Taps

[MaplePancakeMan]

So i was rummaging through some of my grandfathers things who passed away a month or so ago. He had a box of old maple taps of which i had already had some of but i found a small cast iron tap with pat-d on it and 1888 printed on the other side. Whats the oldest tap any of you have. Was this tap really made in 1888 or was it stamped according to a model number?

[Fred Henderson]

It was probably patented in the year of 1888.

[maple flats]

I'll check the dates on some of mine. I have a display board of taps used thru the years and some of the early ones have pat. dates cast into them. They might be the same as you have, it does sound familiar.

[H. Walker]

Is that spile extra large, like it would need a 5/8" hole drilled? I think I have a bunch of them with that same #.

[MaplePancakeMan]

I Haven't measured, its not really large, but it would probably need a bigger bit then the 5/16th to secure it tightly

[RileySugarbush]

How about this one? A carved wood spile for an axe cut, leaning against a birch bark collection container. Many of these were found in northern Minnesota in a collapsed lean to, 1970. No idea how old they are.