing free from the T and throw them darn T's in the fire. They are junk if they are the light blue Lambs of 10 years ago. You will have lots of trouble with them just plain snapping in half if these are the ones described.

I have blue Lamb spouts and broke probably 30% of the barbed parts off trying to get the 7/16" to 5/16" adaptors off from them. They all will be replaced for next year while still using the tubing.

I would replace the tubing too, but the trees belong to my uncle, they are in a pasture and I don't think investing in new stuff will pay as he is getting up there in years and don't know what will happen with the property.

Hope I didn't sound harsh or anything, but you really should replace the T's with something newer and stronger. You will be glad you did! Mark

[sweetwoodmaple]

I second you on the Lamb stuff. I still have a few of the tees in service, but you have to treat them like glass.

I wish they would make a replacement for the "turtle" 4 way fittings as well. I have some of them from Lamb that go from 1/2" to 5/16, and they are terrible for vacuum leaks and the nipples tend to break off.

[small_operator]

I don't know how practical it is for you, but I hold the connections under boiling water till they're really soft. Then you can either pull them apart by hand, or use a pair of pliers on each end(I usually manage to pinch myself once or twice in the process). It's easier to cut them out of the tubing line and leave about an inch of tubing to grab on. That way you can just leave them in pan of boiling water. It does have to be good and hot, or you're going to work to get them apart. I have used the evaporator with water in the back at the end of the season to heat the water.
Gary

[TWhite]

We reused some of our old tubing this spring. Used Craftsman Handi-cut and saved alot of time, you loose the little that was on the fitting but when you heat it seems like it looses the elasticity anyway. The Craftsman is the same as the Rohn cutter.. great tool for cutting tubing on instalations.

[saphead]

I know tubing is expensive but the only good place for old vinyl tubing is the trash! You'll never get it clean and if you use it you'll be lucky to get 50% of the flow you would from new rigid or semi-rigid poly.

[nhmaple48]

Again, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!

[maple flats]

You have been given good info, that old purple tubing and light blue fittings were junk. I would chalk it up to experience and cut your losses now, trash it. SORRY

[maple flats]

The next time a super deal comes up find a way to get on line and ask, often one of the MapleTraders will be able to answer real soon. If you are looking to add or get into tubing, start with good stuff, clean or easily cleanable and only add what you can afford. Remember, any tubing is porous and the softer the more it harbors bacteria, fungus and mold growth. This growth actually grows INTO the tubing pores. Cleaning is best done ASAP after the season and then dried and stored dry. If it is black or real dark on the inside surface it is growing in the tubing wall. The inside can be cleaned but in the wall is not gotten when the inner surface is cleaned because the cleaner does not reach all of the stuff in the pores.

[220 maple]

Is this old purple lamb tubing 33U? If its not faded by the sun to a light purple it probably not that old.. It only has one use in my sugar bush and that is drops, My laterals is IPL 4 seasons, but thats another subject, The best thing you can use to take them apart is the hand held butane lighters. two to a pack for $5.00 or less at the local hardware or wally world. Cut them drop lenght and soak them in hot water and clean them with gun barrel cleaning rod (steel, probably antique) with cotton swab perferably the size for cleaning a 30 cal. rifle barrel. If this tubing is old and is not flexible trash it you are wasting your time. Before you trash it shop it around, our friends at leader stopped making 33U. The guys I deal with have horted all they have for themselves.

[ibby458]

Yup, this is the Dark purple tubing. Very little of it is faded, and interior growth seems minimal. Drops is what I had in mind for the most of it. I was going to soak the whole pile in a bleach solution until it's warm enough to be squirting water everywhere, and flush with air/water injector.

I can run a fish tape thru it and draw a small brush back to get stubborn deposits.

The Tees, wyes and connectors are the black US Maple ones. I don't think you can pull these apart with a team of horses. The spouts are light blue, but I'm switching them to the 5/16 anyway.I'll put all the fittings in the cement mixer with detergent and water and tumble until clean, followed by several changes of hot water. That should clean them up. If Not, a spout brush will take care of it.

