madmapler
03-17-2017, 07:17 PM
Over the summer I decided to try making my poly tanks more practical for sap collection. I've held off posting about them until I had used them in the field for a while. I can say now that I'm really happy with them. First, I cut a circular hole in the crown about 28" in diameter. I can easily power wash them from the top during the season or I can climb right in them with a step ladder if need be. At the end of the season I tip them up on their side and can lean right inside them, accessing the entire surface with a power washer. I was concerned at first that cutting the top out might compromise the structural integrity somehow but it appears not to be an issue. I can fill them up to the brim without any distortion. One of the tanks tipped over and it distorted the crown over the summer but it went back into shape after I set it up. I built the platform 8' square out of PT 2x6's and 4" timberlocks, marking the joists for easy assembly. It takes about 20 minutes to put together then I roughly level it up and give it a 2 to 4" pitch toward the drain using scrap 2x4s. The tanks drain very well and this also makes them easier to keep clean. Having the platform also keeps the valve up off the ground. I also pre-fabed plywood(osb)panels for the sides and top and painted them with white reflective paint for later in the season, hoping to keep the sap cooler and out of the sun. They go on with only 4 to 6 screws per panel. All in all it was pretty cheap to do. I also bought some white tarps on ebay to cover them with but haven't got around to using them yet. The sap in the tank isn't nearly as bad as it looks. It's frozen. The pics came from 2 different locations. 16104161051610616107