Freezing the trees up here -20 last night and plus the wind . wont be tapping for a other month or begining of march hear . depends on the weather.
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Freezing the trees up here -20 last night and plus the wind . wont be tapping for a other month or begining of march hear . depends on the weather.
jim
Isn't that hollow core nylon nice. I have been using it for years and it is great. Cut it to any length you need. Some times I will useit to hold long laterals to keep tension off of the fittings and also it works good where I need to put in the 5/16 quick couplings so it doesn't leak vac.
Keith
Jim and Keith- is there any particular size/brand of the braided nylon that you use? I love the stuff also...I know you can get it at the maple supply houses but not sure what size it is so I can grab some at Lowes or TSC.
one month till tappn and sappn...was -10 here this AM...still some thawing to do...
I just bought some yellow braided nylon rope at home depot... its maybe 3/8" or something. it works great, Got another 1500' of 5/16 today.. cold and deep snow... kept putting off until it got warmer. I'm about 2/3rds through the bug bush.. I may go a few nights(late afternoon) this week and hopefully finish up the laterals by next sunday... then tye ins to the mains and drops after that.
forgot to take my add meds this morning, with out them i have absolutly no drive what so ever to hang tubing, took them at about 12 and was heading into the woods at about 2, got up there it was a balmy 3 out, put up a few taps worth and it just didnt feel right up in the woods, i just didnt feel like i belonged up there today, i dont know what it was or why but its kinda like the woods didnt want me up there today,call me crazy but it was kinda erie and the wind kept picking up and then dying down to the calmest quietest day ive ever seen, things were absolutely still, and silent until the wind would suddenly pick up again, some thing was sketchy and i didnt like it so i packed up and headed out, when i got down to the house about 1/8 mile away, it was fine out side a steady light breeze and starting to snow, i couldnt figure it out, maybe its because im loosing sleep worrying about weather im going to be ready in time for sap flow, i dont know, i think im going insane, has any one else had any times in your woods like that? or am i really just going insane............:confused:
Dan,
Yep some days are much better than others and fighting a bad day not a good thing.
Sat. had a great day at the NWPA maple meeting. Great talk by Gary Graham about sugar house ascetics and awareness on how to control lead in syrup. Saw lots of friends and folks that browse the trader like I do.
Also interviewed by local magazine write for a article that will come out in early March about making maple syrup. Oops forgot to mention the trader. Maybe I can get her to slip in that plug too?
I put together 25 adjusters loops for the short run tubing system.
Cleaned a little in the sugar house. Thanks to Nate for getting a pile of buckets out of the way.
Ordered new rear Super Lug tires for Mikes garden tractor tonight. Trying to keep him interested in mechanical things. Its a little 10 hp Wheel-Horse model A-100 that we have been puttering with. New beefer lug tires will replace the original dry rotted turf tires.
Chris
Last year we ran our 3/4" main line through a culvert under a snowmobile trail. It repeatedly froze up and would not thaw out till after noon, even on vacuum. I was planning to run a dry line this year to fix that problem but I still would have had to take the main line down every year as it ran close to the ground through a cow field.
Grabbed the crew and went at it yesterday. We figured we had enough slope that by climbing a few trees 25' up we could run it over the road and high enough through the field so we could bypass the culvert and leave the line up year round.
We have the cable strung and it worked out better than anticipated. 20'-25' off the ground at the trail crossing with good slope the entire way. Now we will have to go back and drop the line to attach the main line. I realize this will take some effort and climbing but at least we know it is workable.
I don't "need" to add the dry line now but this is my best opportunity to do so. Once I get the mainline in place I hope I don't have to revisit it for 5+ years.
I just love permanent fixes and don't mind spending time and energy on them. It is the stuff you redo every year that becomes a chore.
Mark.
We attended the Lanark District OMSPA meeting on Saturday. There was an interesting presentation from the Lapierre rep to introduce their new Force 5 Hurricane evaporator. Bruce Gillilan from Leader also gave a good talk about increasing sap yield using wet/dry and disposable spout extensions. We accepted the Sugarmaker of the Year award that the district awarded in my father's memory. Other interesting presentations were given on various research topics being done by Centre Acer, Proctor etc...
Yesterday we got the new smokestack base on the arch, shovelled the roof of the sugar camp, finished the sap ladder over the road to our new bush and put up a roll's worth of tubing to replace some ancient tubing that wasn't worth putting up.
There's up to 2' of soft, fluffy snow in the bush. Hopefully we get a normal spring and will tap the first couple weeks of March.
