May Journal

[Parker]

You guys are asleep at the switch here!!! Its the second of may and no may journal???
I have trucked 2 loads of wood home and am looking for that energy grant info I got last fall,,,gotta get the ball rolling for an R.O.!!! Still need to pull the taps in Hill...
Kinda getting distracted from sugaring with getting ready to get some bees...

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Parker,
The energy grant was published in the federal register the end of last week so competition for the first round id now underway. They have split the competition so that those requesting 20K or less are separate from those requesting more. (separate pools of money) Good luck!

[maplecrest]

that is because we are all in st albans

[Haynes Forest Products]

Yippie Im 4th Im 4th...............sitting around trying to reinvent the wheel:o Im on my 3rd time delay relay for the new releaser. Sometimes I would like to get my hands on teck support.

[Amber Gold]

Parker, are you going for the USDA EE grant? If so, good luck. I was planning on it, but am currently in a holding pattern until I find out what's going on with my current woods. Still no word yet.

[Amber Gold]

Went to St. Albans with the family. Made it to Lapierre and Leader on Saturday. We were planning on CDL and D&G on Sunday, but didn't realize it was Friday and Sat. only.

Impressions, Lapierre had a nice setup with their releasers, RO's, candy demo, and evap's.

Leader was good because you could see how tubing and equipment are made. The vortex is supposed to boil hard, but I think the Force 5 has a better fit and finish. I heard the Leader guy was saying the 2.5x10 vortex w/ max pan and steamaway they had on demo boils 240-300 gph. That seems pretty far out there for a 2.5x10 and would need to actually see it going through a feed tank that fast to believe it.

The festival was OK. I was expecting it to be bigger than it was with more going on.

We visited a sugar house (Carson's I think) just south of St. Albans. Couldn't talk to him too much because we were part of the tour bus and people were getting impatient. I think he had a 2.5x10 oil fired Daillaire w/ a water jacketed base stack preheater. First time I had ever seen one of those...anybody know how they work? I'd think you'd risk the sap overheating. He also had a 2400 CDL RO that he'd get the sap to 20%. I think he said he had ~3600 taps and made 2425 gal of syrup...very good year...he did say it was 7.2 lbs of syrup per tap...wish I had those numbers.

[Maplewalnut]

Normal maple stuff...

Ordered new finisher from Bill Mason, should be here in next two weeks or so

Still working on finishing RO room and getting everything straight in my head. Electric has been comlpeted and will hopefully finish the walls and insulation this week and then its on to plumbing.

Left sap in evaporator this year for first time and man is it starting to smell. I've got mold on top of mold - green, red, blue...looks like a rainbow in there. May let it go another week or so and then the big clean begins.

Wood for next year is all done and under cover.

Writing down a parts list for a couple hundred more taps for a summer project.

[GeneralStark]

I have been thinning our bush, cutting firewood, counting maples, talking to neighbors about leasing, and purchasing equipment. I had 32 buckets this year and hope to have about 150 buckets next year, and about 50 on tubing and vacuum. I have almost all the equipment I need (thanks CDL for the 20% off sale) and thanks to my friends that I am sharing a vacuum pump and evaporator with. Now I only need about 50 more buckets and a used stainless tank. Fortunately I work right next door to a DeLaval shop so I think they might be able to track down a used tank for me. I also scored a used candy machine for very cheap. It needs a little TLC but we will be putting it to work next season.

Anyway, lots to do. I'm hoping that the crazy weather we have been having (almost 10 inches of snow last wednesday then 80 yesterday) mellows out to a more typical spring like regime. I don't like chain sawing when it is 80!

[3rdgen.maple]

:D I have been reading the trader.

[Dennis H.]

I am with you 3rdgen, sitting here reading and WAITING for openhouse pics from this past weekend!! :(

[adk1]

for me, I am still Planning........... :)

[maplecrest]

who had time to take pics

[red maples]

I wanna go to bascom's open house but its not gonna happen can't go friday, and have to take my daughter to her softball game I am asst coach so can't miss that. and then her b-day party is in the afternoon. who does as an open house on friday anyway???

Just working on wood got just about 3 cords sugaring wood done and stacked.

not much else I got some plans on re doing a little of the tubing to maximize vacuum but I need some money first.

man it was hot yesterday hit 87 and humid here. not a good sleeping night. when you wake up to 70 at 4:30 am thats just no good.

Got in a little fishing today caught 2 brown trout(kept those) and a few little rainbows and brookies...all stockies. need a few more for a meal. get 'em tomorrow. started shopping around for a new fly rod might go with a low end sage combo 8.5 ft 4 weight found one on sale at kittery tading post for $135 we'll see trying to talk the wife into an early father's day gift;) .

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

$135 will buy 2 rolls of tube and the fittings to go with it...What kind of a self respecting maplehaulic are you any way?:lol:

[red maples]

I know I know !!!! but I vowed to get back into fly fishing this year. At least buy a new fly rod anyway.

[Revi]

I've been cutting wood lately. The sugarhouse is ready for next year, and our home wood is about 2/3rds full.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Finished cutting and splitting all the firewood last week and have all the steel at the sugarhouse and hope to get a big jump on a high efficiency arch this week. Already have air all around front of arch and hope to make a system with air all around the top of the fire with damper controls close to the design of the Proctor research paper but with some modifications that I think will help it even more. Wanted to build a complete arch, but mine is in great shape and just don't have the time. Spent probably 100 hours or more in thought and mentally planning and I think it should give some of these high efficiency arches a run for their money if all goes well.

Also planning on pour a castable refractory grate system exactly as designed in the Proctor research paper which will be separate damper controlled also.

[3rdgen.maple]

Red if you found a SAGE flyrod for 135 bucks you should have bought it right then and there before they realized they marked it wrong. That is one heck of a deal I love Sage rods. She who must be obeyed asks me all the time "why in the world do you need so many flyrods" She gets the same answer everytime " Can you golf with only one size golf club or do you need a different one for evey hole" She did get me an Orvis heavy 6wt with fighting butt for steelhead on my bday. She reminds me all the time how she payed over 600 just for the rod. I don't have the heart to tell her Orvis is overrated and I don't like the action on it at all. Give me the Sage anyday.

[red maples]

its still there I was up there today. I like the action too. I think I will go back up and get it tomorrow. I didn' want to ask why it was so cheap beacuse I didn't want them to realize it was marked wrong.

I agree orvis is over rated and over priced. I was at an orvis shop years ago and was looking at fly rods and I just didn't like them I didn't like the feel. and their stuff is way over priced I'd rather get stuff from bass pro shop what ever their fly section is called.

[PATheron]

Maplecrest- Can you clean out your messages and send me a message with a price? Thanks Theron

[Russell Lampron]

Like some of the other guys I was in Swanton, St Albans and Fairfax, VT Saturday. Had a good trip with lots to see and talk about. Spent the day Sunday getting the sugar house and equipment cleaned up. I still have to finish cleaning the evaporator but found that the floor in the sugar house is actually gray! It had been black for too long now. The pressure washer did a nice job.

Richard, my son in law bought a bucket loader for his International 454 tractor yesterday. The project now is to get it mounted on the tractor and put it to use.

