taps leaking

[maple sapper]

I have a few taps that are leaking and no matter how much I try to put spouts in they just keep leaking. One of them is bottomed out. Its only a few but bothers me that its running down the tree in a stream. Will this close itself in a few days? I have had good luck in prior years. This year I tried some new adapters that are supposed to be discarded each year. Im not to excited about them now that this is happening. maple sapper

[halfast tapper]

Sounds like you drove the taps in to far to begin with. The only thing you can do now is go to the 7/16 spout and redrill the hole, might work , but if you split the wood it won't work either.

[Russell Lampron]

Sounds like you either split the tree or didn't drill deep enough if you have one that is bottomed out. Taps are supposed to be tapped in gently until you hear a tunk. Tap holes should be at least 1 1/2" deep. I have had good luck with the adapters.

[3% Solution]

maple sapper,
It's the nature of the beast, your not going to get it all.
We sometimes while gathering buckets will dump a 5 gallon bucket and if it's someone else getting soaked it's something to laugh about!
I don't like to see sap weep around the tap either, but sometimes there is nothing you can do about it.

Dave

[NedL]

I just got my taps in Weds. My first time using 5/16 and tubing and I'm having the same problem. The 3 7/16's I'm using with buckets are not leaking at all. I went around this morninig and tried to tap them in a little more, thinking the freeze Weds night might have kicked them out a little. Hopefully it helps, but now I'm nervous that I may have put them in too hard.

If I'm reading this right here sometimes there is nothing you can do about weeping tap holes? Did I mess up?

[brookledge]

It sure sounds like you split the tree. If so there is nothing you can do to seal the crack
Keith

[Haynes Forest Products]

Dont watch Ice Age and go to bed you wont sleep thinking about them. I used to get a little heavey handed with the hammer and caused more leaks splitting wood.

[maple flats]

I also think you set them too hard or rocked the bit. When I tap I drill about 1.5", make sure NOT to rock the bit and then tap GENTLY with the flat side of a pair of linesmans pliers only until it sounds solid. I used to tap with a 12 oz hammer and had the same problem, set too hard. As another said you can either try a 7/16 or just forget it. If you have vac you should just remove the tap and plug the spout to hold vac. and let that hole start an early healing.

[Brent]

to expand a bit on what Dave said, if you 'rock the bit' you make an oval hole. It won't seal. Got to keep the bit going in, in a straight and true line,
which can be a bit tough when you balancing on slippery footing buried under a foot of snow.

I think the next time I visit my supplier I'm going to get a few 7/16" spiles for tubing ... so I can redrill larger and create a better seal.