I discovered the utility knife is the easiest way to get it apart. A shallow slice along the tubing over the barb and I can pull/twist it right off. I saw the fitting stripper in a catalog, but our local dealer is only open during the peak of the season, and I want to get this done so I can move on to other spring work.

I would simply LOVE to put in an order and buy all this stuff new. I'm guessing there's 5000 feet of tubing, 500 spouts and 700 wyes, connectors and other fittings in this batch. Price that new and try to convince me it's not worth my time to clean and reuse! The spouts would be just fine for a lot of hobbyists, and I'll put them on eBay next spring and probably recover a lot of my investement.

It'll all be clean and disinfected before it goes back up again. I don't see how there could be enough growth in one 4-6 week season to cut production that much. If I left it up all year, and gave it a lick and promise cleaning, I'd agree, but that's not how I'm going to do it. If the most pessamistic predictions are correct, I'll just tap twice as many the next year.

[brookledge]

Good luck with your project, maybe you can get your kids to help. I know that I'm kicking myself in the butt for using some new 33U for drops that I had laying around. Think long and hard before you use it especially if it is going to stay up all year.
If you are going to take it all down every year then its not so bad. But leave it up and not only does the mold and mildew attach to it but it stretches and sags so bad that you will need to cut out a section to get it tight again. And by doing that every year it reduces the inside diameter to the point that the flow gets restricted.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Most of my drops are the old purple stuff as I had a bunch of slightly used and some new when I went to all rigid two years ago. It will all be junk in a few months as the only good thing I can say about is it is nice and flexible. :(

[markcasper]

Remember back to the Maple Digest's of 20 years ago? On the back, the Lamb purple tubing and fittings were advertised as the "backbone of maple tubing" and sugaring..................not there today..........my how things have changed for the better. Mark

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

True, but you have to give Bob Lamb a lot of credit. Just think how much better evaporators are now than when they were first introduced! 8O

[brookledge]

I remember the first stuff I used it was clear with a red stripe and the taps were red. I know there are some people that have collected tubing from the first type all the way up to current styles. They have made nice displays of it. Tubing definitely has come along way.
The problem with purple lamb and other manufacturers was they were using polyvinyl and while it looks good when its new its actually has a rough surface and is porous when you look at it under a microscope. That being it is very easy for the bacteria to grow into the tubing and hang on so that it is hard to clean.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Keith,

You hit the nail on the head. The rigid stuff is nice and smooth on the inside and won't collect bacteria like the old stuff and the rigid will sag very little if any. :D

[tmccrumm]

The only person who made out well on the used tubing you purchased was the seller. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you will get more sap and better quality from new tubing and new tubing. New tubing and fitings will more than pay for itself the first year.

[ibby458]

I certainly seem to be the only one that doesn't see it that way. THe list price for the fittings that I salvaged is close to $400. They look like new once I cleaned them up. While I suppose it's possible for bacteria or mold spores to penetrate the plastic, I would think the strong bleach solution that I soaked them in for a week would also penetrate and kill anything there. I rinsed well in hot water and dried them well in the sun before storing them in zip lock bags.

The tubing is obviously more of a controversy. It's been soaking for a month in a tank of chlorine water. Once it's mechanically cleaned with a scrub brush and fish tape, rinsed and dried, I can't see that it would be any different from new tubing. Granted - this is not the tubing of choice anymore, but it worked well for a long time until better tubing came along. I have no doubt it'll work well for me (as drop lines) for a few years.

Before some self-proclaimed experts start spouting about chlorine dissapating with time, or concentration versus contact time, I need to mention that I worked in a Water Treatment plant for 30 years, and there;s little that I don't know about chlorine, chloramines, CT time and plastic porosity. I have reference books that list chlorine concentration needed for any given contact time for a 3 log reduction in bacteria count. I used way more than needed, and this tubing and fittings will have zero molds and bacteria when I put it up. I'm sure it will reinfect almost immediately once I use it, but that's the nature of the beast and I'll accept that.

