re tapping

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

QUESTION
I have read that some guys ream the holes, intialally do you use a smaller drill and when you retap use the regular drill or do you go a size bigger??

RICH

[danno]

I intially used a standard 5/16 cause I did not know I was going to ream. I then went one size larger and 1/4-1/2" deeper. Ran like they were new!

[220 maple]

If I need to retap I go from 19/64ths to 7/16, I have found that if you ream the holes they are only good for only a couple days, they will quit running even in perfect syrup making weather. I usually get two extra weeks of run by going that much bigger. Just what I have found, others may know a better way. What I would like to try someday would be to start on Jan. 1 with micro-spouts, then when they quit go to health spiles, after they slow down go to regular 7/16 spiles. I don't believe it would be hard on my trees because they heal by the end of July every year anyways.

Mark 220 Maple

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

that would be interesting to see the results

RICH

[danno]

The ultimate reaming thread from last season.

Very interesting to follow this thread to the end to see all of our results. That being said, last year was just plain weird to get that kind of serious cold/snowy weather in April.

http://www.mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=2974&highlight=ream

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

Are you actually switching all the spouts out you ream or do you already have 7/16" spouts with reducer fittings on them??

[maplecrest]

as a young child i would go with my grandfather and he would tap a new hole in april right next to the march hole by an inch or two. to look at the trees cross cut sections when cutting fire wood. you wonder how the trees survived. i think with the acid rain and tree stress of today they would not heal as well. the new method of new plastic every year will give you the same results as retapping trees. "i did not believe" that it would extend two weeks in a season and make better quality syrup but it does.i have found that for every dollar spent on spout adapters you get two back in higher volume and quality syrup at the end of the season. and tapping red maples that went to the end of the season with the sugars.i think the biggest thing that suprised me about this is that i no longer make the black strap comm that i once did

[TapME]

I have a friend that taps trees in a similar manner. If the tree is a 2 tap tree he will put the 2 taps about 2'' apart and hang his bucket. One has a hook and one doesn't. They have been doing this for as long as he can remember and he's not young. And the trees most are 2 footers with some larger. They have about 30 that they do on the farm. All the trees look healthy.

[andrew martin]

I re-tapped two seasons ago, and found it not worth my while to do so. They ran for about another week, but definitely not like a new tap. On a psychological note, after a six week season, I am usually exhausted from boiling, and I would rather not extend the seaon. As well, I can $40.00 an hour as a carpenter, or I can spend my time on a very limited return. In the end, you have to decide what it's worth to you - both economically, time- wise and psychologically.

Andrew

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I have Beaver River inserts that are 19/64ths, I pull them and drill a 7/16th hole. I only have that option on 900 hundred taps the rest are health spouts. I bought them from Mike Puffenbarger of Southernmost Maple in Highland County. I have never seen anyone on this message board mention that they use them other than me. I guess they did not make many of them, I'm glad I have them.

Mark 220 Maple

Note: The reason I don't respond quickly to replys is because I'm not near my computer. I'm at the camp getting ready for the season. Planning on taking two days vacation next week, would like to be boiling on Super Sunday if at all possible.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

When do you plan on tapping?? Next 10 days looks too cold her. I may open up my biggest bush which has almost 50% of my taps on it a week before I open my other southern bush which has aprox 120 taps and possibly 2 weeks before I open my north side bush which has aprox 150 taps on it.

I would like to wait until Feb before tapping. I usually tap around Feb 10th.

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I like you perfer to wait until feburary, we always tried to tap the first warm day after groundhogs day. Even though I'm north of you a good distance I'm on the eastern slope of the Allegheny front. My friends that have camps near Mt. Storm in western Grant County, basically on top of the Allegheny Mt. tap around Valentines Day. When my father was alive we tapped the last week in Jan. once. In 2006 Ivan Puffenbarger in Highland County tapped the last week of Janurary. Since the Spring of 2003 my helper has been keeping daily record of sap runs, every year are big runs have come at the end of Feburary or the first week of March. I'm taking this coming week off work to see if I can be ready to tap if the weather looks right next weekend. As soon I tap I will open a thread on the West Virginia section of this message board.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

What kind of year did Ivan have when he tapped in Jan 06?? It stays cold enough where he is that his taps should have stayed open until the maple festival, but that would have been pushing it.

Does he still have around 8,000 taps or has he added more??