September Journal 2013

[220 maple]

Thanks Guys for letting me start this thread on my birthday.
Life usually mirrors a country music song.
The old 50's classic "He to old too cut the Mustard anymore" Is my new theme song.

Mark 220 Maple

[maple flats]

Happy birthday 220.
Lots to get done before sugar season, little time to do it.

[Maplewalnut]

Going full bore converting single pipe layout to a full wet/dry set up with conductor sides. Oh what a job. Replacing existing 3/4 pipe with 1 inch, re-routing branch lines , tying in dry lines and oh yea then I have to re-do almost all the laterals. Had high tensile line snap two times in a row while ratcheting a 70 yard long section tight yesterday. Gave up, figured someone in a higher place was telling me to do it another day. Got OK from the boss to convert the whole garage to sugarhouse. Can now bring in tanks from outside, frame out a kitchen bottling area and open up evaporator room to give a little more space. Also have a line on a used section of bleachers to set up for open house weekend and tours.

[Super Sapper]

Canned some pears last night using Maple syrup instead of sugar. I have been using the syrup to sweeten fruit lately and it has a better flavor than using regular sugar.

[maple flats]

What took you so long? We've been using maple for years to sweeten everything. Makes the best sweetener!

[maple flats]

Maplewalnut, I've never had good luck ratcheting HT tight. I started using a fence puller and swage (crimp) tool to tighten. It seemed like the ratchets caused the HT to bend too sharp as it started on the ratchet spool. That first bend always broke on me as it started to get tight. Even the puller needs help, I have to put a vice grip on the wire to get enough grip to tighten properly. The crimp sleaves are cheap and quick. I use 2 for the extra insurance. Never had one fail yet.

[BreezyHill]

Maple Walnut...I am a Gallagher Fence Dealer...when it snapped what did the end look like? It is usually either tiny ewe hook closed up or the wire is layered. Do you know how to make the splice knot for high tensile? Crimping sleeves will deteriorate the wire over time this knot will not. Happy to help if you need it.

Ben

[maple flats]

BreezyHill, What sort of time does it take to deteriorate the wire? I've only used the crimps for 9 yrs., no failures yet. Please tell us about the splice knot.

[Super Sapper]

What took you so long? We've been using maple for years to sweeten everything. Makes the best sweetener!

It is the first year that I have had some to play with, I'm a late bloomer. The wife is not a big fan of maple syrup and thinks that I go overboard in using it in different things. As long as she doesn't try too hard to stop me I guess that I'll keep her.

[Maplewalnut]

Maple Walnut...I am a Gallagher Fence Dealer...when it snapped what did the end look like? It is usually either tiny ewe hook closed up or the wire is layered. Do you know how to make the splice knot for high tensile? Crimping sleeves will deteriorate the wire over time this knot will not. Happy to help if you need it.

Ben

Ben,

The first break I believe was a small kink in the wire that created a weak spot. When I looked at where it had snapped it looked like the one side had a little hook in it. The second time there was nothing I could see. No crimp, no kink....I have never had any roblem with crimps coming apart but am intersted in knowing the splice knot.

Thanks
Mike

[sjdoyon]

Had a good crew working yesterday and was able to put up 1,500ft of our new 2" wet/dry line yesterday. Hope to get some excavating done next weekend to clean up an old skidder road into the back section of the sugarbush.

[Revi]

Nice pics of your wet/dry line.

[ennismaple]

We had a load of hardwood logs delivered last week. Saturday afternoon my buddy and I went at it with the saws while my brother marked to length and threw pieces off the pile. 90 minutes later it looked like a Stihl powered bomb had gone off! We spent 5 hours splitting and filling pallets on Sunday and almost got it finished. It will still take another 2 days to get the other piles split (not shown) but we'll be ready by the time the snow flies.

We also got some time during the all-day rainstorm to put strapping on the underside of the roof where the new 3000 gallon sap tank will sit. We'll get the steel screwed to the strapping in a few week's time.

7994799779957996

[BreezyHill]

7998

Sorry about not getting back quicker. use the figure 8 knot. The secret is knitting....over under over or under over under.

Take the length of wire in hand and fold a section that is as wide as is your palm, so as it is able to be looped as shown in the picture of the black wire. Repeat this to the other end you are splicing to.
Attach the two wires so that you have what is in the picture.

The two wire ends need to lay on the same plan as each other or the knot is wrong. Not the over under weaving of the wire in the not.

This is like riding a bike. Ounce you get it you wont forget it.

I included the entire two pages so you can see the rapid tightner and the rapid handle G645. They are the best on the market. I have tried and used them all...these rock.

Sounds like you may have dropped your crimping tool...That will cause the failure you are talking of. A drop of three feet can destroy a crimper. If droped just wrong the unit has lost its crush rate. It is junk when that happens. Had to do a warrenty job for Gallagher when another dealer used a damaged crimper. Every crimp had to be replaced.

[unc23win]

Breezy what is the time frame for deterioration of the wire?

I have never had a splice fail yet. I always bend the wire over just little so it can't slide back I had a guy tell me that at the store one day so I do it now although I never had a splice fail before. I use 2 of the longer splices about 3/4" long and I check my crimp tools with the gauge if the crimp doesn't quite look right.

I always use a spring hooked to the ratchet and I bend the end of the wire about 3/4" and stick it in the ratchet and help it around about one wrap by hand never had the wire break since I started doing it this way. I also put the spring and ratchet in the middle of the run so it pulls the wire eqaully from both ends at first I only tighten the ratchet until the spring is pulled about 3" then go back later and tighten to 4".