If the first post is read carefully, All I was asking was how to get it apart.

[markcasper]

ibby, You are correct in that you first asked how to get it apart. You got what you asked for! In the course of trying to get the purple tubing and blue Lamb fittings apart, thats where the other side of the coin unfolded. The stuff is all CRAP and it seems that you are having a time believing what everyone on this post has said about it.

I guarantee that if you have the same fittings as I, you will be thouroughly disgusted after one year. Also, go out and try to put the stuff up when its below 20 degrees above and then tell me what you think of the fittings.

I still manage to use a little of it because I am cheap. But just because I'm cheap don't mean that I'd ever go out and buy someone elses garbage purple tubing. At the time I was ignorant and should have bought my first tubing from a dealer that actually uses tubing and that was not the case.

Using it for drop lines is a joke too!!!!!!!!!! I had some new purple crap that i put up for drop lines in 2000. When washing this spring, I noticed several that were on there way out. The stuff strts to crack and get brittle, yet the white poly tubing is in excellent shape yet.

I don't think anyone turned the story into something more than it was intended, its just that the inferior quality of the tubing and fittings go hand in hand. Mark

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ibby,

If it works for you, then that is the main thing. Use it and be happy with it and enjoy it. If it works good for you then awesome, it it doesn't, then it's just a learning experience. :D :D

[ibby458]

The fittings ARE NOT the blue Lamb. AS stated in a previous post, they are the black US Maple, exactly identical in every way to the brand new ones I bought this spring. I understand the purple tubing is junk, not even good enough for drops. So be it. It's what I have, and it's what I'll use. It'll still work for 1 year, in which I'll make enough syrup to pay for NEW tubing. I can't pay for an evaporator AND all new tubing in one year.

Since reusing old tubing is a sin equal only to the Crucifixtion of Christ, why were so many people pawing thru the pile Bascoms was giving away? I'd say I'm not the only one willing to put up with a few drawbacks if it saves enough money.

My plan was (and still is) to put up new rigid laterals, with purple vinyl drops, dumping into barrells in the bush. NEXT year, I'll replace the purple drops, and possibly put in some mainlines. If not next year, the year after will see all new mainlines, dumping into a large collection tank. The year after that will hopefully see a vacuum setup.

I started out with 25 coffee cans hooked to rusty Grimm spouts. Each year I improve a little,, and expand a little. Used tubing STILL seems to be a good way to learn about tubing setups, and how to design and install one, at very little cost. That $100 I paid would have bought maybe 25 used buckets. This way, I can increase maybe 400 taps for the same money. Yes, it will not produce like new tubing. The syrup may be darker, but it WILL work for a season, and dark syrup is selling quite well these days.

Since absolutely no one in their right mind reuses fittings or taps, send them to me. I'll use them! (No more purple tubing, though. I got plenty - Thanks anyway)

I have no problems with someone telling me my schemes won't work. If I knew everything, I wouldn't have to ask questions here. What I object to is people who think THEIR way is the ONLY way, and they alone know the ONLY way to do it. Tell me YOUR experiences, and I'll compare your situation to mine, and decide if it's likely I'll get the same result. Look at the post concernning burning composit wood. I related my experience with it, but at no time did I say it was junk, not to do it, or that it was a bad idea. It didn't work well for me, but to the other person, brushing his flues several times a day and tolerating the black choking smoke might be a worthwhile tradeoff as compared to securing and cutting other wood. I note that nobody else has answered him.

I sometimes wonder why I bother continuing this discussion. I have heard from several others privately that they agree with me, but don't want to get in an argument by posting it. It bothers me that a few strongly held (and obviously sincere) opinions could silence others. That's wrong, and any of us should be able to post any pertinant question or comment without fear of being held up to ridicule.

I do believe almost all of what's been said on this subject, and expect that IN THE LONG RUN, it won't work well for me. But - It Has, Can and WILL work for a short period of time until I get something better.