[Amber Gold]

Good news and bad news.

Good news is it looks like the 2300 tap orchard is a go. My point of contact spoke with the property owner over the weekend and things are looking promising. I'm supposed to meet the property owner this week to work things out.

Bad news. I heard second hand that the property I'm currently tapping is going to be logged this summer. The person I was talking to knows the property owner's son and is going to get me his cell number so I can actually talk to him. This is a 60 acre parcel and I'm only tapping about 10 acres of it. Maybe I can talk to them about leaving my section alone or thinning it out for better growth. In the section I tapped there aren't many trees greater than 12" so I'm not sure it'd be profitable to tap that section so maybe I'll get lucky. We'll see.

[Dennis H.]

While I am here getting ready to pull the trigger on a new evap I got a call back from a guy I a have been tring to get ahold of to set up a lease agreement with I got thinking about maybe in a year or two how a small RO would help and then I got thinking about all that "WASTE" water that goes down the drain.
Has anyone ever heard of bottling that stuff and selling it, I mean people spend alot of $$ everyday buying water in bottles instead of water out of the faucet and the water that comes out of the RO is considered waste product and you can use only so much to clean stuff up.
Just think about that maybe $1 for a 16oz bottle, 8 per gallon times all those gals that you just dump!!

I am thinking Maple Hollow Aqua Pure. I would be a seasonal thing because the best can only be gotten when the maple's are running.

Man is it slow around here, I got to get thinking and doing other things soon!:D

[DrTimPerkins]

Has anyone ever heard of bottling that stuff and selling it, I mean people spend alot of $$ everyday buying water in bottles instead of water out of the faucet and the water that comes out of the RO is considered waste product and you can use only so much to clean stuff up.

Thousands of people have thought of this....nobody has made it work successfully. In Vermont at least, the State determined that you couldn't make any maple connection. That kills the marketing aspect. Being a seasonal product it is hard to get shelf space in larger stores. If you wanted it to be available year-round, the storage costs would be prohibitive.

[maplecrest]

there is a guy from ohio that does this his name slips me. he might chime in. but he said that the water has to be bottled hot like syrup. to keep.

[dano2840]

there was a person who bought it from eastman long (9000 taps) for awhile but not any more i cant remember if he took the ro water or the raw sap but he would take a tanker load a day some times from what i was told so its been done

[Jim Brown]

Have any of you guys tasted the RO water. that comes off the unit? It is tastless!! One would have to add minerals to make it taste like something.I have tasted ours and it is REALLY BLAND!!

Don't know if there would be a market or not?

Jim

[ennismaple]

I like the taste of RO permeate. I drink it when I'm boiling and my kids race into the camp to get a cup for some tree water every time they're around. Even the stuff at the very end of the season was better than some well water I've tasted.

[Dennis H.]

I myself have never tasted permeate, I was wondering what it would taste like. Because the whole idea of the RO is keep the sugars and minerals together for the syrup and dump the H2O.
Would it technically be distilled water??

That is strange Dr. Perkins that you can not make any connection to trees?? Very odd, I wonder why?

I guess like all bottled water it would have to have expiration date on it so there may be a quanity that would have to be dumped when expired. Or could it be stored in a large SS tank till ready for bottling??

[DrTimPerkins]

That is strange Dr. Perkins that you can not make any connection to trees?? Very odd, I wonder why?

Not my call. I don't know what the reasoning was.

[caseyssugarshack93]

russ, i think i seen you and ambergold at lap saterday but im not 100% on that

[Sugarmaker]

We have been hauling in pallets. Need to start cutting some too!
Working on maple and honey sales, which have been a little slow.

The WRU is complete except for the lifting device and the bubbler hook up. (see other post) Cant seem to shake this project.:) Where is Dave 3% solution when you need him. I forgot to ask him how to stop the build of one of these??

Yard work has been keeping us busy as usual this time of year. Need to think about a garden again too.

Bees are doing OK and hope to get some swarms to rebuild the apiary during 2010.

Went to consignment auction and picked up a 165 gallon vertical poly water tank. This may be sold already, as a friend wants it for a water system.

Regards,
Chris

[3rdgen.maple]

My neighbors let me know today that they are going to be hauling pine logs over to my sugarhouse cause they do not want them. Some of them are pretty darn big and straight. Told them they should consider producing some lumber out of them but they just want to get them out and over to my sugarhouse so I can cut them up for the arch. Guess I will have plenty of wood for awhile. They cut like 25 down yesterday and have alot more marked to come down. Might have to set some aside for lumber myself.
Sold 24 etched glass bottles of syrup today. Nice little payday 10 bucks a pop. Going to stick that right into tubing. That is 2.25 gallons for $240. Plus I got to deliver another 2 cases of glass 12 0z and 2 cases of 8 oz friday. Once again Im just about out. Sure wish it was a better year for production. And like Chris the yard work just never ends. Garden is plowed and been clearing brush and expanding the yard. She who must be obeyed has gone crazy with the flower beds and Im sick of dealing with mulch. That stuff is a waste of money for the amount of time it last. Went through 75 cubic feet of the stuff and she ran out.

[stoweski]

Bees are doing OK and hope to get some swarms to rebuild the apiary during 2010.


Regards,
Chris


What were your losses like this year - not to change the subject to bees but...
We lost 50% (2 of 4). Going to do two cutouts from a couple of barns near me. The nice part is I don't need to replace the siding as the stuff has partially rotten. Hoping to grow to 6 hives this year. Looks like a very nice spring for bees so far.

Still need to get my wood split & stacked for both my house and sugarshack. Have about a cord for the house so far. Definitely a bit behind.

Also adding on to the 1 yr old sugarshack. Adding a roof extension so I can keep wood out of the weather. Hope this doesn't become a yearly trend!

[Amber Gold]

Met the property owner last night and all is good. I'll have access to up to ~2200 trees for next season on his property. Still some logistical things to work out, namely how it'd work if I brought vacuum in. It's setup for gravity and I think it's going to be a nightmare for vacuum leaks with all the fittings he has.

[red maples]

Have any of you guys tasted the RO water. that comes off the unit? It is tastless!! One would have to add minerals to make it taste like something.I have tasted ours and it is REALLY BLAND!!

Don't know if there would be a market or not?

Jim

The water that comes out should be pure. I have a small RO in my kitchen for cooking and stuff because we have arsenic in the well water pretty common around here. I perfer water with no taste that means it has no minerals in it. it is usually more pure that bottled water from the store.

Sounds good amber. have you got any word on the other bush yet? hope all works out!! I am sure you'll get a vacuum in that bush one way or another its your thing man!!!

[DrTimPerkins]

I guess like all bottled water it would have to have expiration date on it so there may be a quanity that would have to be dumped when expired. Or could it be stored in a large SS tank till ready for bottling??

I could be wrong, but believe I read somewhere that although there is an expiration date put on water, it is not there because of any regulatory requirement. It is there because consumers are used to seeing expiration dates on food/drink items, so bottlers put it on there. Otherwise they figure they'd get all kinds of questions about how long it would last.

