Bucket Lid Modification

[Zucker Lager]

Hey Gang:
I use those white 5 gallon buckets for collecting sap along with the original snap on covers but never liked fighting with the covers if they were snapped in place or fooling with wire to tie them down. So yesterday I stumbled across a way to fix the covers that makes them very easy to remove but they still lock in place. First remove the lid's rubber seal then I tape two opposing locking tabs to make them easy to see so that I don't cut them off by accident. Then using a router table and slot cutting blade with enough depth of cut to cut off the unwanted tabs. (I"m using a milling machine slitting saw but its the same idea) Make your cuts then trim off the burrs using a tinsmiths de burring tool or pocket knife. The lid will now snap in place or remove with one quick lift of a tab. Jay

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[Zucker Lager]

Here is a picture of the finished bucket for some reason I could not insert it into the first post???? Jay

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[Pibster]

I find that trimming the little ridges inside the lid with a Olfa knife works really well also. There's 4 per top, so I'll usually trim 2 or 3. The lid will pop off with very little force.

[Jonnie Maple]

The best part of making maple syrup is the engineering that goes into it.