802,
Now that doesn't sound like fun at all!!!
Rich,
About 9 yesterday and another 9.5 today that you sent this way.
Still coming down.
Dave
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802,
Now that doesn't sound like fun at all!!!
Rich,
About 9 yesterday and another 9.5 today that you sent this way.
Still coming down.
Dave
I got bit by the cold up here last week, with sub zero temps tightening my lines so much I had 3 mainifolds break apart on me. Anyone else have that happen? Whats the fix so I don't have a repeat in the future?
I always have slack going into any manifolds, not much but enough for shrinkage. I hardly ever use pvc fittings also for the same reason you have had.
Just getting daylight. We got about ten more inches. Well over 2' on the ground now. Pitch is good on the new sugar house roof. It keeps sliding right off. I am going out to plow out as soon as I finish this coffee. Looks like this round is about over. The temp is dropping fast. Has gone from about 20 at 4:30 to about 10 now.
I finally got all the brick and sand out of the evaporator so as soon as I can assemble a crew, it can be moved. Be glad to have that out of the way. Too many jobs, not enough of me. Parker would probably say it is because I don't waaaaant it bad enough. I think it is because I'm slippin' down the wrong side of the hill.
Good morning Thompson's,
Yeah sun's peeking up here too.
Got 9.5" from this storm, I'd say about 20" on the ground.
Got to get the snowblower cranked up in a few minutes.
It's 9 here, I have always noticed the temperature always drops right at sunrise.
Hey your not slipping down the hill, your organizing and prioritizing.
Parker is a young buck, he just wants to hammer, hammer, hammer.
Now you and I, we go at our own pace and we still get there.
Ok, enough of this, got to clean the neighborhood.
Have a good one!!!
Stay safe!!
Dave
Doug- Your a go-getter. You cant fool us. I finished walking the lines this morning up back. My side of the road 100% other than adding about 3 new laterals which will only take a minute. Pretty happy to see one bush all done. Gotta go get some more 5/16 tonight and start hammering out drops and saddles across the road. Gotta just keep on keepin on just like Joe Dirt. Theron
Got alot done yesterday after it stopped snowing. Already put in about 50 more taps than I thought I would get to and finished my dry line to where I am going to set up my releaser. Vacuum pump is coming in the next few weeks and plan on piping the evaporator feed line and test running that this weekend.
Pretty cool, I had my 9 year old son following me from tree to tree putting in drops. After a while he figured out how to use the two handed tool by himself. thought it was so cool, he showed his 7 year old brother how to use it when we got back to the house and they made up another 60 or so drops! Anyone need some cheap labor- may open a mail order drop line business. LOL
We got about 18 inches here, but it's hard to tell because it drifted so much. We're going to have to get plowed out. There is a big berm by the road at the sugarhouse now. It will discourage trespassers, unless they're wearing snowshoes.
We are planning on adding a bunch of new taps after X-mas. It is really cool to be adding new trees again.
after xmas?????????????? why not xmas day??????????? open presents be done by 10:00am and out in the woods by 10:15,,
hehehehe i did it last year exept i was in the woods by 9:15, i gues im a work o holic, oh wait no a mapleholic
i wasnt feeling to hot this morning, had a pounding head ache and my belly didnt feel to great al though it didtn feel like i was gunna hurl so i stayed home from school, mom said i could so i did, she said try to get some sleep, and left, i had started putting the wool pants on right after i saw her get into her car, started the JD and off i went, finished puting up all the main line wire in the woods, what took 4 1/2 hrs should have only taken 1 ( i was sick remember was moving slower and the 3ft of snow didnt make it any easier) but i got really disy and tired and i remember sitting down at around 1:00 and woke up at 3:00 still sitting in my snow bed, just it was a little deeper now and i was a little wetter, called it a day , hobbled over to the tractor and headed home.
got home about 15 min before my mother pulled in, got lucky......hehehe
dano,
Here's my take on your day today:
You skipped school!!!!
If you was good enogh to work on maple you was good enough to go to school.
Your schooling is more important!!!!
Don't get me wrong here, I did stuff like that too ( hunting, fishing, snowmobiling).
Now, your mom was right, you should have got some rest.
Hope your feeling better!!!
:-)
Dave
Wow
I last visited on the 15th. Been to tired plowing snow for the last few days. Atleast it was snow this time and not ice. I got a section of my bush that I need to replace the drops this winter so I'll be doing that soon.
Christmas sales were actually very good this year. When I started making everything right after Thanksgiving I was sceptical but now I'm happy that it turned out so well.
Also I need to get out and make sure no lines and drops are on the ground before the snow turns into ice from the rain I got coming on the 24th
Keith
32 inches of snow here after 4 days of non stop. finally plwed out. now have to find the snow shoes again
It's almost Christmas, I see a lot of guests lurking about on the trader, I just want to say Welcome! hopefully your enjoying it :)
we love to have you here. also remember , Registration is free, we would love to get to know you and help or learn from you. make a New Years Resolution and register as a new and proud member of the MapleTrader.com family! we have a great time here, and so many have met some great guys and girls who enjoy Maple as much as you, there are even some gatherings and work parties that get organized.
