stainless taps

[sap runner]

anyone have the new stainless taps that look like a large nail with a small grove on the end 5\16 in size?I can't seem to get the things to stay in the tree or the sap from running down the side of the bucket.I put a small piece of hose on them seemed to help but not really the answer,even tried a roll pin in the end same thing,helped but not perfect.may try soldering a piece of pipe but seems like to much work,may sell them and buy more alum. leader brand,little more money but atleast the sap gets into the bucket.

[Fred Henderson]

Afew years ago I tryed 50 and had the same problem. I sent them back ASAP and got a refund.

[sap runner]

After trying a dozen things to make these stainless SOB taps to work I think I may have found a fix.I bought 200 stainless steel roll pins 3/16 x 2" and a small amount of two part epoxy,put some epoxy on the side of the pin then drive pin in about half way,stand tap upright,let dry and it works. Also drill hole in tree one drill bit size smaller and the tap doesn't fall out.I almost threw away the whole box,very frustrating when you go to collect and the sap either ran down the back side of the bucket or the tap fell out of the tree.

[3rdgen.maple]

Epoxy and sap not a good idea. If I had to go through all that work to get a tap to do what it is suppose to somebody would be getting them back in the mail. It is not suppose to be that hard and you definately are not suppose to have to cob something up to get it to do what it claims it can. I would be very mad and somebody would be not liking me. I also would not sell them to another sugarmaker and put them through the same thing. But hey that is just me.

[Fred Henderson]

And now you do not have SS taps, but two disimilar metals that will rust even faster.

[sap runner]

not sure I know what you mean?I have stainless taps and stainless roll pins.

[KenWP]

After trying a dozen things to make these stainless SOB taps to work I think I may have found a fix.I bought 200 stainless steel roll pins 3/16 x 2" and a small amount of two part epoxy,put some epoxy on the side of the pin then drive pin in about half way,stand tap upright,let dry and it works. Also drill hole in tree one drill bit size smaller and the tap doesn't fall out.I almost threw away the whole box,very frustrating when you go to collect and the sap either ran down the back side of the bucket or the tap fell out of the tree.

I finally figured out what your doing. When you drive theroll pins into the tap they most likley would stay inside with out glue would they not. I would say they are a pain in the fesses if they took that much work to get syrup into a bucket.

[Fred Henderson]

not sure I know what you mean?I have stainless taps and stainless roll pins.

Oooop's I did no know you were using ss roll pins.

[3rdgen.maple]

I Still don't understand this one at all. The way I am seeing it the sap will never reach the bucket now that you put a roll pin in the tap and epoxied it in. Is the sap not suppose to come out the whole you just plugged up? I still say somebody would be getting a little package and an earfull.

[KenWP]

The roll pin is hollow so all he is basically doing is useing it like a tube inside the spile to extend it out further so the sap drips down into the bucket instead of running along the spout back to the tree. I had two really old spiles that i used in desperation last year that did the same thing unless I put something touching the bottom to make the sap drip downwards.
Have to give him credit for something that works. I would probbably have used some plastic tubeing.

[3rdgen.maple]

For some reason Ken All I could picture was a taper pin stuck in the tap. Lack of sleep again..... Yes he gets credit for sure just for trying to make them work once.

[jlemieux]

Are these the maple pro taps? I want to make sure I do not buy some of these! I was looking at something similar in the catalog the other day.

[Fred Henderson]

The ones I had were from Maple Pro.

[sap runner]

as for the taps brand if you look on the last entry jcr1709 asked which tap to use and the taps I rebuilt/modified are the tree saver model.For the money and the new trick I still think they are not a bad buy at 1.50 each plus .03 for the rollpin and 4.99 worth of epoxy.After all if every thing worked the way the book says it should i would be bored to death.

[Sugarmaker]

Fellow maple trader Scott Durfee is making stainless bucket spouts that work the first time!
Chris

[Gary R]

I have been talking with Scott Durfee. He is not a fluent Maple Trader user so I have posted for him. Below is pictures of the spile he is making. It is shown along side of the CDL splie that people complain about. CDL's spile is still listed in their catalog. It is labeled as a "bucket" spout. Scott is currently offering them at a retail price of $2.50. He may be able to do better on price is enough interest is generated and large quantities are ordered. Please contact Scott through the Members list if you are interested..

[KenWP]

And in the CDL catolog they call that a bag spout. Seems like that's why peopel have trouble with it.

Hows He make them. They can't be turned at $2:50 a peice.

[Fred Henderson]

If they are turned on a CNC mill I think he could do it.

[SDURF]

I made 215 taps on a cnc lathe out of 303 ss . Last year we used some
and they worked great,so I made more.

[sap runner]

thats what mine looks like with the roll pin extened

[Fred Henderson]

I have been talking with Scott Durfee. He is not a fluent Maple Trader user so I have posted for him. Below is pictures of the spile he is making. It is shown along side of the CDL splie that people complain about. CDL's spile is still listed in their catalog. It is labeled as a "bucket" spout. Scott is currently offering them at a retail price of $2.50. He may be able to do better on price is enough interest is generated and large quantities are ordered. Please contact Scott through the Members list if you are interested..

I PMed this guy but I have not heard back from him. I am about to buy 200 cast alu 5/16 hookless.

[Gary R]

The roll pin is a great idea. However, it does reduce the internal diameter. Does it reduce the flow of sap? Studies have shown that if you go smaller than the Health spouts (19/64, 5/16), sap flow is greatly reduced.

Fred,

Scott is not a regular on the trader and has a day job as a tool maker. I know he will be checking often now that we've posted. I'll call him.

[KenWP]

But the roll pin only restricts the outside of the spout not the part that goes in the tree.

[sap runner]

yes the roll pin is to outside of the tap,i tried the tap on a bucket and both taps have almost the same result with water going threw them and as far as sap{no pressure}i am hoping for no difference.It has to work better than the sap running down the back side of the bucket.I have 200 of these,200 leader alum 5\16,and 200 plastic 7\16 i wonder what the difference in sap quanity will be ?

[wcproctor]

Ha Sap Runner The way you are expelling this tap you are not supposed to but a bucket on it ,the 5/16 end takes tubing. The tubing goes over the end. There in the Bascom catalog pg.28 made by BME

[Gary R]

Sorry, I didn't comment on all the detail. I understand the outside dia. that goes in the tree will be the same. The internal dia. of a 3/16" roll pin is .107". That's pretty small. The bigger worry using sap is two fold. First, sap will always puddle at the top end of the roll pin. Mold may eventually grow and block the hole. Secondly, all the bucket spouts have something on the end to promote the formation of a drip so the sap drips straight down. The sap may run back and out of the bucket as the original did. I do like the idea though. I know where to buy some and I'll try it also. It could be a cheap fix.

Wcproctor, we've been talking about the CDL spout. I think you will only find them in the 2010 CDL/USA catalog, page 4, item 16. The BME's were made for tubing only. CDL is the bottom one in this picture. The top one is made by Scott Durfee.

[KenWP]

And my catolog says they are for bags go figure. Makes for a difficult thread.

[3rdgen.maple]

Ken I do believe you are correct that they are for bags. I still say that if I had to work that hard to get one to put the sap in the bucket I would not be the owner of the anymore. If they do end up restricting the amount of sap then you lost money again.

[Fred Henderson]

I say that if I buy something new I don't want to have to rebuild it to make it useable. I did hear back from the maker and he does not have any and doubted he would be able to get me 200 in time.