[mountainvan]

Amen brother! I have junk in my woods too.(see my post before). Only so much one man do a year to improve his operation, have money for beer and minnows, and go fishing!!

[markcasper]

ibby, Speaking for myself......the intent is not to hurt other peoples feelings and so forth. Tell me if I have. It is good that you do not have the blue lamb fittings, the us maple will work much better you will find.

When I mentioned things like "crap" or "junk" tubing, its more directed on how I feel of it towards myself and not others. I feel some get so adoment (sp) about it, so that it keeps others from going down the already traveled road.

I understand about only being able to do so much in any one year. I believe that applies to most of us on here. You have what you have and spent what you could and you are right that it will not be a disaster in terms of short term. You are correct in mentioning of the darker syrup, that definately is a benefit that the price has narrowed and is now less of an issue than in past years. Mark

[Russell Lampron]

Ibby-

Good luck with your purple tubing I think it will work Ok. I too have used spouts and fittings in my woods and don't have a problem with it. One word of caushion though, the squirels seem to like the stuff sanitized with chlorine.

As for the darker syrup, I have more people asking for Grade B than I do for light amber. Go for it and post the results.

Russ

[Fred Henderson]

In the next 10 years or less the Canadian's will change everyones out look on dark syrup. I have said many times that the dark is the best. As I see it dark syrup will soon bring the top dollar.

[Russell Lampron]

The sooner they can change that grade B to a grade A of some sort the better.

Russ

[Pete33Vt]

I agree with those that reuse tubbing and fittings. I have been in a lot of sugarbushes that are littered with the stuff. If they are not broke and reuseable Go for it.I have also been in alot of sugarhouses were the floors were not spotlessand they have made the best syrup I have ever had. Yes some equipment and supplies are better then others. But you get that with everything.As far as right or wrong, WHO KNOWS there is no one here that can say his way is the right way. And those that try to say there way or no way should be ashamed of themselves. This is a hobbie for most of us and if we can find ways to save alittle to make a little then so be it. I feel the maple industry is and was brought to what it is now because of trial and error. And saving were we can. This summer I have a few sugarbushes to clean up and yes I am going to save every valuable piece. Just sit in the garage, listen to some good music and take apart what i have. I will clean it the best I can then set it up of the season. If my syrup is dark. Good, if its light good. Mother nature will decided what it will be. So good luck to all who reuse stuff and good luck to those who don't.

[ibby458]

Now that we've put the harsh words behind us, I'll expand on my plans, in hope that I can get suggestions to inprove them. I know NOTHING about tubing, except what's in the Maple producers manual. Fred's right. THe manufacturers and sellers should be putting out manuals on how to use this stuff. (Or do they, and I just missed it?)

Long term goal is to get vacuum, so I planned between 5 and 10 taps per latteral, dumping into a 15 gallon barrel for now. I'll keep the slope as steep as possible, but this is pretty flat country. Since I want to put mainlines in, I'll try to run the laterals to locatuions where I could pick up the ends later.

Since I don't own the bush, or even have a lease (Just year to year permission), I'm planning on taking it down each year until I do get a lease. (Obviously before I put in mainlines) I can also clean it at home, and bleach it without fear of squirrels chewing it. Storing it out of the sun should also increase the longevity.

A lot of the barrells I have are black, and I worry that they will overheat the sap. I'm going to try painting a few silver, and if that doesn't work, try wrapping them in heavy aluminum foil. I also considered just shading the south side with a piece of tin or plywood. Some experiments this summer will likely tell me the best way to do it.

Have I missed anything major that I need to do?

[mountainvan]

you should paint your barrels white, it absorbs less heat than silver. also they may look like alien pods and end up in the world weekly news!

[mcmp]

Ibby;

Your plan as stated sounds good to get started. I like the small number of taps per latteral line. I am a firm believer in few taps per latteral and move the sap 'fast' out of the lines.

