attaching 3/16" tubing to the tree

[Woodsrover]

I'm running a fair amount of 3/16" tubing this year (for a weekend warrior) and wondering what you all use to attach this tubing to the tree? Last year I used insulated wire staples like this but they were clumsy to attach and hard to pull out. They did work well though.

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This year I'm thinking about using these but the nail doesn't stick out too far and I'm worried about them pulling out.

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There are some pretty good stretches between trees and I like to keep things tight and off the ground if I can. I'm going to start running tubing this weekend and attaching the drops but won't actually tap for a few weeks so relying on just the drops to hold them up isn't an option. Wondering what you all do?

Thanks.

[BAP]

Most people don't use anything to hitch the tubing up. Wrap the tubing around the last tree and use either a end hook fitting to hold the tubing back to itself or if you don't have any you can use a tee to tee it to make a wrap. Then run your line from tree to tree, zigzag as you go and stretch the tubing good and tight until you get to the end. Pulling the tubing tight and zigzagging the trees will hold the tubing up.

[Wanabe1972]

Like Bap said the 3/16 lines seem to have a ton of friction on the trees. Start at the top of the line and walk it down to the anchor point while hold drag on the line with your hands and then pull it real tight into your anchor rope. after I tightened it up I went back with my two handed tool and clamped it on wide open. This allows me to cut 2 or so inches out of the line. by the time I got to the bottom the line is super tight and no side ties or anything needed.

[Super Sapper]

As has been said, zigzag around the trees between your maples. If you need to you can use some string and side tie to tighten the line up. 3/16 does not seem to be affected by dips like conventional tubing also.

[wnybassman]

And don't forget about the "Chinese finger trap" hollow core rope trick to keep tension where needed.

[Wanabe1972]

Yes the Chinese finger trap works pretty slick but I found if you don't put about a foot or so line inside the rope it slips. Jeff

[Woodsrover]

And don't forget about the "Chinese finger trap" hollow core rope trick to keep tension where needed.

I do that and it works quit well.

Put up two runs today. Some of these trees aren't close enough together to keep the lines up and happy. I used the plastic wire clips with nails and they worked quite well. The don't keep tension on the tubing and it will slide through it, but it keeps it up in the air and where I want it without damaging the tree. I'm pretty please with how it went...

[gmc8757]

Yes the Chinese finger trap works pretty slick but I found if you don't put about a foot or so line inside the rope it slips. Jeff

Would you be able to post a link to where you purchase these finger traps from?


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[lakeview maple]

1496714968 Hope this helps with the finger traps, when I bought the braided rope it came with a tool to help run the tubing through the center. As far as it slipping I usually wrap a couple of wraps of black electrical tape on the end and have never had one come loose yet.

[Wanabe1972]

My local hardware store. It is nothing more than nylon hollow braided rope. You feed the line into the rope for a foot or so then push it out through the side. Then when you pull tension on it the rope squeezes the line and holds on. I can get you a picture in the morning as im not at home right now. Jeff

[Wanabe1972]

Well nevermind as i posted this Lakeview was already adding pictures. LOL

[wnybassman]

1496714968 Hope this helps with the finger traps, when I bought the braided rope it came with a tool to help run the tubing through the center. As far as it slipping I usually wrap a couple of wraps of black electrical tape on the end and have never had one come loose yet.

1/4" rope is recommended, but all I could find locally was 3/8" rope, and that seems to grip good. I fed a foot or so of tubing into it and it seems to hold real well. I cut the tubing at a sharp angle and that made it real easy to feed the rope on.

[gmc8757]

Perfect, thanks guys. First time seeing this, should be helpful. Do u know how it performs on 1/2 inch line and what size rope is recommended for it (if any)?


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[sugarsand]

If your looking for a way to hold the line on a tree, I've found that electric staples work great. Get the longer type and the tubing will be free and not restricted. On a older tree with course bark these staples wont need to go past the bark, but need to pulled out a little as needed on younger, faster growing trees.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

When going from tree to tree I recommend that you pick up as many non maple trees for support as needed. A 1" tree will provide a lot of support for zig zagging 3/16. I try to stay away from hickories but that is about all.

[jmayerl]

Why would you ever need to attach 3/16 with anything to a tree?

[Woodsrover]

Why would you ever need to attach 3/16 with anything to a tree?

Guess I must be a knucklehead then. I want to keep the line where I want it on the tree.

I ran three lines of 3/16" this weekend, the longest being about 700'. I used the plastic wire clips and they worked just fine. The nail isn't long enough to do any damage to the tree but hold good enough to keep the line where I want it on the tree but loose enough that I can still pull tension as I go. Most of my sugarbush is very open with nothing more than mature trees in it, (I brush-hog that section of the woods) so supporting the line with saplings isn't an option.

Works for me so I'm happy with it.

[Snowmad]

Good information, thanks for sharing everyone.
I have a couple hundred feet I want to go though a pasture outside of the woods that will give me a very nice drop on my 3/16. I was thinking of using the step in plastic electric fence posts and zip ties. Has anyone tried this or something similar in open areas where there are no trees?

[asknupp]

I've seen that on here a lot where people use posts of a types to run across open ground. I'd just make sure you pull as tight and anchor it some how at the end and add additional posts where you might have a sag.

[Bucket Head]

I cut ten foot lengths of rebar rod in half and use them for supports where I need them. The bag ties for mainline hold nicely on the rough surface of the rebar, preventing the tubing from sliding down.
Steve

[jmayerl]

Guess I must be a knucklehead then. I want to keep the line where I want it on the tree.


When putting up laterals or a 3/16 run you zig zag between trees and pull the line very taught. There is no need to nail in lines, by nailing them in you may also cause damage if something falls on the line and there is no give. I generally span 20-50 feet with zero sag. In the picture the line on the left goes almost 100' and only sags 1". The only time a line ever moved was when a oak fell on the line. It was able to stretch and it rebounded when cut off.
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[Woodsrover]

Your woods are WAY more dense than most of mine ( and mine grow vertically :) ). I'll have to post a picture when I'm home during daylight hours but my trees are spaced pretty far apart.

The nail in these clips doesn't penetrate the tree more than 1/2" so I'm not damaging the tree and I put them nail-up so they can break free if need be.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. This works for me.

[WVKeith]

I have used the metal posts where the tubing is closer to the ground. In a couple of long runs across a brushy field, I have used the high tension wire stretched between a couple of trees and zip tied the tubing to it. In these cases, I wanted to keep the tubing high so that I could get the tractor under it. The wire sags a lot less than the tubing and can be supported with on longer (50-75') centers a few long poles.

[GV2]

I have used prusik knots tied with twine. holds very well. easy to tie. about 5 seconds when you get good at it. If not familiar, Google it.

[eustis22]

What diameter hollow braid rope you use for your end-of-line anchoring? 5/8"?

[wnybassman]

What diameter hollow braid rope you use for your end-of-line anchoring? 5/8"?

For 3/16ths it was recommended to use 1/4" hollow core, but all I could find when I got it was 3/8" and it seems to hold pretty good. I did thread it on at least a foot, and I cut the end of tubing at a sharp angle to assist threading.

[Paddymountain]

Here is how I attach my 3/16 line at the end. I use a piece of 12 gauge wire fashioned in a loop, and then pulled back through itself.
Then hooked to a ratchet binder around the tree and a 3 /16 hooked connector on the line. Real easy to tension up and pull the sags out.
You can also use the wire on a mainline that is stretched up without high tensile wire.
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