Sugarmaker
01-13-2008, 09:25 PM
Folks,
Everyone always wonders when to tap. Well this is how we decide:)
Last year I posted pictures of slices of a maple that had to be cut down.
I cut sections from the tapping area and several maple traders and others became the proud owners of a piece of maple history.
Since then one of my friends and fellow sugarmaker, Frank O. James saw the triangle shaped maple blocks and asked to get a couple to play with. The results are in these pictures. These are the second and third clocks that he has built. The first one is hanging in the sugarhouse:) Two for these also have new vertical holes drilled in the angled sides to accept some antique spiles for show.
This tree was about 3 feet across when cut and was a sapling during the Civil War. Widest growth ring was about 20 years ago and was almost .25 inch wide. This tree has taps of various shapes and sizes made by brace and bit and twist drill. The wood is about 1 inch thick. The est was 400 taps or more during its life time?? This was a 4 bucket tree. The tree was from Wellsburg about 1.5 miles from my house. It is currently heating our house.
A lot of the tap marks that you see are really the stains above and below the tap hole running vertically in the tree. On several 'taps' if you turn the clock over you can see the same exact tap mark on the back of the clock.
These beautiful clocks will not let us forget when its "Time to Tap".
Chris
Everyone always wonders when to tap. Well this is how we decide:)
Last year I posted pictures of slices of a maple that had to be cut down.
I cut sections from the tapping area and several maple traders and others became the proud owners of a piece of maple history.
Since then one of my friends and fellow sugarmaker, Frank O. James saw the triangle shaped maple blocks and asked to get a couple to play with. The results are in these pictures. These are the second and third clocks that he has built. The first one is hanging in the sugarhouse:) Two for these also have new vertical holes drilled in the angled sides to accept some antique spiles for show.
This tree was about 3 feet across when cut and was a sapling during the Civil War. Widest growth ring was about 20 years ago and was almost .25 inch wide. This tree has taps of various shapes and sizes made by brace and bit and twist drill. The wood is about 1 inch thick. The est was 400 taps or more during its life time?? This was a 4 bucket tree. The tree was from Wellsburg about 1.5 miles from my house. It is currently heating our house.
A lot of the tap marks that you see are really the stains above and below the tap hole running vertically in the tree. On several 'taps' if you turn the clock over you can see the same exact tap mark on the back of the clock.
These beautiful clocks will not let us forget when its "Time to Tap".
Chris