Drill size and hole depth

[maplerookie]

There is an over abundance of information sometimes and it is easy to second guess yourself. this year I am gonna tap with the smaller 5/16 " spiles I am actually using the leader extender with the squareish end and will hang my bucket on that. I plan to drill a big enough hole in the side of the bucket for ease of on and off. That way I can keep the lids on the bucket till it is time to collect and I will have a great seal to keep out critters, debris and rain or snow. Here is my question. how big a drill for the 5/16 spile and how deep should I go. would like to hear from you guys/gals who have been doing it for a couple of years or more as you will have gone through the trial and errors of tapping.

[maple flats]

use 5/16 and go 1.5" deep. Normally most use 5/16 or 19/64, we are not hanging buckets on them. The slightly larger hole will allow the tap to go in slightly farther and thus support the weight of a full bucket better. A true tapping bit (from the maple dealers) IS WORTH the price difference. They drill a much better hole that runs better and longer than a standard bit does.

[maplerookie]

Dave, You answer a lot of questions on this forum.. soon your time will be taken up with boiling and such . I am here to tell you that as a rookie I appreciate you taking the time to give your input. Best of luck for a great season this year.

[BreezyHill]

If you want to see the importance of the quality of a hole check out CDL's 2014 catalogue and the tapper. Cordless unit with a "wobble free" drilling apparatus. You can set your angle and depth and have a consistant round hole every time. For just under $800. After drilling the bit is protected by the housing from damage.

Since you are hanging a bucket on the spout you may need to go a little deeper. I believe I know the spout you are using and it has a length that is straight so going deeper should not split the hole. Remember you are hanging about 8#/ gallon and the bucket on the spout. A large bucket in the wind may be to much for this type of plastic. If so simple set the bucket on the ground and run a length of tubing into the bucket. The cost of tubing is around $.10/ foot the saving of 1 gallon of sap will pay for the tubing. If you run 3/16tubing you will get a little vacuum built up to help on production.

It is always better to have all the information, and to reread and apply what applies to you; than to be left with out that one sentence that would have directed you down the road of success. In this this business one tiny error can affect your season in a negative way, with no way to recover, a split hole is just such an err. or.

I have a question for you. I have been requested by our county to start a 4-H maple club. First meeting in Feb 15 for Maple 101. The second is on the following sat to see our operation and to tap and lay lines, and if we are having a run, to see the operation in full swing. So ...Back in 2011 how many hours and propane did it take to make that 1.5 gallons of syrup. I have designed a pan to fit in a grill that should speed the production along but the club members will be making their own pans this coming summer in our shop.
Thanks for your help!

Ben

[maplerookie]

Ben, 4-H is a great investment in our future. I did most of the boil on my block arch. Might I suggest you get the kids involved in this way. .Have them all help tap and collect. then at the boiling place work the kids in shifts. Their attention span is not like yours and mine would be. It will give them a feel for what it is all about but wont scare them off at this young age. .They probably should all be included in the filtering and bottleing.. how old are your members anyway? It took me forever. I used the propane grill for an attempt to finish but it was so windy and the grill really doesn't put out enough heat. I wound up finishing on the kitchen stove. So you might want to rethink your method... sorry to burst your bubble. I think maybe a turkey fryer set up might be better in an enclosed area. anyway it took me about 8 hrs using the rudimentary set up I had. Great idea building pans are you gonna make batch pans or flat pans with partitions. welding,soldering or just bending...Make sure you don't break the cardinal rule of age appropriate activities. My wife and I are 4-h leaders as well. Making syrup.. It is something we haven't thought about as a 4-H activity... I will be curious to know how you make out. . Oh I re-read this reply and it sounds like a lecture.. not meant in that way at all. happy mapleing

[BreezyHill]

I been a 4-H leader for 30 years in horse and beef, added shooting sports about 10 years ago when the oldest was able to shoot and the younger two were able to do air rifle and archery.
Believe me I understand the attention span, but I taught horse nutrition and anatomy and the rest of the horse for 20 years. Gave it up when the boys were more interested in other things in the winter, like snowmobiling. I have several ways to keep them going and learning.

I will let you know how it goes. We have remodeled the sugar house so that they can see the sap come into a glass receiver and be pumped thru glass tubing to a holding tank for the RO.
Thanks for the Info.

[maplerookie]

Ben- sounds like you got the situation well in hand. I like the idea of the glass tube and receiver. That will help a lot with the visuals. I know it will be a great thing for your 4-H club.

[BreezyHill]

The problem is maple is a decreasing art in my neck of the woods. Even 4-H as a hole is slowly loosing kids. I think that it is parents not wanting to parent. I know parenting is a full time job as is earning a living; but it amazes me how many kids come to sports, school, and other activities without parents or grand parents now days. I was asked to find something that kids and parents can do in their yard. Funny thing was we were in the sap house when I got the email and I racked my brain for a few days until it clicked. I guess those 18 hr days of boiling really do take a toll on the mind. It is just that I grew up doing this and it really does get into your blood...dna, what ever you want to say.
I firmly believe: if you want winter to fly by, buy a snowmobile; and if you want winter to turn to spring fast...make maple syrup.

4-H is the best place for a kid to learn what they want to do with their lives. Wither it be thru learning about animals, plants, business, or just the college trips we sponsor, it is a way for kids to have a direction in life. One girl I remember fondly. I asked her so what do you want to do with yourself now that you are 16. " Well I know I don't want to be a vet, a farmer, or work in a building. She is a teacher now. She enjoyed the 4-H club so much see wanted to help kids like my wife and I did.

So yes 4-H is a great investment for everyone. Even if all you do is open your farm and your heart to kids so they can come and learn what you do at your place. The smiles are priceless and the hugs will warm your heart on a cold day.
Last year we put in clear lines in the sugar house so you could see the mains running into the manifold. It was such a huge hit with kids of all ages, 6 to 86 that I knew what I had to do. So I found a friend that had a bunch of the old Pyrex glass milk line and he was happy to see it go. I use the tees to attach mains for the different parts of the bush and will have a pic of the bush that will be color coded for each section of the bush and have a tag on its main line, with the number of taps. We have a small grove of trees by the sugar house for visitors to tap and seat a spout. One sap ladder is right there also so they can learn how important math is to maple production. It is such a blast to see teachers after their kids come to the farm. We also try to show how important reading and math are in every day farm life. The teachers always comment on how kids are excited to do math after our farm visit.
I will post some pics so you can see the sugar house when the remodel is done...this week I hope. Made a lot of progress this weekend.

Ben