Help To Identify Required Tools and how to use

[BrucePeninsulaSugarCo]

Hey Everyone,

As I anxiously await the busy tapping season I am starting to think about making the switch to vacuum and lines from bags and pails etc.

Can someone help me identify which tools are required, which tools are a duplicate, and which tools are time savers.

My questions are all specific to 1" Mainline and 5/16" Laterals. I am going to them as a standard to minimize required tools.

In my head I will need tools for the 1" and tools for the 5/16" only this way.

When I look online at my local CDL supplier these are the tools I see:


https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/516-cdl-compact-insertion-pliers

https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/516-tubing-removerhammer

https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/one-handed-516-tubing-repair-tool

https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/tension-hooks-516-tubing

https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/cdl-mainline-punch-516

https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/parallel-repair-pliers

https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/condensed-plier-for-516-fittings

https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/deluxe-double-tubing-tool

https://webstore.cdlinc.ca/en/mainline-double-fork-pliers

What of these are actually required? Does one tool do it all, but too cumbersome which make it better to have two different tools?

I will obviously have to drill the mainline and use 1" Multi-Fitting Maxseal fittings, then Push 5/16" Line onto Maxseal fittings. I will need to have a tool for cutting and inserting T's into 5/16" Line. Will also need to obviously have a tool/tools for making drops and inserting spiles/Taps/Spouts.

Do they make hooked connectors for 5/16" Line?


Thanks for your time and happy tapping and boiling!

Brad

[maple flats]

Wow, lots of good questions. If I was just starting out I would just buy a 2 hand LOAC tool, D&G carries them. With that you can join any fittings into 5/16 tubing and it cuts the tubing too. Then, depending how much help you may have around, maybe a mainline tool for 1" mains, if you have good strong help you can do it with no tools. If you use mainline support wire like most producers, you will want a wire tying tool (and the wires to tie.) Then you need a drill motor and tapping bit. A tapping bit is far superior to a hardware store 5/16 bit. Just use it for tapping trees and nothing else. Have 1 for every 800-1000 holes. If you resharpen one, then use it for other uses, not for tapping. Next, the easiest way to make a hole in the mainline is to get a DSD mainline drill bit. However you can also use a jig you make to hold a drill bit in place while you drill and it prevents the bit from going deep enough to go thru the opposite side. I use a DSD mainline stubby bit, but years ago I made a jig out of a 2x4. I first measured the length of the tapping bit, when fully inserted into the drill chuck. I then marked that length on the side of the piece of 2x4. I adjusted that mark by about 1/2" (to allow the drill bit to go up to 1/2" into the mainline. I then cut a V shape with the point of the V at the second make, The V was at about 45 degrees on each leg. Once I had that I cut a handle onto one end of the 2x4 and removed the extra wood. When finished it was about 6" long and the handle was rounded to be comfortable to hold and use. I then drilled a 5/16 hole from the point in the V out the back side, using a hardware store bit (remember, never use the tapping bit for any other use, with 1 exception, I did use it then to drill the mainline) To use it I simply held the V onto the mainline and drilled the entry hole for the saddle.
I have used 6 or maybe 8 different saddles (they attach the 5/16 to the mainline). By far I find the DSD saddles both lowest cost and easiest to use. Do not over tighten them and if a leak develops just give the band clamp a slight turn on the screw. For that I use a 5/16 nut driver.
Next, decide how you will anchor the mains at each end, I now use heavy duty J hooks, (like the phone co uses), I dirll a pilot hole slightly smaller than the shaft diameter, inside the threads, then I hammer it in. I anchor to that. As the tree grows, I use a HD ratchet strap and pull the mainline to unhook the line from the hook, I then back it out just until I see the beginning of the last thread, then I reconnect the mainline to it. You may need to check for those hooks, when I bought them I had to buy a box of 50 online. Next, slope for the mainline, between 2% and 4% is best (2'-4' per hundred length of travel). That is easy if you use a hand site level, about $12-15 US. If getting 2% is difficult, try making a way to hold it on top of a camera tripod and make to adjustable for slope, I did that where I had to do some stretches of mainline at .5-1% slope. If you can do 2-4% slope, just use it hand held.
For your mainline it works best if possible to keep it at the bottom of the grade and very gradually go up thru the contour lines, at the 2-3 or 4% slope, run your lateral lines (the 5/16 tree to tree lines) as steep as possible. Try to have 5 taps/lateral, and never more than 10 and keep them 100' or shorter. If you have some steeper ground, consider using 3/16, contrary to how it may seem, if you have enough total fall (30'+ is ideal) the 3/16 laterals can be over 1000' long and can have easily 30 or 35 taps on a line. The fall in elevation on 3/16 ( along with the fact that the sap does not pass the gasses, looks like air, in the 3/16, you will get vacuum on the lines from gravity. If you got the 2 hands LOAC too, it quickly adjusts from 5/16 to 3/16, I do it all of the time. If you go with some of the 3/16, after the season use something to sanitize the lines. (In Canada you can use IPA, we can't in the US).
That may be enough for the outside part. Since you made syrup before you likely have that part OK.
Most of all, keep it fun, when it is no longer fun, find something else to do.