[Amber Gold]

Word on the street is the property is going to be logged this year. I'm going to see if I can work something out with them where they'll either leave my section of the woods alone or see if they'll thin with sugaring in mind (benefits both parties). I'm tapping about 10-15 acres of a 60 acre lot and in my opinion there isn't much marketable timber in this section...then again I'm not a logger. Also, who knows what they'll ruin getting to what they want.

I do want to bring vac. in, but need to make sure it makes sense for both parties. The woods are already setup, so it's going to be hard to justify to the property owner to tear down his old stuff and put new in, just so vac. can go in. I may need to bring someone else in to see how this could be retrofitted for vac. while keeping leaks to a minimum. We'll see.

[TF Maple]

RO water can't be associated with maple trees.

Not my call. I don't know what the reasoning was.

I'm guessing at this, but it might be a strange FDA rule, just like the rule that whole milk can't be labeled 96.5% fat free. Like I said, just guessing.

[TF Maple]

I have most of my wood ready for next year's syrup production, unless I expand into another bush.

Now I have a new job of cleaning up the nieghbor's barn that fell over in the wind on the weekend. Guess it couldn't wait for the tornadoes that went through on Tuesday:lol: Planning to save the wood and beams that are still good, for various projects and guess I might have to build a real sugar house now. And the best part is the wood is free for the taking. They just want it cleaned up.

[Yellzee]

Continue to work on the trail to the woods to prevent getting stuck next spring. New project for the boss taking time away from the important work though.

Throwing cedar slap wood in the ruts and piling fence line rocks on top to hopefully limit the sinking for a few years. Hard on the back pulling up rocks that were probably thrown there 50 years ago. Painful to waste nice hot burning slab wood this way as well.

[maple flats]

I'm trying to finalize plans for my expansion. Asked my contact on 75 mature roadside sugars to get me an appointment with a landowner who asked him a few times if I would like to tap. Talked with the owner of my current biggest bush about plans to add vac, everything's a go with him. I also emphasized my readiness to help him get his firewood out (and thin the bush at the same time). Trying to get info on a vac pump that has been offered to me. My wood is all cut, split and stacked for the next 2 years.

[Chad802]

Well here we are May 9th and 4inches of snow!! Not a very good mothers day gift.

[ennismaple]

We got some cleanup done around the camp yesterday, despite the cold rain that seldom let up. We got rid of a bunch of old pans and other scrap metal - it's nice to clean that stuff up. Some of the pans had been sitting outside for 30+ years and were completely rusted through. I guess my grandfather and father thought that someday they might have needed them! 3 dump trailers later the bush looks much better!

[Brokermike]

went to the Bascom's open house and bought my first roll of tubing, crimper, fittings, and health spouts....

[Farmboy]

Split about a half cord of mixed slabwood. I will stack it tommorow. That makes about 3 cord of mixed hardwood and softwood.

[caseyssugarshack93]

just got some really good news, The guy that owned the evap i just got a grimm 3x10, is selling my dad a wood stove so were heading down there this week and hes giving me a other roll of tubing, the guy already gave me 2 rolls and a 550 gallon big poly tank, thats like brand new with a big manhole so i can put a releaser right on it! things are going good. now just need to get the sugarhouse additon going, to bad i shoudnt just build a whole new sugarhouse and a WIDER one, 14' wide just dont cut it.


hope everone is doing well


NATE

[Revi]

Chilly here, but that's not unexpected in early May.

I think we were spoiled by the warm weather and have forgotten that we are still in the north country and this kind of weather is what keeps the blackflies and the tourists at bay until around June.

Fortunately the maples don't mind a little snow on their leaves this time of year.

[Dennis H.]

I just placed my order for a new evap with the Maple GUys this evening.
I had to settle for a Lapierre 24x60 raised flue. I wish I could jump right to a 2x6 but I just don't have the room for it. It will be close with the 24x60.

I finally got a call back from the guy I have been trying to contact about leasing some trees from. Really nice stand of trees close to home, I should be able to get 100 trees easy. Once I talk to him I will find out if tubing will be allowed. It is a little marshy so I am going with the thought that with tubing I will be doing less harm to the ground by running tubing. It won't be on vac unless I use gas, no electric.

[ADKMAPLE]

Congrats on the new evap! Will be a dandy for sure!

[3rdgen.maple]

DennisH im a little confused you bought a 24x60 but wanted a 2x6. That is only a foot longer. Is your sugarhouse really that small?

[Dennis H.]

Yes it is! the room is 12'x10' and the evap will be sitting the short direction. with the 2x6 being 7' overall length it just wouldn't work. I would like to add onto the sugarshack but can't foot that this year along with the evap. One thing at a time.

It is going to be real close as it is and I will have to get some sheet SS and make a heat shield for the stack to protect the wall. I will need to pick up some ceramic blanket also to wrap the stack where it goes thru the roof.

So now I guess I need to get up there and pull out the old little evap and lean things up for the new one!

Today I also cut my dairy sink in half, now I got my self a nice feed tank for the evap. It looks like it will hold somewhere around 25-30 gals. I was going to get one made up but I found this one when I got the delaval 76 pump at auction.

[Sugarmaker]

Dennis congratulations on the new rig! That will be very nice!
Sounds like Brandon is serious about the air over fire.:)
Cold hear! have a wood fire going in the house.
Have been working on the rear of the front pan. I cut out the bad portion and tacked in a new piece of stainless. I have to get some more accetylene to heat the copper soldering iron to solder the joint closed. This should eliminate the leakage problems, if I can get it stuck back together.

Regards,
Chris

[Haynes Forest Products]

Leafs are all out the flowers are in full bloom and the Koi are starting to beg for food with the warm water and now were suppose to get 12" SNOW :mad:

Have my releaser controller all put together and installed inside the metal cabnit. Need to weld up the frame to hold the 2 tanks so I can get to plumbing it.

[3rdgen.maple]

Aww heck Dennis I bet there isnt much difference in evaporation rate anyways. Wait till it comes in your gonna sit and druel for hours and drive averyone around you nuts till sugaring season hits again. Any upgrade is a good upgrade in my book congrats.
Spent the past weekend making covers for the flue pan and syrup pan on my rig. Had a Roll of sheetmetal I got tired of kicking around so I made use of half of it anyways. Work has been slow so I took some machines in on consignment to rebuild and sell. Nice machines but abused. Don't think the owner ever picked a rag up and wiped anything off them. Looking at 200 plus hours of work them. Seems like in this economy you gotta work harder and longer to make less these days. Perilous times my friends perilous times.
Hey where is KENWP I have not seen any post from him lately I hope all is well.

[Father & Son]

Started taking the sugarhouse apart Monday evening. Was going to do an expansion this year (adding 10 ft in length) but my cash flow depends on syrup sales and sales depends on the season so that will wait till next year. I'm replacing a window with a man door and changing my sliding door into a wall. This will provide some security and in this day and age the more the better. The door will go right into the woodshed so all the trips back and forth will be out of the weather. Other than that alittle re-organizing and cleaning up will be all for this year inside, outside is another story.