I have never taken down tubing each year. Mine is up all the time so I guess I have a concern with tubing removal each season. You make up your lines with taps in place for each latteral, and everything fits. Now take down the lines at the end of the season. Next year when you go to put them up, if you dont follow the EXACT same routeing in the bush, the taps might not end up at each tree, within reach of the drop line. It could be like a large puzzle to get the right line and the right route for each run. Know what I mean.

I too am in Northern NY, at Schroon Lake. If you want to come up and see my tubing this summer your more than welcome. I'll take you thru the bush and show you how I do it. There are many ways to plumb a bush, none are all wrong, none are all right. What works for you is what is important.

Send me a note if you would like to come up and we will set a date. You will propbably be forced to look at my Power Wagons also ha ha ha.

Paul

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just label the B as Extra Dark if it has a A flavor. Most people like the dark better too.

[Russell Lampron]

Ibby-

As I understand it you are planning to run and use your lateral lines now and run main lines sometime in the future. If that is the case plan out where your main lines will go and try to run your laterals to where the main lines will eventually go. If you have alot of snow you can dig a hole to put your barrels down into and pack snow around them to keep the sap cool.

Brandon-

As stated in my NH laws and rules for the sale of maple products, grade B can only labled as grade B by the VT color standard. Any syrup regardless of color that has an off taste has to be labeled as commercial and not sold to the general public.

Russ

[mcmp]

In NY, Grade B must be labeled as such and is not legal to package in consumer size packages. Doesn't specify package, but since 1 gallon is a consumer size, I figure Grade B in 5 gallon Syrup Cans is legal.

Paul

[Russell Lampron]

Paul-

In NH grade B can be packaged in consumer sized packages and I have expierenced a steady growth in the demand for it over the last couple of years. The only thing wrong with having to label it grade B is that some people think it should be at a discounted price because it is not grade A. Only commercial grade has to be sold in bulk.

Russ

[mountainvan]

In ny grade b can't be put in retail containers, but extra dark for cooking can. as far as I know extra drk ny is the same as b anywhere else.

[mcmp]

Here is the New York State Law;

Titled " Circurlar 947, Manufacture, Distribution and Sale of Maple Syrup and Sugar"

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
Division of Food Safety and Inspection
1 Winners Circle
Albany, NY 12235

Sections 160-u and 204 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, Parts 175, 176, 276.1, 276.4
The Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York, Revised as of April 1996

Section 175.2, Grades of Syrup;

GRADE B FOR REPROCESSING is the quality of Maple Syrup that;
(1) has fairly good color
(2) has fairly good flavor and oder
(3) is fairly free from defects
(4) is fairly clear; and
(5) is suitably designated or labeled as a REPROCESSING GRADE in such a manner as to qualify
for Federal Grading, inspection, or certification. REPROCESSING GRADE B Maple Syrup SHALL
not be packaged in consumer-size containers and SHALL be considered unsuitable for comsumer labeling.

Extra Dark for Cooking is the quality of Maple Syrup that:
(1) has fairly good color
(2) has fairly good flavor and oder
(3) is fairly free from defects
(4) is fairly clear
(5) is suitably designated or labeled as "EXTRA DARK FOR COOKING" in such a manner as to qualify for Federal Grading, inspection or certification. "EXTRA DARK FOR COOKING" Maple Syrup may be packaged in consumer size containers of one pint or larger. The words "EXTRA DARK FOR COOKING" SHALL appear prominently and comspicuously on the container in letters that SHALL not be less that one-half of the size of the words "Maple Syrup" and not less than a minimum of three-sixteenths of an inch in height.

D. Substandard is the quality of Maple Syrup that fails to meet the requirements for "GRADE B FOR REPROCESSING" or "EXTRA DARK FOR COOKING"

end of quote of NYS Law:

It is notable to note that Grade B is only considered a reprocessing Maple Syrup and nothing else under NYS AG & Market Law. Anyone who makes Maple in NY should have a copy of the New York State Sugar Laws.

