For those of you who use PVC Sap Sacks.....question for you.

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Has anyone come up with a quicker or easier way to get the sacks onto the PVC pipe?

Last year I was inserting the PVC into the middle of the sack, taking 2 small pieces of scotch tape to hold the sack snug against the PVC then folding up the sack on each side of the PVC and then zip tying it that way.

It works, but REALLY not efficient, and I have 250-300 to do LOL

Just curious if anyone came up with a better way.

Thanks!
-Scott
1493014931

[mudr]

I like the ones I made, well at least the method for attaching the bag to the holder. Not happy with my hole size/shape for the taps to fit in, but I digress.

I take two ~8 inch pvc section and glue them each on the end of a PVC coupling. Then I use a reciprocating saw to cut the PVC coupling in half, right where the ridge is in the middle of the coupling. I now have two holders, each with a half coupling on the bottom. I use good zip ties to hold the bag on the holder right at/above the ridge formed by the half coupling. With the ridge formed by the coupling I generally don't have issues with it slipping off. Once the holders are made the act of installing the bag is pretty quick, maybe 10-15 seconds per bag?

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

I have the holders all made.....I just am curious about the attaching the sack to the PVC, how others do it.

Having the wrong sice hole can be a huge pain! I have some with the wrong sized hole and I had to buy different taps for them.

[RileySugarbush]

It is a pain to load them up, but not that much slower than the metal sack holders.

Ours are 2" PVC with a key hole that fits a plastic tubing smile with the tubing nipple cut off. For a ridge on the bottom we add a ring of the same pipe, about 3/8" wide, split so it fits around the main tube right at the bottom and glued on. So all made of pipe, no fittings.

We load them by bunching the sack a couple inches past the ring and wrapping two times around with 1/2" wide fiberglass reinforced strapping tape. No zip ties. It's fairly fast to load. Real quick with two people working together.

We make several extras so if we find a sack with a leak we just swap out the whole thing.

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

got a picture of what the end product looks like?

Will strapping tape hold this much sap??

14932

[RileySugarbush]

It does hold a full sack. But it is important to bunch the sack around the pipe instead of wrapping it around. That lets the tape grab spots all around and not skip a portion. If you wrap it, the weight of the sack can pull a covered portion of the sap top free so it pours out there instead of the pipe. It comes out fast then, but likely on your leg instead of where you want.

When I glue on the ring, it is important to clamp it while the solvent sets. The ring is made of the same diameter as the pipe so it will have a gap that will not bond well otherwise.

Here are some photos:

http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14933&stc=1http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14934&stc=1http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14937&stc=1http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14936&stc=1

[jmayerl]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mMqKn7Jj9q0

My instructional video for my kits that I sell. I really slowed it down , I can do about 2/ minute. I take a break to rest the hands every 30 mins.

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

THANKS!! I get it now.



It does hold a full sack. But it is important to bunch the sack around the pipe instead of wrapping it around. That lets the tape grab spots all around and not skip a portion. If you wrap it, the weight of the sack can pull a covered portion of the sap top free so it pours out there instead of the pipe. It comes out fast then, but likely on your leg instead of where you want.

When I glue on the ring, it is important to clamp it while the solvent sets. The ring is made of the same diameter as the pipe so it will have a gap that will not bond well otherwise.

Here are some photos:

http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14933&stc=1http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14934&stc=1http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14937&stc=1http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14936&stc=1

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Thanks!! That's pretty much how I do them, but I didn't thinking of pulling them over and putting the 2nd zip tie.

I appreciate it




https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mMqKn7Jj9q0

My instructional video for my kits that I sell. I really slowed it down , I can do about 2/ minute. I take a break to rest the hands every 30 mins.

[wishlist]

I've been using couple hundred plus of the pvc sap bags and this will be my 5th year with them . Also have made some for another producer. I hate to give up those big roadsides that have that high sugar !

My first year I did the keyhole slot . More work and bags would blow off in high winds unless there was some sap in the bag . I use the clear 90 spout on all my bags . What I have found is for the hole 3/4" is perfect . That's it , stays on the trees and is easy to take off .

To make the pvc holders I cut the 2" pvc to 11 3/4 " long ( for a 10ft stick) and using a dado blade on the table saw I cut a 1/4" wide groove about less than half the thickness of the pipe on both ends of the 12 " pipe . This makes it easier to hold while cutting the groove . Then all I do is cut the 12 long pipe in half and drill 2 holes . I use 1 zip tie in the groove to hold the bag , never have had a bag slip off the pvc and that with some bags that have been overflowing . I would make sure you get zip ties that are flexible. I have bought a bag of zip ties and as soon as you tightened the tie it would break. I get mine from Lowes , they seem to work well.

[Chicopee Sap Shack]

I'm going to use 10" wire ties this year


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Thanks everyone, all great ideas and I guess we each have our own way of doing things that make sense for us. what I got from this is I am pretty much doing it the best way that it can be done :-)

Good luck everyone!!

[troynh]

Exactly.... http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?29209-For-those-of-you-who-use-PVC-Sap-Sacks.....question-for-you.&p=315201#post315201


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYhXBeoNVd8

[jmayerl]

Exactly.... http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?29209-For-those-of-you-who-use-PVC-Sap-Sacks.....question-for-you.&p=315201#post315201


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYhXBeoNVd8

That's a very original video.....where did you ever come up with that???