Ennis-congrats on the award
Plumbed the vacuum pump and ran a pump line to the releaser in the woods yesterday. Going to add a few more taps and then its on to the evaporator. Give her a good cleaning, test fire a boil or two to figure out the floats and I should be all set.
Oh yea, have to wash and get ready 100 or so buckets for the roadsides, clean the pick-up tank ,get the transfer pump ready, hook up releaser....
Good thing I have two weeks
so i drove to school yestarday for the 1st time. and am able to leave a period early to go work ing the woods. so i park in the peoples drive way where the tank is going, i get out of the car and i can hear some sort of diesel behemouthe up in the woods, so i get my stuff on and walk to the top of the sugar woods, and its very close, so i walk into the soft maple on the proporty next to the sugar woods and 200ft from the property line theres mike merino with a brandy new tiger cat 640 skidder, i hadnt figured out who owned the land but wanted to next fall and tapt the 200 taps worth of soft maple next year if i could, gues not:(. but i had a couple of logs on a steep side hill i couldnt get w/ the tractor, im gunna find him in the woods on thurs, and hes going to take his tiger cat over into my sugar woods and hes going to winch them out for me, hes not going to charge me a dime, i will offer to help him limb trees or unhook chockers for a couple hours in return, i feel like i aughta give some thing back, but any way the soft maples are going to be gone by next week, oh well i will go get the tops for sugar wood for next year when he is all done.
Been puttsing around for the last week or so. Kid was sick so I got sick. I should sent my little biological weapon to Afganistan. Got some more mainline up and made new bases for two of my vac pumps. I can't lay around like a sick little school girl you know.
Looking for a few good maples. Just lost 25 taps and Was thinking of not tapping another 2 spots about 75 taps due to distance and cold woods syndrome. So I will be scouting and moving tubing. Just when you think you got it figured out something changes:)
Have the rear end tore out of the grandsons A-100 Wheel Horse because I cant get the wheel off of the shaft due to rust. I have two new Super lug tires coming and now a little bigger project than just replacing tires!
Weather is changing back to snow tonight but this after noon felt like you could have been hanging tubing.
Regards,
Chris
sugarmaker; my sap hauler has a a-100 that is a skidder of sorts in the summer time. Scrappy little machines aren't they.
On another note went and got 6 55 gallon drums for end line tanks at 5 different places. Am going to try line feeding to these drums to make collection a little easier. Hope it works as well as I think it will.
Well, not to be out done by all of you industrous sugarmakers. A friend and I went yesterday and bought 1200 more buckets. Between he and I we have 3000 buckets. Lord willing and the snow dosent get too deep we just may hang them all this year. How would you like to empty all of those, Theron? :)
FINALLY DAVE, Im finally hearing the voice of reason from some one on here. Its about time someone shows a little initiative. Now 3000 buckets, thatll make the neighbors start to think your trying at least. Gonna get some cool pics for you guys soon. Got the tanker trailer in position yesterday. Looks pretty cool. Had to have the township some up and do some cindering but the guys have it in. 6200 gallons of BIGSAP storage. That ought to help. Dont know if Ill make any syrup but it looks like theres a big stroke goin on. Working pretty hard to get across the road ready, not much time for the trader. Dont want to miss the first run. Everybody keep up the good work. Sounds like everybodys gettin ready for the BIGSAP. Theron
I knew that would get your attenion Theron. It looks like I will have very close to 3000 taps myself this year. all boiled on a 3x12 and no RO! Beleive it or not I am looking at a 6x16. I Know a fella that has one that he may sell. If I were to buy that I would never have to buy an RO or another rig the rest of my life. Of course unless I wore it out! :)
We'll have about 280 taps this year, and 20 buckets. That's enough for me.
I like to collect in the afternoon, but my life is hectic and that's about the amount I can get in a half hour.
If I'm boiling it's about the time it takes for the evap to get cranking, so I can get them without worrying.
Going in the woods in 20 minuters so far have 405 taps at my new bush and alot more to go. have two rolls of tubing to run today and work on saddles hooking them in,then drops should have it done by the weekend since were getting 10-16inches of snow today probably just gunna run the 2 rolls and get out of there.
No going in woods today. Got ten new inches of snow on ground w/ more coming down. Saw a Snowgoose yesterday back at the pond!! Not even gonna think about plowing out the driveway till it stops!