Paul

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

http://72.14.203.104/custom?q=cache:Kg37ObADzSIJ:www.agmkt.state.ny.us/FS/industry/04circs/maplesyrupansugarCIR947.pdf+USDA+maple+grading+set&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=8&ie=UTF-8

[ibby458]

Wow! - I didn't realize the law was so specific on grading & marketing! I only can 25 gallons (A grades only) in gallon or less containers, the rest is sold bulk, so I guess I'm safe.

Strangley, I didn't make any Dark Amber or grade B this year. It was medium amber right up to our 6 day warm spell, and came back on to grade C. I made 65 gallons of grade C this year. Thankfully, it's in pretty good demand.

I had hoped to visit a few bushes that are tubed up this year before I plan out mine. I'll be in touch with a few of you later in the summer.

Taking them down IS going to be a pain, but I'll tag each line and map it. It ought to be OK for a year or two. The property I tap is up for sale, and I have to wait to deal with the new owner before I can do a long term plan.

[lew]

Ibby,

Tearing down tubing is a great deal of labor, but not a big deal to do. We have tore down and rehung tubing for 20 years. Some years as many as many as 3000 taps. What we do ismake a map of each section of woods as related to lines and prominent land marks in the sugarbush. We tagged each line with a piece of clorox jug cut in a circle about 3" diameter, used a hole punch to put a hole in it so that you could tie it to the tubing(we have started using old telephone wire, solid wire no the stranded wire). Then we use an ear tattoo thing that you would use to tattoo cattle ears with to give the line a name and number like the first line would be "RADN" for Radner woods and the second line might read "1A" for the first line on line one and the second one would read "1B" and so on, obviously with the "RADN" as a first line for this woods. This system has worked well for us over the years. The map is very important. WE start at the mainline or tank and draw the lines in, indicating every tree that we tap or hang the tubing on, we used to even indicate the number of taps on each tree so that you knew what size of tree you were looking for, but we discontinued that because you could just as easily "read" the tubing by looking at how many drops you had on lateral line in your hand and see how big a tree you are looking for. Like I said, it's not that big of a deal once you get used ot it.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just curious what the Extra Dark labels are for?? I know what most of the grade laws are, didn't realize NY was still in the dark ages. There is a lot of B that has an A flavor, just the dark color and this was one of those years. Blows my mind that it is illegal to put B in retail jugs. Dark syrup would be the highest demand for me. :)

[lew]

From what I understand, it is jsut a matter of symantics (sp). I believe Vermont Grade B is darker than Grade A Dark amber and is still of good flavor. In NY, Extra Dark for Cooking is like Vermont grade B. New York grade B is a substandard syrup for reprocessing. Makes for a lot of confusion. I believe the saying goes, " a rose is a rose by any other name"

[small_operator]

One thing I noticed on my old purple tubing is that the brown bacteria discolored area are brittle, especially when cold. If I see a few of these together, I usually cut that section out. Over the years, after I have added a connector every 3 feet(minor exaggeration) throughout the whole length of tubing, I replace it. I still cut the old connectors out and save them for another time.
Regarding the posting, I think it's valuable to have different opinions. As someone brought up. there are similarities and differences between people's maple operatons and how they do it with personalities thrown in to the mix. The variety of opinions/experiences allows you to tailor to your specific circumstances. Keep what you can use and heave the rest(tubing and opinions).

[ibby458]

Painting the barrells white instead of silver makes sense. I know how hot a chunk of Stainless pipe gets if it's laying in the sun. Trouble is - Ny has outlawed oil based paints. (House paint, at least), and I already had a gallon of silver left from a project. Will Latex paint stick to plastic barrells?

When I bought the tubing, it had neat aluminum tags on it, with tapline numbers on them. I figured I could mark each line with a tag, and map the location of that line number.