Jim

[Sugarmaker]

Still working on maple stuff. The wife is right, I have a problem!
I soldered the rear of our front pan last night. Of course it was a challenge, but it doesn't leak. Luckily its covered by a hood:)
Now to start on the other two partition at the rear of the same pan. I am reworking these because I see they will fail the same way in a year or so. I have to cut out the old stainless spot weld in a new corner and solder the seams. Sounds easy as I write it. For me it never is!

Found out why my foot has been bothering me for several years. Doc say arthritis has set in. Word to the young don't get OLD! Crap keeps wearing out. But we keep going:)

Man I liked the look of that 4 x 12 for sale on here! Guess I will stay with the old 3 x 10 for several seasons.

Too wet and cold to mow lawn or plant garden or work bees.

Hope your day was GREAT!
Regards,
Chris

[DrTimPerkins]

Word to the young don't get OLD!

Unfortunately the alternative to getting old is not any better. Enjoy every bit you're given.

[Revi]

That's for sure. I plugged all the taps up and my artritic knee let me know that I did a little too much hoofing this morning. Still, it was a great afternoon to be out in the woods.

[Brokermike]

DrTimPerkins Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugarmaker
Word to the young don't get OLD!

Unfortunately the alternative to getting old is not any better. Enjoy every bit you're given.

Though I'm a youngster by most standards I'm a firm beleiver that it's easier to add life to days than days to life

[red maples]

yeah man I was talking to friend of mine last night and we're both still pretty athletic, and we're both creeping up on 40 which is still young but man when you go to play baseball and you need to pack the motrin, wraps , balm, what ever just to get through a game. Things just don't heal as fast as they used to.

I was always getting banged up in sports in HS and you heal in what 1-2 weeks now 20 years later it takes 1-2 YEARS for stuff to heal!!! :mad: :(

Man is it just me or is may REALLY REALLY busy!!! I got stuff going on every weekend, + trying to get to garden and wood and now yard work, + the spring sports for my daughter, and coaching and umping games, dance class(not for me... my daughter) I know I will get something for that one!!! running here and there. catering a thing for my old church my wife has an art reception catering that one too. and much much more geez.:rolleyes:

[Haynes Forest Products]

Yikes So Im not the only one with bad knees. I make the the guy in MEN IN BLACK (the worm) look like Fred Astire. Im getting a consult into knee replacements and wonder what it will do to walking the woods in snow shoes..............OH YA and work:rolleyes:

Guess I should have stoped trying to move big objects by hitting them with motorcycles and riding in those cool vans with flashing lights:emb:

[jrthe3]

got i guy coming tomight to pick up my arch i sold my old flat pans to him and he wanted the arch also ha made me an offer i could not turn down so now starts planing for new air over arch

[3rdgen.maple]

Haynes I have a friend who sufferd with a bad knee for quite some time and had knee replacement surgery last fall and is now just starting to get around on his own. When I asked how he is doing he said he recomends the replacement as the last resort and that it was the worst pain and recovery he ever went through. Now when my grandfather had hip replacement he said it was the best decision he ever made. Bad knees are definetly not a good thing. Back in the day when I was racing snowmobiles I fractured my right knee from landing a jump wrong and had a cast from my hip down to my ankle and was on crutches for months. I took over 2 years before I would go through a day without pain and several more before the sharp pains went away completely. People look at you pretty funny when you are walking along and the knee would give out and just fall in mid stride. Glad those days are over.

[Revi]

My knee was better before arthroscopic surgery. I have pain just walking around now, whereas before the surgery it only hurt when I did too much.

I thought it would fix my problem, but it made it worse.

[Dennis H.]

I was out this morning splitting some of the wood that I cut up last month almost done, maybe 2-3 hrs more of splitting to go.

I am heading for an auction in the morning that has some milking stuff listed, the one that must be obeyed has told me not to bring anything home, we'll see!!:evil:

[3rdgen.maple]

Well just when you think things cant get any worse you have a day like I did. This is off maple topic related but need to vent a little. So my buddies called me from the 99 racing team at oswego and wanted me to stop by the garage tonight so I said sure. Upon pulling into their driveway I hear and feel a very loud smash. By the time I reacted I was parked in the driveway. I jump out of the suv and there is a motorcycle and a guy lying in the road. He is not in good shape. He was speaking and was able to recollect what happened and told the deputy he seen me turning and the blinker but was traveling so fast he could not stop the motorcycle. The paraedics told him they needed to know exacally how fast he was going cause it was critical as to what hospital they needed to take him to. He told them atleast 60 but probably over 70. There was not a single skid mark in the road and about 9 guys in the shop seen the whole thing happen and said he just drove into the side of me. His helmet which looked like the ones you buy your kid for riding a bicycle was in my backseat. He went in through the back window and came back out the same one. The impact was so hard it broke the axle on my vehicle along with the leaf springs. There is a perfect indentation of his handle bars in the side of it and below that is nothing but crinkled metal. He is one lucky guy to even be alive. Paramedics think he fractured his hip and has severe head trauma and rushed him off as quick as possible. 22 years old and his life just changed in a flash. This was a little reminder for me how things can change in a instant and I ask all of you to please be careful no matter what you are doing. Slow down and not be in such a hurry and if you ride a motorcycle do both of them even more and if you don't ride a motorcycle watch out for the ones that do. There are so many blind spots in an SUV I had no idea he was even behind me. And I cannot believe this young guy is alive from going 70 to a dead stop into the side of a vehicle. The window saved his life.

[Dave Y]

I call guys like that organ donors. Drive so fast they cant control the piece of metal between their legs. A few years ago a knucklehead on a crotch rocket flew through our little town at an est 140mph. The caught up with him 15 miles away, after they set up a road block. he's lucky to be alive and didn't kill some one. I don't know what some people are thinking. Oh they aren't. I'm glad you are OK and hope that chuckle head is too and has learned a valuable lesson

[3rdgen.maple]

I hear ya Dave I just cant get over the fact the guy had a bicycle helmet on and survived, atleast I hope he did. Weird how the guy was not able to answer simple questions but could remember details of the accident. Man if his head hit metal instead of going through the window things would have been different. My 15 year old daughter was with me and it was an eye opener for her as well. I did call the hospital but of course they would not give me any info on him.

[Amber Gold]

Finally talked to the property owner's son of my current woods. They want me off the property by the end of June. Reasoning "this got bigger than we anticipated" and "it's our property and we're upset that we have to wait for your lines to come down before we log". I think it's just B.S. If he was that concerned about it, he would have spoken to me before this. I never thought they would do something like this, so I didn't get a formal agreement. We discussed what I was/wasn't going to do, the limits of where I would tap, and etc.

Good news is my new sugar bush is a go. Walked the tubing setup with the owner. Lines are grossly undersized for vacuum, but the property owner is willing to upgrade...hopefully he'll go big enough. He was surprised when I told him we'd probably need a 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" wet/dry line. He wants me to propose terms/conditions for a formal agreement and we'll discuss next week.

Moving ahead w/ the USDA grant process. Hopefully will get everything completed in time.

[Dennis H.]

Got back from the auction today with some of my goodies!!

I picked up 5 surge milk buckets, a large Bender milk receiver, A milk transfer unit, a Delaval 73 vacuum pump and a Surge Alamo vacuum pump.