Only ran one roll of tubing snow was crazy and didnt have any drive to work in the woods worked from 10 to 12 got one side of the 2nd main done then tomow the other side if i can even get in the with snow shoes 12 to 16 inches of snow, CRAZY, suppto be clear tomorrow so i should have a good day if i can get in there. gotta run one roll of tubing hopfuly i can get quite a bit done on that side then gunna put in saddles and whatever isnt done is going to have to wait i have to get my vac and a relaser so once iget that stuff ill get more tubing to finish the bush up for this year and add a other 2 mains next year for more SAP :D Still waiting on my r/o there having trouble with the electic box i guess and it wont pass code. which SUCKS.
You can be assured that when it comes, it'll be right--unlike some of the other brands, you would need to fix the problem yourself
maplewrks, Do you like your lapierrre r/o, i never used a r/o before.
caseyssugarshack93,
Snowing real hard hear today, it's 18 outside.
Started here about 5:30 this morning.
I would say there is 6" on the ground with a lot more to come!
Ahhh it's New England bring it on!!!!
Dave
3% Snowing like crazy here only got to work inthe woods for a few hours, got soked wet snow,roads are slippery i have about the same as you about 6 inches so far and tons to go, kinda sucks for working in the woods but will help out the sugarseason hopfuly. tomorow im going to have to spend a good hour proablaby making a good trail with snowshoes then start working on the other side. made up 200 drops while sitting in my room :D hoplfuly get every thing done by the weekend,Hows everything going over there 3%?
caseyssugarshack93,
Well as far as the weather goes, like I said, it's snowing.
About an hour ago there was a multi-vehicle pile up on I-91 in Ascutney, Vt., rescue crews are still there, 3 injuries, that were transported.
As far as the sugaring stuff goes, just need to go to get our supplies next week, put the new pan gasket down, set the pans and set the EEU in place.
After that it's string about 300' of tubing, flush it out and a week after (maybe) tap some trees .......... GO TIME.
So, we're pretty much ready!!
Dave
If the weather permits ill be tapping the last week in feb. maybe be tapping on my birtday feb 26, may go get my permit that day so who knows. cant wait to get the sap running. still have alot to do gotta get my pump and a gas motor,releasers,1000gal tank get my r/o, have matt at lapiree hook that up,Clean the sugarhouse,Get a pan gasket, test the oil burner,( gunna try) finish up what im going to tap this year at the new bush arould 3/4 im tapping this year and next year maybe 200 more taps maybe more,Go to the 2 other sugarbushes tigthin lines level mainlines and set tanks an let nature take its toll.
SO MUCH TO DO IN SO LITTLE TIME
well the arch restoration is done today new pic in my photo bucket all i need is the pan gasket and to hook the stack up ...
nice job peace. Looks like you are one seet closer to making syrup.
got another foot of snow today and more on the way if i herd right it is 122 inchs this season witch tieds us for the 7 worse winter in erie history it seems like every time we get a step closer to tapping we take 20 steps back
very nice job on your evap, shes ready to go now, i wish i had an evap, secured and in my sugar house...........starting to loose sleep worrying about it.............
Hey look what the non computer guy did. Put a few photos on a photo bucket account. Pat pat on the back to me. I have about 3 years of them and the different stages that we went through. hope you enjoy them.
thanks guys been fun to watch her come back to life
Peacemaker,
The rig looks good. You saved it.
Boyd,
Yea the snow is way to much to try to hang tubing in. Just plowing out the drive to the road and around by the sugarhouse took and hour and a half.
Not much happening on maple right now.
Got the Wheelhorse project in process:(
Chris
thanks sugarmaker i saved her
Peacemaker,
How many taps will you put out this year? and what do you estimate the gph on this rig? The pans look really nice.
Chris
i am hoping for 500 taps 300 or more online and the rest buckets
i hope to push 40 to 45 with the blower and then pans are in perfect shape ..2002 and lead free solder
Peace,
Nice looking evaporator and great restoration job. Nice looking sugarbush also. Keep us posted on how the old girl does with the blower!
I'd like to rig up a blower. Are they hard to find? We have a 2x6, and it could be put in right below the grates, I suppose.
We might be able to increase our boil. We can get up to 40 gph now when it's cranking.
revi there not hard to find mine is off a old wood furnace it looks like a heat gun ... i plan on taking the draft door off and making a plate for it ... and thanks WV its a great sugar bush wicked steep though but great for the gravity ... it was cut for a sugar bush over 15 years ago and just begging to be tapped one of my best buds owns the land and sugared it all his life but where i am tapping they only ran like 50 taps on line all was buckets he made 65 gals of 175 taps his last year
Peace,
Funny you should mention steep. Some of my taps are almost straight up and down and it is difficult to tap the trees as you can't stand up without killing yourself. Worst thing is the tree roots, if you step on one you are down the hill and in a hurry. Kinda dangerous, actually.