[maplecrest]

you guys got off the subject. i have been reusing tubing for 20 years. lamb and us maple. the number one problem is tees. lamb made the best tees but no spout plug. when they started the plugs there problems started. and us maple had the best tees and 20 delow you could not break these tees. now ipl has the best tees. but after 9 seasons they snap, broke alot washing this year. i took the old tubing and cut out all tees whith sheet rock knife and replaced them when putting up tubing. i and now replacing all lamb and us maple after 20 good seasons. averaged 1/2 gallon per tap with this. but i am now in a better place than 20 years ago, and tubing prices went thru the roof. the biggest reason for replacing is vac leaks. i have found that heating the tubing when putting togather makes for vac leaks. my advise is to use tubing tool and do not heat tubing ,breaks down the side wall.even with used tubing. i use 80 pounds of air and i gallon of water per minute to wash tubing. i used bleach 2 seasons and found over 100 spouts missing to rodents looking for salt that ends up in the lines jeff

[mountainvan]

ibby, krylon makes a spray paint just for plastic. not sure if its ok for sap containers, the outside by the way. just a thought.

[brookledge]

The paint that krylon makes is called fusion
Keith

[brookledge]

Jeff
Since you have that many taps that have been lost to rodents give Calcium Hypoclorite a try in stead of bleach which is sodium Hypoclorite. I switched about 4 years ago and saw a major decrease in damage.
It is available in pool supply stores What I got was in powder form.
It was recomende to me by a dealer near by and he has around 5,000 taps and is also very satisfied with the results.
The Calcium Hypoclorite smells just like bleach but has no sodium so the rodents aren't as tempted to chew on it.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Calcium Hypoclorite works good for me too! :D

[ibby458]

That tubing that I took apart had a nifty clip on each drop to clip the drop onto the lateral. I figured to reuse them to help keep everything neat and tidy when I roll it up.

Since I'm storing them in the sugarhouse, I hope squirrels won't be much of a problem so I'll use sodium Hypochlorite. Should I leave the bleach solution in the tubing and plug each end, or blow dry and store dry? I know long term exposure to chlorine compounds can damage some plastic.

[mountainvan]

you should rinse with fresh water, dry(hanging up for a couple of days will do), then store for the year. If you don't rinse it can affect next years syrup and invite mice to chew up all your hard work.

[ibby458]

Due to a pending sale, I wasn't able to tap the bush that I was going to put the mini tubing systems in.

Instead, I cut up that purple Lamb tubing into 4' lengths, swabbed the insides with a long gun cleaning rod, wiped down the outside, installed the used 7/16 taps on one end and flushed with clean hot water.

These taps were put into a single 5 gallon bucket at each tree. They consistently ran MORE sap/tap than did the metal buckets, and had MORE runs than the roadsides.

We pulled them yesterday, and I inspected them closely. They had LESS mold/bacteria placque than did the ones I used last year with the new rigid tubing. I can't even guess why that might be, but it's very evident. The buckets have quite a lot of mold inside (It's pretty obvious on that bright white plastic), but the tubing has virtually none.

I'm glad I didn't throw any out! The Amish farmer wants to increase the taps by 150 or so, so I'll be cutting, cleaning and still using that purple tubing.

Anyone have any used 7/16 tubing spouts for sale?

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Ibby- How many 7/16 taps do you need? Couple thousand?? 150?

[ibby458]

Somewhere between the 150 and couple thousand. I guess it mostly depends on price, and shipping from Idaho.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Is .15 Cents Ea. too much? + shipping.

[danno]

Another good homemade tool for pulling fittings out of tube goes like this. Take a pair of old pliers. c-clamp the pliers closed tight. Drill a 1/16 hole through the pliers just back from the tip. Now you have a pair of pliers with a sharp tip on top and bottom. Just grap your tubing with the pliers with the fitting in it and peel or twist and the pliers cut right through the tubing and fitting pulls right out. EZ!

[ibby458]

Hey Governor! - I'll take 200 right now, maybe more later. PM me your address and the total with shipping and I'll send the money right out. Thanks!

I'm gonna make me one of those tools Danno. Sounds like it would work good, and the price is sure right!