I wasn't able to bring the Alamo home but I will be going back tomorrow to finish removing it along with the steel vac lines for scrap.

I had to wait almost to the end for it but I think it was worth the wait. That little delaval runs like a champ.

There was a diplomat 440gal milk tank there and I think it for $375 but I do not know how the heck they are going to get that thing out of the milk palor. I think they built the building around the thing. I was going to bid on it but once I got all those other goodies I thought it wold be best not to press my luck with the "Boss".

[3rdgen.maple]

Amber it sounds like to me the owner came to theconclusion that he would make a decent buck quick of the logging instead of the sap. People these days are all about the quick almighty dollar and tend to have a blind eye loking into the future. It saddens me everytime I hear maples being logged. Hope the new sugarbush leads to better things to come.
Dennis I think you struck liquid gold at that auction now you gotta tells us how much you spent.

[Amber Gold]

The son or kids manages the property for the parents, which unfortunately aren't doing so well. Either they need the money to pay for bills or are looking to make a quick buck. It's a shame. I wouldn't be so upset if I didn't have all this time and money into it. I just it working the way I wanted last year too...everything came back to the sugar house. I think the time's the biggest part. I basically have two winters of weekends in those woods.

I did ask him if I made it more worth their while if they'd reconsider. There's probably ~300 taps on their property. Even if I payed them $2/tap every year, is it worth it to them to not log the 10 acres of the 60 acres I'm tapping...probably not. Problem is, for the the past 2 years the trees have not run sweet...entire season averaged 1.3% so I don't know if it's worth paying much more than that. I need to get back to him with a written proposal and they'll consider...I'm not hopeful.

[Russell Lampron]

Josh sorry to hear about the bad news. I hope that the new sugar bush works out better.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Dennis What type of SS pipe lines are you getting? I sold a pile of SS vacuum pipe with the sanitary fittings on Ebay few years back and now Im Kicking myself. The cost has gone crazy. If you happen to have (80) 12" sections of 1 1/4 cut to size with nice stright ends................:)

[Dennis H.]

No SS pipeline! This was an old setup. There was only steel vac line in the barn. They used the surge milk buckets to milk to the cows and a transfer tank on wheels to haul the milk over to the shed with the milk tank in it. There they used the small delaval vac to suck the milk out of the transfer tank and into the 440gal milk tank.

I got everything removed today, got something like 200-300lbs of steel to take in for scrap. A few bucks.

The only thing that I did find that will need to be addressed is the oiler on the Alamo vac in missing, well part of it anyway. It looks like it once had a glass jar of some sort on it. They had a plastic bag wraped around it and it was clean so I think it must have just happened not long ago. I figured it is no big deal.

3rdgen I paid $335 for everything. I'll post s few pic maybe tomorrow. I just haven't had time to clean stuff up, I just opened the garage and shoved stuff in and shut the door.

[brookledge]

Finally got other things out of the way so I can begin to focus on wood for next yr. Wood storage is 1/3 full, left over from this yr.
And relating to the motorcycle incident it made me think of a while back I had an moron following me on his bike. He was doing wheelies and screwing around. Next thing I noticed he was standing up on the seat with no hands on the handle bars and I thought to my self all I need to do is slam on my brakes and he will be launched over my truck.
Keith

[red maples]

sorry to hear about that Josh!! but atleast your not out in the cold so to speak. that new bush couldn't have come at a better time. lots of work to do from the sounds of things.

3rdgen I had a friend die on a motorcycle was on a back country road on some sorta rice burner and came around slight curve had to go in the on coming lane to make the turn and went head on with a van dead on impact and the bike burst into flames I will spare the nasty details but he was estimated at 100 + mph as people living on the road said they could hear him shift several times. speed limit on the road 35 mph...not too smart!!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have to look at the wrecked ones with my job and I have to get that close to them which is too close to me. I guess after working as an adjustor for 14 years and seeing a lot of them that they never lived to tell about it, I wouldn't want to be caught on one. Usually, it is not the motorcycle driver unless it is a crotch rocket, it is the other driver that is the problem because they are so much harder to see vs a normal size vehicle.

[Dennis H.]

Here are a few pics of the new to me stuff that I picked up at an auction this past weekend.

The 1st is the Large Bender Milk receiver
2nd The little delaval 73 vac pump
3rd The milk transfer tank, I have an idea for the tank part, scrap the rest
4th the Surge Alamo Vac pump, I have it off the base to clean it up. It has a Dayton 1.5 HP motor with it. You can see that the oil jar is missing.

[caseyssugarshack93]

dennis, i like the big bender, There REALLY nice and work good

[maplecrest]

the dumping station would make a great draw off tank, you even have the hose to hook to the filter press

[Dennis H.]

I just took apart the the dumping/transfer tank thing all SS!!
The hose is kind of nasty though, I don't feel comfortable using it for anything really.

Maplecrest that is what I was sort of thinking. The frame that holds the tank is worn on the bottom but I can use the round frame that supports the tank and make a new outside frame to hold the whole thing.

Yeah Casey I was really happy to see the large Bender when I got there. All the ad said was there was 400gal milk tank and a "Milking Station" what the heck is included in a milking station. when I got there in the morning and saw what was in the little building I had to refran the excitment that I had.

I found out about the Alamo at the auction right before they started to sell it. I wasn't going to let that pass me by.

So now I think I am set for vac pumps, SP22, Delaval 76, Delaval 73, Surge Alamo, I am told is a 30??

[3rdgen.maple]

Dennis I'm just sitting here looking at the picture of the pump with the oil reservoir missing and what it looks like to me is a wick oiler. I think it is actually turned upside down. On the opposite side of where the reservoir goes is there a little spring loaded cap? If so it is upside down and is a common oiler in my world. If that is the case how it was set up is as follows. Basically you take 2 smokers pipe cleaners and twist them together except the last inch or so and spread the 2 ends not twisted together like a Y. This is the end that goes in the cup. The other end where it is all twisted gets pushed into the opening and down in the pipe. The longer the wick and the farther it gets in the pipe the more oil it feeds the pump. It acts like a sponge and absorbs the oil and the vacuum sucks the oil in the pump. It is a simple setup but serves its purpose well. Start experimenting with glass jars you have kicking around, jam jars etc. It is a pretty common jar thread. The bigger the jar the longer the wick also you want that wick so it touches the bottom of the jar and is well into that pipe. Also you may have to use more than two wicks to get the diameter to fit snuggly in the pipe so it stays in place and the Y spread at the end prevents it from getting sucked in which I have never seen happen but its a little insurance.

[Maplewalnut]

Dennis( the auction King of Pa)

Great pick ups, next you'll need a new out building for retail sales of pumps and milk releasers.

Mike

[Haynes Forest Products]

Dennis I have the same type of step saver mine has a pump on the bottom and when you stepped on the treddle it opened the top and turned the pump on to shoot the milk to the tank. I had 100ft of hose that looked just like yours. I thought the same thing about it being nasty. Then one day I was desperate for hose and took a scotchbrite pad to it and it came clean as can be. If the hose was cleaned before storage it will clean up. Its nice for filter presses because how thick the walls are and its anti kink.

