December Journal

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Another month gone and another day in the woods today. We actually have some help this year, enough to do some trimming and make some more trails.......4 people is a lot better than 2! Will finish checking lines then do drops. If we can keep the help, big plans to run some more mainline and add taps.

[BAP]

Finished bricking and mortaring my new to me evaporator in my new sugarhouse. Exterior of sugarhouse completed, need to run some lights and plumb up my head tank.

[Maple Man 85]

Buying more land! don't know if it's possible but we're aiming to run 160 acres of tubing next year!:o

[Bruce L]

Finished building the 60 x 60 steel Quonset building early November,have since built a shed over the tank for the distillate coming from the steam away,just finished dismantling a 12 x 24 sugar house I built back in '85 to move to another bush to cover a tank,install a new Bernard releaser and the vacuum pump.

[n8hutch]

Work on the New Sugar house has been crawling along, seems painfully slow some Days, But I am still holding out hope that I can get into it this spring. Got the rafters up this weekend, still have to adjust a few and put the heavy screws to them, going to try and put the sub-roof on this weekend.

[maple flats]

You can still make it, back in Dec. 2003 I was no where near as far along as you are. I was held up by building permit issues and approval, which I later found out that according to NYS law, ag buildings do not need a permit. The codes inspector held it up from early July until the Tues. before Thanksgiving, only agreeing after the build was completed that I had not needed to get a permit. I made my own trusses and got some help from my kids a neighbor and his friend on 12/31/03 and we set all the rafters. Then during the week following I put up the purlins and I got my son to volunteer one more day the next Sat. to put up the steel roofing. From then on I was on my own, I put up the board siding (no batton that first year) and since I had no time nor money to put in a concrete floor, I made a wooden platform that was 12' x 16' inside my 16' x 24' shell. I then set concrete blocks as a base to put my 2x6 arch on, covered them with 16Ga sheet metal and I then put the arch with evaporator on that. I then tapped the trees and I was ready(?). Then I built a raised platform on the North wall outside for my head tank, plumbed it into the evaporator, bricked the arch and waited for the first sap to run. I was barely ready but I did get the first sap of the season. I had 135 taps that season (about 60 on tubing and the rest on buckets) and made some great syrup. You are at least 3 weeks , maybe 4 weeks ahead of where I was back then. Have fun, that's what it is all about.

[Wanabe1972]

It looks like it is going to be beautiful when done. I can only dream of that nice a building in my lifetime. Just put the roof on it and tarp the sides for this year if that's as far as you get. Once the roof is on set the evaporator up and do what you can do after that. Jeff

[tuckermtn]

looking good Nate...

[NHarcher]

Your not alone! Cupola built on a 1950's garage that needed straighten and supported. Wall still need sanded and cleaned up, and waiting for loggers to finishing thinning a new small sugarbush. Then need to run mainline, taps, tabks.... Everything. Trying to get totally set up with almost all used equipment for less than $4k......did I mention I got 2 toddlers? Loosing my hair, sanity, sleep AND LOVING IT.

[Parker]

Took my chainsaw for a walk at rte.11 this morning,,been making lots of value added maple stuff and working on my marketing game...interesting.....still need to walk the hill woods,,,we will get it....happy solstice......

[wnybassman]

Had a rare day off today and took advantage of the slightly above freezing temps and cut all my drops in on our new land. 55 drops in a tad over two hours by myself. Didn't think that was too bad seeing I've never done it before. Finally got to use the 3/16" two handed tubing tool I had Patrick Sparr (psparr here on the forum) make for me a month or so ago. Worked flawlessly!! Getting closer to being ready, but hoping the season is still a couple months away.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/wnybassman/maple/twohandtool3_zpsocrkab6v.jpg

[Parker]

Went up to hill with my daughters today and got everything up out of the snow,,i did rte.11 last week..a bunch of little stuff to fix now...also have to put mainline back together at sanborns in 2 spots.....we will get it...was amazed to see about 16 to 18 inches of snow in hill compared to about 5 at sanborns,,,always a huge differance,,,,,good luck to everyone getting ready.