Tube fed plastic buckets

[Jim Powell]

For those of you who have recommended the use of tubes to plastic buckets, I am planning to try that this year vs. the sap sack’s I used last year and didn’t really like. I am planning on pouring the sap out of the expanded spout. Is this going to work, or do you just lightly put the lid on? I assume taking lids on and off when it is cold could get to be a real pain, if not fatal to the lids. Thanks

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just snap the lids on in 1 or 2 places and this is enough to keep them in place and make it easy to get the lid off and usually allows you to dump without even removing lid and you can drill a hole in the bucket about 1" below the lip and run the tubing in the hole or you can just set a rock or 1/2 of cinderblock on top of the bucket which serves 2 purposes--it holds the lid in place without snapping it down and also weights down the bucket to keep it from blowing around when it is empty or close to empty with high winds.

[Sugarmaker]

Jim P,
Many options to keep that lid in place. How about a elastic bungy cord across the lid? Then it would be easy to get off. We use this concept on the 39 gallon containers we use with tubing.
Chris

[Fred Henderson]

When I was using plastic buckets I would set the fence on my table saw and take off all but 2 locks. Leave locks oppsite each other. I would drill a 7/16" hole 1" below the rim a thereby making the tube tight in the hole and rain water running down the tube could not get in. Put the cover on using the 2 locks that I left and they worked good.

[tessiersfarm]

I just lock down 2 locks, and have never broken a lid, OK maybee 1 or 2. I tried the spouts but when the sap freezes the spouts don't work too well.

[ibby458]

I bought Fred's buckets (and 500 more after that), and his method is just PERFECT. A few things to watch out for - Cutting the extra tabs off with a tablesaw is really the only practical way, but BE CAREFUL. It also has a high potential to lop off fingers. It will also spit out the tabs at HIGH rates of speed sometimes. I can tell you from experience that safety glasses are mandatory, and those tabs HURT when they hit you.

I use 48" drops on my spouts, and try to leave a "drip loop" so any rain running down it drips outside the bucket. I've put as many as 4 tubes into one bucket. If your tube is tight, it might pull out of the hole. I got a bunch of the 5/16 spring clamps from a maple dealer, and snap one over the tubing in the bucket on any questionable connection. When Installing spouts on the tubing, arrange the curl in the tubing so it points down into the bucket. Helps keep sap dribbles from running back down the tubing and seeping outside the bucket.

[Fred Henderson]

Funny you should mention about those tabs flying. They did smart when they sumcked me up side the neck. Them tabs must be diong 200 MPH coming off that saw. I soon learned to turn my shrit coller up.

[Jim Powell]

Well I'm glad I asked, looks like I have a little more configuring to do. AND I've been looking to get a small table saw, now I have another project besides the couple I was planning on this summer. I experimented a on one lid this morning using a Dremel tool. WAY too much work!

Thanks for all the great advice.

I do think I have figured out my small scale filtering / bottling process for this year, which I will post in that section, maybe with photos.

JCP

[twigbender]

Hey, Jim, don't give up on the Dremel so quickly. I don't know what you used for a cutting blade, but I used one of those discs that are fairly heavy and black in color. With the tool on a high speed it didn't take long to cut off several of the tabs from the bucket. I'd use that before my table saw. Besides, the Dremel doesn't shoot back!

[peacemaker]

i never cut the tabs on the lids but i had a millwork shop for many years and have cut some wild stuff on a table saw it is wicked tricky to spin on a saw hold tight she wants to pull it down and we also use to clamp a shield to deflect to bullets ... took to many shots to many places and once what a feeling sent a little 1/8 x 1/8 tip 8 ft long thru my flannel shirt thru the by fold doors and into the den ... rpm on a table saw fast and when i grab that stick the teeth mrks where 6 inchs apart in some spots ...... thats moving i think back to being 9 or ten standing on a milk crate so i could reach and running those machines and its amazing i never really got hurt till i was older but then again dad was a great teacher ... and always said jr that blade is staionary it can jump and bite you can can only bit the blade

[Fred Henderson]

When you walk up to a table saw regardless of HP but better have a lot of respect for it. Because if it can hurt you it will. Never and I mean never take your eye off the spinning blade.

[peacemaker]

u want to talk scary we had a shaper with a 12 rip blade on it we use use it to slice down 7 inch tall by all different radius cirle head trim down into 5/8 thick only 3 of us in the shop would use it me dad and a fella named babe

[hholt]

I do the same thing as WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER and just snap the lid in two places on opposite sides of the bucket.

[Jim Powell]

I tried out one of the tiny bungie cords that comes in the multi packs that I never had any use for. IT holds down the lid perfectly on both the 2 and 3/5 gallon buckets! I can always use two, but one looked fine. I used the dremmel tool (yes that little wheel cutter) to put a grove in that lowest band that the handle fits into, just to keep them where I want them.

I bought the saw anyway though!

Thanks again for all the help.

JCP