[Brian Ryther]

It finally got so nasty in the sugar house that I had to drain the pans. What lay below the scum and slime were the cleanest pair of pans I have ever seen. If you can stand the stink and do not get any public traffic in you sugar house then I highly sudgest this method. I have also removed the plastic evap feed tank and replaced it with a ss tank. I now am getting ready to plumb the whole sugar house with ss pipe.

[Sugarmaker]

Will get back on fixing the 1 inch holes in the rear of my front pan tonight. Some forming fabing tweaking welding and soldering are in order.

Hope things are well for all maple related activities:)

Regards,
Chris

[TF Maple]

Worked on the blown down barn some more hauling home beams and boards, same barn I mentioned in post # 40. Found the vacuum pump in the barn and pulled that out and took it home. It is a Surge SP-11.... sweet bonus!

[danno]

It finally got so nasty in the sugar house that I had to drain the pans. What lay below the scum and slime were the cleanest pair of pans I have ever seen. If you can stand the stink and do not get any public traffic in you sugar house then I highly sudgest this method. I have also removed the plastic evap feed tank and replaced it with a ss tank. I now am getting ready to plumb the whole sugar house with ss pipe.

I assume you left sap in the pans - I did for the first time this year and I'm a believer. Pans are sparkling. After the first couple days of a sour milk smell, it's not so bad as it just then smells like vinegar.

[ADKMAPLE]

danno, ok what is the reasoning for leaving sap in the pans? Is this some form of microbic cleaning?

[Dennis H.]

Cool Find TF Maple!:cool:

[heus]

It finally got so nasty in the sugar house that I had to drain the pans. What lay below the scum and slime were the cleanest pair of pans I have ever seen. If you can stand the stink and do not get any public traffic in you sugar house then I highly sudgest this method. I have also removed the plastic evap feed tank and replaced it with a ss tank. I now am getting ready to plumb the whole sugar house with ss pipe.

Yeah, I dont really mind the smell too bad. It smells like hard apple cider vinegar. Its neat how it went from ropey to moldy on top and then back to liquid. I'm going to wait to clean mine until I get my water to the sugarhouse hooked up so I dont have to haul my pans back to my house. Hopefully by the beginning of June. I just wonder how hard it will be to get the scum line off.

[lpakiz]

I also put sap into the pans to let it ferment. I used some late season, buddy sap that I decided not to boil... Cleaned the pans up like new.

[3rdgen.maple]

Okay I gotta ask but why go through all the waiting and smell of fermenting sap when you can get the same results faster if you just dump vinegar in the pans and let them sit for a few days rather than a few months?
I get to pick up my new Ram truck on friday and yep its got a Hemi. Its a little smaller motor than the one in the SUV that was a motorcycle magnet but it seems to get around fast enough. My dad passed out at the docs office today and got rushed to the hospital. They were taking no chances as he had a heart valve replaced 3 years ago. 10 hours later in St. Joes ER they admitted him for pnuemonia. He is in good hands and spirits but while sitting in that chair all day I was fascinated with the iv pump and just kept mentally pictureing sap being pumped through it. We are a weird bunch. Dad caught me staring at it and said he already thought about it hours ago and it would be way to small for the sugarbush and laughed. Hope everyones week is going better than mine.

[Brian Ryther]

"Okay I gotta ask but why go through all the waiting and smell of fermenting sap when you can get the same results faster if you just dump vinegar in the pans and let them sit for a few days rather than a few months?"

It's free and easy.

[PerryW]

Okay I gotta ask but why go through all the waiting and smell of fermenting sap when you can get the same results faster if you just dump vinegar in the pans and let them sit for a few days rather than a few months?

Or you can dump in some pan acid and wait a couple hours. Personally, I like to get cleaned up and on to other chores.

[220 maple]

Syrup still moving this year even with summer looming after Memorial Day. And according to one of the tourist traps I supply they expect business to really pick up from Memorial Day til the last leaf fall. They are located with a view of Seneca Rocks. The visitors center registers 250,000 people annually. Location, Location, Location. The owner said I better have plenty of West Virginia Syrup. I held 70 gallons back, I hope when the last leaf falls this October-November I will sell my last Pint. That's my business plan for the summer.

Mark 220 Maple

[3rdgen.maple]

Brian I was waiting for someone to say "cause its free" I think we could question that one to death. It cost us money to get sap out of our trees and that sap sitting in those pans could have been syrup and sold. lol I know I Know but a pint of syrup would of bought me all the vinegar I needed and been done with it. Now Im gonna throw in another alternative for you guys. Stick a tap in a birch tree or 2 and use that. I boiled down some birch syrup and did not like the flavor at all so I pulled the plug on that operation and when I drained the pans I was amazed at how well it cleaned them up.

[Brian Ryther]

3rd gen,
When I had the last of my sap in the evap on my last boil I chased the sweet with 400 gallons of water. There was not much syrup left in the pans, but enough sugar to ferment. As far as time goes, I have not been sitting for the past two months watching the slime, waiting for it to be just right. When I had enough of the smell I felt it was time. I opened the drains and spraied it with a garden hose. Done. It does not get any quicker and did not require one ounce of elbow grease. I also like that I do not have to use any acid in the pans.

[heus]

Do you guys clean your pans in place or do you take them outside and turn them on their side when rinsing?

[Brian Ryther]

I clean my pans in place. The syrup pan is 6'x5' alone. I shop vac out the last little drops at the end.

[lpakiz]

I also was apprehensive about the acid thing. There were warnings on here about NOT using acid until spring, when fresh sap would nuetralize any residual acid without making pinholes in the pan. Another alternative was to nuetralize the acid with baking soda(?) Anyway, the sap was buddy and I was gonna dump it anyway. I put on a rubber glove and periodically checked as to how the cleaning was coming.

[Sugarmaker]

I just completed the repairs to the back ends of the front pan tonight. ( Played hooky from work this afternoon, With 5 weeks of vacation left I have to use some once in a while.
I used the MIG with .030 stainless wire and instead of spot welding along the edge of the patch I drilled holes in the edge of the pan and welded through to secure the new corner each inch. This left the joint easier to clean and get solder to stick.
Pan cleaning the underside of the front pan with the new pressure washer I was able to get back down the the stainless.
If I had Gary Rs box break in a 6 foot version I would just build a new set!

I will try to start the frame work for lifting the WRU and the rear pan this week and hope to get a trial boil by July 4.

Got a swarm of bees last night about a mile from where I work. About 4+ lbs of bees. I used a 10 foot step ladder and a bucket on a ten foot pole to get them from the spot in a tree. It was a very easy catch if you have the right tools. They went right in the box when I dumped them in front of the hive. Up to five colonies at this time plus the one Keith is watching makes six.


Regards,
Chris

[heus]

Chris,
Ive been trying to get OneLegJohn to sell me the sweet bucket washer you sold him a few years ago. He wont part with the darn thing.:D Know of any more in the area?

[Amber Gold]

Started on getting things ready to pull my lines down. I'm going to label each lateral in case I get permission to go back it'll make it easier to set back up. Also depends on what the leave standing in the woods too. I hope to have everything down by the end of next weekend.