Great to have you here.
i was sick enough to stay home in the morning but i could have gone to school for the last half of the day, but hey ive got work to do, we werent doing much in school yesterday any way
dano,
Just razzing ya a bit!!
got back in the sugar woods today. snow right up to the pockets of my pants. had a few limbs come down. cleaned them up, got lines back up. then cut brush.dont like cleaning the snow away from the base of brush before i cut it. but do not want to walk on the sharp stumps later.
We have about 30" on the ground as I type. We have had lots more but it has settled to 30, of course there are drifts higher in places.
Tomorrow morning I am going to start adding my new tubing/expansion. I am designing it for wet dry with VAC but not putting up the dry this season. Next season I hope to add an RO and if I get that the VAC is next. That is when I will add the dry line, but everything except the dry line wire and dry line itself will be in place. I plan on adding 400 taps this year but will drop about 100 from another location, too much travel for too little sap once the bigger section is up and running. The bush I am adding in likely has enough for about 1000 taps total and is all on a side hill, uphill from the road. I think this will really be great when I get it done. If I have a per tap season near last year's I will have the funds to get the RO, might need a good blueberry year to add the VAC to or might even borrow for it. So far everything I have done in maple has been paid as I go, and I prefer that if at all possible.
went up in the woods after school today, and unrolled a 100ft 3/4 line for a branch, MAN I MISS MY MAPLEFLEX the black water pipe is rigid as hell especially since it was about 10 degrees, i wire tied about 10ft and taught my self a new wire tying trick, then it just got harder and harder as the twisties in the coil just didnt wanna come out cause of the cold, so i said im done and stetchedit and wrapped the end around the wire hoping it would loosen up and be easyer to work with in the morning, NO SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hope to get a crap load done this week and next week, all the main line is going up come hell or high water
talked to a farmer i know up by my dads he had to take pipe out of a piece of land a few years back cause the new owners wanted to ride their horses in the woods but i remembered he had a vac on it so i called him last night to see if i could buy the releaser cause the one i have aperrently the door sticks on it some times , dont know nover used it but dont want it to stick while im at school, but any way i asked him if he had the thing still and he said yea, when i asked him if he would sell it to me hesaid nono im not going to sell it, but im probably not going to use it this year so you can use it this year, i was like SWEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTT, he said to check in w him closer to sug season just to make sure he wasnt gunna use it.
but it made me happy to know that i might be able to use a blue gilles bernard rather than that 4ft tall ugly green lappiare with a strang door mechanism I am well on my way to many BIGSAP days!!!!!!!!!!:)
Glad to hear you made it home safely Michael. I got duped on rt 123 on the way out of Alstead and ended up in VT. I ended up getting that set of 2x6 pans I had been looking at. Now all I have to do is put my arch together. I also took a spin over to Tuckermtn's place on Sunday to pick up a couple of shirts and check out his set up so it was a good maple weekend despite the snow.Quote:
Originally Posted by mfchef54
This is how I run mainline tube. This is probly not recommended anywhere and probly isnt real safe but it works real good for me and I havent had one come down yet. I carry 3 tools, linemans pliars, wratchet handle and a yo-yo. I use a spinning jenny for the wire. Every end point gets a wratchet to eliminate connectors so first stop tractor supply for a 100$ worth of wratchets. Next stop sugarbush. Got a role of mainline on the jenny. I pull the wire out to the end tree. Then I pull off 6' extra wire and cut it off. Then I slip a little tube over the piece of wire to protect tree. Then If its good tree put couple wood blocks under it but try to pick nonvaluable tree. I take the wire and run it around the tree and put the wratchet on it. Then the majic happens. I tie a square knot on the wire. This eliminates two things I hate. crimps and crimping tools, or connectors you need tools for. Tools and I usually dont have a very long relationship together(on my third mainline punch). Then I take the wire and take a wrap starting the knot and take long tails becouse its hard to make the second part if you dont. Then being sure its a square and not a granny Ive got big ugly square knot but not for long. Then I hook my main in the wratchet and take a couple wraps. RUN back to the spinning jenny( this isnt a stroll in the woods weve got BIGSAP to get. I pull the line off the jenny to the start tree. Pull off 6' and do same trick. Now Ive got wratchets on both ends. Now crank her up good. RUN back to the other one making sure nothing hooked becouse working alone, looking good, now the wires nice and tight. Those big ugly square knots are now beautifull little square knots. Get it off the couple trees its on hard with some side ties. Take my tube and hose clamp it to one end. Pull it out to the other. I carry a 20' piece off light rope with me on a coil. Get to the other end I use the rope to pull it up so the slacks out of it. Then I real quick tie a few wire ties every 20' or so. Now its hangin from the wire. Go back to my rope and pull it up real tight and tie it off to the tree. Now you can clamp that end with a clamp too and go ahead and wire tie it in. Done. Anymore thats about all I do with not a lot of side ties. Then when I lateral it in they actually side tie it in just right and looks real good. Now a trunk mainline I will put a lot of side ties till its just so becouse there wont be any laterals on it. Like I said probly not recommended but thats just how I roll. Theron
Great minds think alike Theron!! The only thing that I do different from you is to pull the pipe up tight with a comealong and a Kellum grip. I tie it loosely like you said, then put the brute strength and ignorance to it. I get no accordian effect at all. BIG SAP TO ALL!!!
