Tapping Depth Poll

[DrTimPerkins]

How deep do you drill your tapholes? Only one choice allowed...if it's variable, give the average.

[buckeye gold]

Now Dr Tim you know your gonna get some off topic replies to this:lol:

I have a stop on my bit at 2"

[DrTimPerkins]

Now Dr Tim you know your gonna get some off topic replies to this:lol:

I have a stop on my bit at 2"

Why should this thread be different than any other? :lol:

Go ahead and put your answer into the poll please.

[blissville maples]

Does tapping depth correlate to how fast and we'll a tree heals or is that just all in the trees health? I noticed that some trees seem not to heal at all sometimes, is that from tapping too deep. I try go deep on large trees to end of spirals on bit or close which is about 1 3/4 to 2" and shallow on smaller ones probably 1/2 to 3/4.

[DrTimPerkins]

Bliss....thanks for the detail. I may address questions later, but not as the poll is ongoing. Please provide your answer in the poll if you haven't already.

For those who haven't yet answered the poll....I urge you all to vote.

[Tigermaple]

2" at least

[wnybassman]

Usually between 1.5" and 2", so I picked 1.75". Any time I use some kind of stop device the shavings don't seem to fly out as good as without a stop, so I don't use one.

[prairietapper]

Usually between 1.5" and 2", so I picked 1.75". Any time I use some kind of stop device the shavings don't seem to fly out as good as without a stop, so I don't use one.

I thought the same. tried a depth stop.. then tried just tape around the bit. same issue. I did take the time to file a mark around a bit once.. it worked decent as a visual guide

[rhwells2003]

I usually put a piece of 5/16 tubbing down on my bit that will allow for 1.75" of tapping depth. On a "normal" (12"-18") tree I'll stop it a bit before my stop. Those big burly trees I'll bury it, and the 8-12" thin skinned trees I'll only go about an inch

[Tapped Out]

1.5" for us. We tap with a .224 tapping bit, using the DSD spouts for 3 years now. Tap hole healing or compartmentalization is evident quicker than when we used a larger bit and also drilled 2" deep.

[DrTimPerkins]

1.5" for us. We tap with a .224 tapping bit, using the DSD spouts for 3 years now. Tap hole healing or compartmentalization is evident quicker than when we used a larger bit and also drilled 2" deep.

Keep the votes on the poll coming folks. The more the better. If you've already voted...thank you.

[maineboiler]

I drill to 1 1/2 " presently with either a 5/16" (tubing) or 7/16" (bucket) drill bit.

[DrTimPerkins]

Keep the votes on the Tapping Depth Poll coming folks. Just one week left to respond.

[DrTimPerkins]

Just 10 more votes to get us to 200 responses total. Please vote if you haven't done so already.

[jbuck]

1.5" for us.

[Sugarmaker]

Interesting that you get 1000 + views and 200 folks vote. Sounds about right for a poll I guess.
Regards,
Chris

[wurmdert]

If you drill a hole all the way thru a 5 in. tree and put a tap in both sides is that one 5" hole or two 2.5" hole. Thanks asking for a friend:lol::lol:

[motowbrowne]

Interesting that you get 1000 + views and 200 folks vote. Sounds about right for a poll I guess.
Regards,
Chris

I don't know about anyone else, but I've viewed this thread half a dozen times or more. I'm curious to see everyone else's answers. If others have done the same, the view count might indicate interest rather than non participation.

[Homestead Maple]

One and a half inches for the past 25 years.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[red dorakeen]

I'm wondering what Dr. Tim's answer is.

and

Is too deep (within reason of course) somehow detrimental to production or the tree?

[DrTimPerkins]

I'm wondering what Dr. Tim's answer is.

In our production woods we typically we tap 1.5-2.0" deep.


Is too deep (within reason of course) somehow detrimental to production or the tree?

Sap yield will increase with depth, but it is not linear, and drops off at a certain point. If you hit brown wood, there is no sap production from that wood volume. Sap sweetness also varies a little with taphole depth, as does wound volume.

We started a study this year looking at taphole depth, yield, and sweetness (we already have a good idea of wound volume related to depth). Tapping too deep decreases sustainability due to reductions in total volume of sap conductive wood. Of course, this is all quite dependent on tree growth rate. The overall goal however is to provide information to producers to help them determine the "sweet spot", where syrup yield per tap (which incorporates both sap sweetness and sap yield) is the highest per unit wood volume impacted by tapping, and what the tradeoffs are (slightly reduced syrup yield for shallower tapholes, but less wounding and higher sustainability compared to higher syrup yield for deeper tapholes, but more wounding and reduced sustainability).

In any case....thank you to all those who participated.

[jimsudz]

Try to go only 1.5but I'm sure that s few are 1.75"