To date, I've already sold ~93 gal of syrup which is 3 gal more than I did all of last year. The local farm that I setup at is just opening up and there's still the holidays. It looks like it's going to be a good year for sales.

Now that I'm making maple candy, it's hard not to eat it all the time...good stuff.

[220 maple]

For those of you with High Speed Internet there is several new videos on YOUTUBE for the 2010 Maple Season. One of my favorites is the guy who can't wait for his taps to arrive in the mail so for 15 dollars he goes to Lowes or Home Depot and buys all he needs to tap a tree in his back yard. Leader and the others are in big trouble with this guy showing his secrets to everyone. Just Kidding, Maybe Dr. Perkins can get some grant money to post some education videos on YouTube for those that are lost in the Sugar Bush.

Mark 220 Maple

[red maples]

wood wood wood all I do is wood!!!!

yeah watching youtube you realized there are more people that are just lost all together!!! and then not only are they lost, but then share how lost they really are!!!:lol: :lol:

[red maples]

Now that I'm making maple candy, it's hard not to eat it all the time...good stuff.

yes it is isn't it I try to keep the broken pieces and pot scrapings whatever up in the candy cabinet...but I here it call out to me all the time. took my son fishing the other day and we took some sandwiches and stuff and for lunch and I asked him if he wanted some cookies for dessert and he said no I want maple candy. So I put a few pieces in a bag and we went on our way.
fished for abit ate our sandwiches and he asked for his candy but I left it on the kitchen counter:o ...man was he pissed:mad: cried and everything. I guess I would be that upset if I couldn't my maple candy too.;)

[Haynes Forest Products]

Red Maples is it true that your son is 24 years old:lol:

[red maples]

nope he's only 4!!!!:lol:

and I'm 37...I think:rolleyes:the first thing to go is the mind!!!

You know the best thing about splitting wood by hand ...Oh and love when this happens too...is when you swing down and hit the chunk of wood and it splits in 2 or 3 pieces and one of the pieces shoot back and hits you in the knee or the shin OH MAN THAT FEELS GREAT. :cry: :mad:

[Dennis H.]

"You know the best thing about splitting wood by hand ...Oh and love when this happens too...is when you swing down and hit the chunk of wood and it splits in 2 or 3 pieces and one of the pieces shoot back and hits you in the knee or the shin OH MAN THAT FEELS GREAT. "

Yeah and that is the reason I went in halves with my dad on a log splitter!!:lol:
And I also get tired of bending over to stand back up that piece I have been trying to split the last 5 min's!!

Powered equipment is awsome!!:D

[red maples]

I got pile of clean wood thats eay to split and the pile thats impossible to split that I will rent (for this year anyway) a log splitter to take of that nasty knotty twisted junk pieces.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

More heat in the knots:lol:

[red maples]

yes that is true more sticky stuff in there!!!;)

[whalems]

I had my worst season so far... So I picked up a bigger evaporator, having Bill Mason make me a syrup pan for it. bought 3 more 275 gallon storage tanks. and have started collecting materials for a new shack. Thats what you do after your worst season ever right??:lol:

[red maples]

yep sounds about right!!! Go bigger!!!

[whalems]

yep I did! Went from 2-2x4 flat pans on propane. Now I have a 4x10 wood fired.:o

[maple flats]

THat's what I'm doing. Worst season ever and I lined up about 325 taps is good but putting vac on 550 is the goal.325 more taps, bought a 1000 gal vac tank, bought a vac pump, ready to expand, my biggest expansion ever in 1 year, adding 325 taps is good but putting vac on 550 taps is the goal. Should then be at or near 925 taps with 550 of them on vac. In the past I had 600 max gravity and only 575 gravity this past season. If I can work it for a second small pump it is possible I might also have 180 on vac at the sugarhouse. The pump I have lined up but a releaser would be needed, will streach the budget to add that too with sales so low from this year. I'm adding from outside funds big time to make things happen. I don't want to sit and wait for a good maple season, I need to do things to put the odds more in my favor than with just gravity.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Been kinda busy up here in NNY. Got all my bulk syrup sold and I hope I have saved enough for my retail market. Still pecking away at bits of clean up in the sugar house. I still have to haul all the releasers in and get them cleaned but that is about all that is left. I have been working at improving lines in my current set ups at this point. Adding some more dry line and extending mains and shortening laterals. I have added 0ne 1" line that will give me 30 more taps but it will pick up about 30 existing taps in a much better configuration. Last weekend we drove to Mass. to pick up another RO. Hope to either speed the processing next season or process a lot more:) Plan on adding 2 more lines by next season. One about 300 taps that will run off an existing pump and a second with 650 (later to expand to about 1200) that will be run off another pump. That will put us at about 44oo here at home. Hope to continue to buy sap too. I think I have accumulated all the tanks and stuff I will need. Also on the agenda is replacing 1000 more drops with stubbies so that CV spouts are a choice if I want them. Started doing hay today so that will be getting in the way of maple stuff for a while:rolleyes:
Do something maple every day
Doug

[tuckermtn]

doug- only 4400? Theron looks like he is going to have 5000...can't let him beat ya...

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Eric,
He won't have the additional 3000 this year. At least not on his own. I will probably lose a few of my purchased taps this next Spring as one of my suppliers is putting up his own sugar house and is planning on boiling his own. I am thinking of getting the word out that I am interested in buying more sap to make up for it. In a couple more years I hope to have a bit over 5000 here at home and (don't tell the wife) a couple of thousand leased:)
Doug

[Maplewalnut]

Slacking a little on the maple jobs. But I did empty the snotty sap and power wash the pans over the weekend. They look good, just as good as vinegar if not a little better. Still have some white scale in the syrup pan up high on the sides. Will have to give that a shot of acid.
Have RO room built and have started the plumbing. Need to rearrange tanks and build a stand for one while its in the air to get the pitch right.
Load of logs delivered over the weekend for house wood $550 for 9-10 cord. Still pretty good price, loggers are salvaging a lot of dead oak around here from three years of heavy gypsie moth infestation.
Just got a call from a neighbor that wants me to tap their woods, will allow tubing so I better get looking for another surge sp pump. Going this week to check it out.

Mike

[red maples]

yeah I still have a little take down tubing to remove yet. I shouldn't have waited cause the poison Ivy is out in full force now!!!

MAn it was hot today. but still managed to get in some wood splitting in. just alot a sweat!!! and the Deerflies are out yippee!!!!

[stoweski]

Have some wood split & stacked but need to build my addition (12x14) for wood storage this summer. Lots of wood left to split & stack.

Hopefully headed up to Nate's to pick up my new-to-me 2x6 Leader this weekend. Will definitely be a nice upgrade from the 1/2 pint!

Mosquitoes are out in force like the ticks. I'm surprised to hear of deerflies this time of year... usually they arrive here around the last week of June. Maybe summer is early. Today was disgusting and I hear tomorrow's only suppose to be worse.

Did manage to find another 10 trees to tap for next year. That should bring my total up to 100. Still need to clear a bit around the trees so I can get to them more easily. Think I'll wait and do that in the fall when it's cooler.