[backyard sugaring]

We have been using these for years. in the plumbing section they sell test caps for 25 cents glue them on the top no bugs no rain..

[mellondome]

If you glue them to the top, how do you empty the bags?

[wbreitbarth]

This is my 2nd year using the PVC and I love it! The 1st few that I made kept blowing off the tree. When I made the keyhole I made the small hole to the right or left of the big hole. This way when I put it on the tap I would turn it just like a key turns. This would prevent it from blowing off the tree. I have had zero problems with them falling off the tree now. I only use 1.5 inch PVC and for a cover I just put a small piece of duct tape over the top. We had a blizzard last week and received 14 inches of snow and did not get any snow in the bags. Prior to that we received .50 inch of rain and did not have a drop of rain water in my bags. The only downfall I have found is the really cold nights the sap will freeze into a block and you can't get it out of the 1.5 inch PVC until it thaws. Which is no big deal.

[claystroup]

I made mine out of of 3" schedule 40 PVC and 5" long so you can make 24 pcs out of a 10' length of pipe. I drill a .420" hole first then overlay with a 1" hole saw cut to form the "keyhole". I use my table saw to dado in a groove approx. 1/4" wide for the zip tie to grab onto. I have had several bags this year completely full and 1 zip tie has held with no problem. I glue (but don't use the purple primer) the test cap on the top. The sap flows with no problem out of the 1" hole I put in with a hole saw for the 5/16" clear plastic disposable spile to go over. I only have about a $1.00 each into them and they work great.

[junior1]

I Take 5 bags at a time poke a hole 4 inches from side and about 1 inch from top. start my zip tie put my holder in the bag and tighten the zip tie with a zip tie tightening tool. we prefer to have the bag open on one end makes pouring into pails easier and cleaner

[hodorskib]

Here is a link to how I made mine and I did glue caps on but pouring was very easy.

https://sites.google.com/site/mattatuckmadnessmaplesyrup/home/pvc-sap-bag-holders

[Fznyupr]

This setup works well. 2" PVC. 4" long. With 3" long roof. You get 21 holders out of 10' equating to less than $0.25 per holder.

15870

[wobbletop]

Is this where we post our versions of the pvc sap holders? Here's mine.

I use the thin walled PVC used for central vacuum lines. It's easy to cut with a pvc knife and doesn't leave pvc shavings everywhere. I use an additional piece overlapped and glued on the bottom instead of cutting a grove. Again, less pvc shaving everywhere this way. I use 5/16 taps, so drill two small holes, side by side using drill press. I think it would be better to drill them one above the other since the wind can blow the bags sideways and sometimes come off the tap. Maybe having them vertical would be better, but I haven't tried. I zip tie the bag and then fold the top of the bag over the zip tie. I tried pulling on the bag with a lot of force, and they didn't move.

I had to change a bag today because of a small hole (critters I suspect) and it was very easy. Since there is no grove, I can just push the holder into the bag so the zip tie comes off the top. I don't have to cut the zip tie. Then just zip tie another bag on.

I use the pvc caps on mine. I don't have that many taps, and it's an easy thing to take the caps on and off to empty the sap from the bags. They also keep crap out of the bags. I had a problem with moths when I used buckets. Nothing in the bags this year.

Cutter:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-2-in-ABS-and-Foam-Core-Cutter-40938/203230376



15906159071590815909

[wbreitbarth]

[QUOTE=wobbletop;325545]Is this where we post our versions of the pvc sap holders? Here's mine.

I use the thin walled PVC used for central vacuum lines. It's easy to cut with a pvc knife and doesn't leave pvc shavings everywhere. I use an additional piece overlapped and glued on the bottom instead of cutting a grove. Again, less pvc shaving everywhere this way. I use 5/16 taps, so drill two small holes, side by side using drill press. I think it would be better to drill them one above the other since the wind can blow the bags sideways and sometimes come off the tap. Maybe having them vertical would be better, but I haven't tried. I zip tie the bag and then fold the top of the bag over the zip tie. I tried pulling on the bag with a lot of force, and they didn't move.

I had to change a bag today because of a small hole (critters I suspect) and it was very easy. Since there is no grove, I can just push the holder into the bag so the zip tie comes off the top. I don't have to cut the zip tie. Then just zip tie another bag on.

I use the pvc caps on mine. I don't have that many taps, and it's an easy thing to take the caps on and off to empty the sap from the bags. They also keep crap out of the bags. I had a problem with moths when I used buckets. Nothing in the bags this year.

Cutter:
[url]http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID


When you drill the holes side by side. Try and drill the 2nd hole a little smaller so it looks like a keyhole. This way when it blows around it has a lot less chance of flying off. On mine it is just barley big enough to slide over the little tab on the tap. We have been in a wind advisory the last 2 days blowing 40mph with gusts to 55mph, and I only had 1 blow off.

[Trapper2]

1594015941

Mine probably cost more than what you guys are making but mine are super easy. I buy 45 degree 2" pvc. They already have a flange on them to hold the bag in place. I just drill a hole to hook the spile into and I'm ready to rock. .49 cents each.

[Trapper2]

160361603716038
Better pictures for you.

[backyard sugaring]

My son drew up a plan in his engineering class.16067 This is not our design we perfected it through the years. Hope this helps. I like the drawing so much i framed it and put it in the sugarshack. Lee