Mine comes up too Mike. What I do with that rope is I put a grapevine on the end of the tube a little ways in and run the rope around the tree and put a bowline on a bite on the standing part of the rope and pull it back that way. I know you know what that will do. I hook the grapevine on the end past the connection point if I want to get serious with it then If I fold the pipe dont matter. I just dont like lugging the hoist. Some of my taps are on dang cliffs almost and the rope will tie right on my belt loop. Theron
Theron, Maplwrks,
I do pretty much the same thing with mine the only difference is I use electrical tape to attach a strap to my pipe and the hook a come along to it. you would be surprised how much torture that tape will stand.
Nothing beats those kellums though like you say. Another thing ive done back in the woods far from stuff is put a clamp on the tube and put wire under it and bend it back and run it into a wratchet. That will work as a kellum grip on 3/4 or something but not on the big stuff quite as good. Theron
Dave- Dont matter how you grab it like you say as long as it holds long enough to clip it in. I found on the 3/4 it would stay quite nice with the ends clamped or tied real good. Not my 1.25 though. I had to regrab that stuff with kellums becouse it snaked on me. I think that stuff Ill alway put the kellums on and leave them. Besides you dont run a lot of the big pipe anyway. Theron
With my mainlines I will go less than the distance of a coil and stretch it and tie it off the move on . I do not get any accordion effect do in that. I also clamp it to the wire, seems to work.
You electrical workers do it about the same way as us redneck farmers. It doesn't matter as long as it goes on the wire tight and stays there, all ways work good if you come out with the same result, nice and tight and leave the accordian home and the sap in the tank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dano2840
DanO, play sick when you stay home sick. There will be plenty of time for stringing mainline when you get to X-mas vacation. You will get sicker sleeping in the snow and you will lose time.
802,
who are you calling an electrical worker?
Mike the Vermonter and old Big Sap himself Theron. They both like sticking it to us poor old mountain men when it has anything to do electricity so they can expand there operations.
I didn't think you was referring to me. I do electrical work but I am not an electrician. But I am an old billy goat.
Dave- Your a jack of all trades. I did a lot of thinking yesterday while I driving around at work. I ran about 4 scenerios around at length in my mind how I can get more sap and hit some more of those trees and came to the conclusion that realistically Im probly done here at the house for this year. Everything takes so long. Im going to have everything perfection here but I dont think Ill have time to do anything away from the house so I guess those other trees will have to wait. So the cull tree stand will be done and the bush across the road on the bank will be done so I guess Im going to be at a two hill operation for the year. So tap counts looks like its two hills for this year. Knowing those other trees are there is killing me but time and money what can you do? At least if any of you guys come down here youll have to give me a, "I guess he tried anyway". I gotta go get ready for work. So many trees so little time. Theron
Dave,
I somehow knew that. Hey did I tell you that your barrels were down to Therons or did he tell you. May be he is planning on keeping them for himself.
Theron,
You are just 4 to 5 weeks away from tapping. Better take a break for 3 or 4 weeks and get the batteries recharged to the point that you are wanting to make syrup so bad, you are like a dog with rabies drooling everywhere from the withdrawl for 3 or 4 weeks. It will make a more enjoyable season than working like a mad man right up until the day you tap.
Brandon,
I didn't know you could make syrup without working like a madman right up until you started to tap. Do you mean it is even more fun when I don't do that?????:)
802,Theron told me he had my barrels. I figure he'll fill them then I will go pick them up.
Theron, Just remember one man can only do so much.
I was going to go put some saddles on today but I think i will stay home. I have to pack the pecans coated last night. Later today we are going to one of my brothers for dinner to start the holiday activities.
Dave
I think that is a great idea, I think I will take some of my barrels down and do the same
Jerry
Brandon- This is my final plan I think and your going to love this. Im going to finish up everything at the house bush 100% high vac. Then Im going to make sure Im all set in the sugarhouse with the streamlining on the pressing etc. Just tap and hit the switch and ready. Then Im going just down the road to some hedgerow and road side trees. Theyre cool becouse there is a lot of drop 50-100' and theyre in line. Im going to Brandon them in. Im going to take a roll of 5/16 and run it top to bottom each run. Theres about 180 taps total with about 90 per run. 90 taps per lateral 5/16. Natural vac levels that should suck in small animals at the top of the run. I can run that literally in a day and whatever I get I get. Put a tote at the bottom and send Boo and Brother down there and see what we have. Theron
That would be awesome to see in action as you are more brave than I am with that many taps. One thing I can tell you, you had better not put a tote one each one unless it is at least 100 gallon each or more. If those trees start running good, it would fill a tote in no time flat.