[brookledge]

well the heat is on. Sure have been working up a sweat at work. My wood for 2011 is well on the way. I have to fit that project in between all of my kids baseball and softball games. Plus going to get away this weekend in the camper
Keith

[ADKMAPLE]

I have done nothing other than throwing downed branches into piles in about 1/8 of my "sapbush" so far. dont really know if I will get anything else done this summer, too many other house projects to do first.

[220 maple]

My Tourist Trap customer called Tuesday, running low on maple coated nuts and sugar candy, plus they said the syrup in the display with the other West Virginia made products had taken a hit in the last couple weeks. I delivered them 36 packages of nuts 11 days ago and they had three packages left. They reminded me that Tourist season starts this weekend. Making candy and coating Pecans, Almonds and English Walnuts tomorrow and bottling syrup Friday Mourning for a Friday evening delivery. I had considered looking for other stores, but don't know if I can supply them.

Mark 220 Maple

[red maples]

Earlier this season I sold alot of Quart jugs now I have been selling nothing but pints...I had to bottle up some more pints today...got me a little excited to smell the syrup...guess I'll go split some wood!!!!

a little more and I 'll have 4 cords down and have 2 more to go!!! and 3 1/2 more cords hard wood for house but that goes quicker beacuse I don't have to split it so small.

[Sugarmaker]

Picked up a 3 lb swarm of honey bees tonight. Easy catch about 5 feet off the ground. I will combine with another hive.

Have most of the materials rounded up for the trolley frame over the evaporator.

-11 feet of 2 x 4 x 1/8 wall tubing for the frame.
-Two hand winches from Harbor Freight.
-12 feet of 1/2 inch stainless rod for the lifting triangles,
-Various nuts and bolts.
-two pulleys for the cable to run through.

I also ordered 3 sq feet of 1/8 inch FDA approved foam gasket to seal up any cracks in the pan to WRU and around the doors. I will cut this to 3/4 or 1/2 inches wide, and stick it in place. Not a cheap date it was about $150.

Also picked up enough stainless rod (3/8 dia) to make a new set of stainless racks for the BBQ grill! Another stainless project HELP!!

Regards,
Chris

[Dan W]

This past week I got a 8x12 roof built on the end of the sugarhouse for wood that has already been split. Yesterday received pan gasket material, new float seals, and some other incidentals. Hopefully over the weekend I can get the evaporator back together and move some wood into the shed. Still need to talk to one land owner about tapping some of his trees. That is all that's left to do and I am set. Get the house painted in the next few weeks and other than cutting grass, the rest of the year is mine!! Fishing, hunting, the holidays, more hunting, then SAP!!!!

[red maples]

Hope everyone is having a great long weekend with family. mine has been just too busy so far started at 4 am today not fair!!! but I got enjoy a few boiling soda this afternoon and grilled up a few burgers!!! with the family.

[3rdgen.maple]

Red I feel your pain I had to work saturday today and tomarrow and all next weekend as well. Did get to Oswego for the race but that turned into a big flop of a night. Buddy wrecked his supermodifeid along with a bunch of others. So after work all week I will be heading over to the raceshop and helping out so he can make the next race. Got to get some tubing ordered and start on that soon but man there is so much to do and so little time these days.

[stoweski]

Had a nice drive up to Nate's to pick up my 2x6. I've always liked driving north on 87 rather than west on 90. It's much more scenic. What I should have done is taken the back roads and found a house with a nice view for sale and parked my truck in the yard and leave this place behind! I guess after 20 years of not living in the Adks I miss it.

Anyway, it's nice to move up to a 2x6 from a 1/2 pint. I'm sure it will serve me well.

Time to check the bees and fire up the grill! Enjoy your Memorial Day!

[ADKMAPLE]

Where/who is Nates??? Glad to ehar you got a 2x6, very nice! THe adk's are nice, cant imagine not living in them!

[stoweski]

Casey's sugar shack. He's here on the trader.

[Amber Gold]

Saturday, graded out the new line to the new dump station. Worked a 2% grade out from the dump station, just cleared the two knolls, and met the existing junction perfectly. Couldn't plan it any better.

Also, unlike my old bush, this property owner is very fair and it looks like the agreement will be beneficial to both parties.

Plan is to upgrade these woods to a wet/dry system, then upgrade the rest of the woods to replacement spouts and high vac. the following two years. After all existing is up to snuff, expand the system to the remaining trees. With the pockets I've seen, we'll likely end up over 2500 taps.

Sunday and today I pulled all the lat's down in my old woods and rolled up some short sections of mainline. All I have left to do is roll up my long mainline, and couple of short main's, and pull down my high mainline. Should be all done next weekend. Tagged everything in hopes the property owner reconsider's and everything can go back up post-logging. Otherwise I'll set this up in another woods I'm looking up, or expand my new woods a few years earlier than planned.

The hunt is on for a used RO. I figure I'll have ~2000 taps on 18" of vac. next year.

[red maples]

Had a nice drive up to Nate's to pick up my 2x6. I've always liked driving north on 87 rather than west on 90. It's much more scenic. What I should have done is taken the back roads and found a house with a nice view for sale and parked my truck in the yard and leave this place behind! I guess after 20 years of not living in the Adks I miss it.

Anyway, it's nice to move up to a 2x6 from a 1/2 pint. I'm sure it will serve me well.

Time to check the bees and fire up the grill! Enjoy your Memorial Day!

hey what did nate end up gettingI know he's been wanting to upgrade for some time now 2000 taps (RO of course) on that 2x6. I almost bought his rig last year but I got a better deal closer to home whould have like 10+ hours round trip for me.

[sapman]

ADK, Nate is in Saranac, not to be confused with Saranac Lake. Where abouts are you in south ADK? I, too, LOVE the Adirondacks, and don't get there near enough!

Tim

[Revi]

I too love the Adirondaks. We climbed nearly all the 46 highest peaks when I was in high school.

We went down to Popham Beach today and got a little sand between our toes.

Very nice, but it smells like smoke here now because of those fires up in Quebec.

I hope tomorrow's rain makes it go away.

[stoweski]

hey what did nate end up gettingI know he's been wanting to upgrade for some time now 2000 taps (RO of course) on that 2x6. I almost bought his rig last year but I got a better deal closer to home whould have like 10+ hours round trip for me.

Figured he'd chime in by now. Must be busy building is addition up there. Anyway, he picked up a 3x10. Not sure of the specifics as once we got through hauling the 2x6 onto the trailer I wanted to hit the road. Maybe he could fill us in. My total drive time was right around 6-1/2 hours. Not too bad - and very scenic - a little smoky - but scenic.

[caseyssugarshack93]

i got a 3x10, Gh Grimm, Should beable to add a few more taps, shooting to add 1000 but who really knows, lots of wok to do on clearing out the woods, i must say, After moving a 2x6 fully bricked. i dont think id wanna try and move anything bigger than that with bricks unless there was a winch involved, had a good time with keith and his buddie moving the 2x6. hope everone is doing well. i been busy working on my addion on the sugarhouse, moved the 3x10 arch over there yesterday.